This film feels like settling into a den full of rattlesnakes! Alfred E. Green directed Sierra, with a screenplay by Edna Anhalt based on Stuart Hardy’s novel "Mountains Are My Kingdom." The movie features Audie Murphy, Wanda Hendrix, Burl Ives, Dean Jagger and Richard Rober, alongside a musical score by Walter Scharf and Technicolor cinematography from Russell Metty. The year 1950 marks an early point in Audie Murphy's film career and offers insight into the kinds of roles he would become known for. Of the three Westerns he made that year, Sierra is the least impressive, but it’s still a good movie and demonstrates why his fans found him so appealing. The story involves Murphy and Jagger portraying a father and son living in the mountains because the dad is hiding from the law. They manage to survive by trapping animals and taming wild horses, relying on Burl Ives' character—a traveling musician—to sell their goods. When a lawyer from town, played by Hendrix, becomes entangled with them, a chain of events unfolds that leads Murphy into town, where things quickly become perilous for everyone. The film’s location photography is exceptional; Metty captures beautiful scenery in Cedar City and Cedar Breaks, Utah. The costumes (designed by Yvonne Wood) are also very well done, and it's pleasant to see Ives playing a cheerful character who sings and plays music throughout the movie. Murphy and Hendrix have good on-screen chemistry, despite their marriage ending that same year, and the legal aspects of the story—particularly the court scenes with Hendrix as the defense attorney—add some depth to the narrative. However, those looking for action will be disappointed; while there are a few horse chases and stampedes, along with some displays of masculinity, the film's strength lies in its intelligent storyline about a young man experiencing city life for the first time and a female lawyer trying to succeed in the male-dominated West. Tony Curtis (credited as Anthony) and James Arness also appear in supporting roles, adding to the vibrancy of the cast. It earns a 6/10.

Source on TMDB