It's surprising how well this film turns out, considering the actors involved, but John Wayne and Montgomery Clift successfully portray a respectful and affectionate connection – something I haven’t witnessed before or after in a John Wayne movie concerning another man. Hawks puts you right there on a grueling cattle drive, allowing you to practically experience the mounting pressure and anxiety as the younger charac…

Tom Dunson is a man who built his cattle empire from nothing and will go to any length to safeguard what he’s achieved. The declining price of livestock forces Tom, along with his adopted son Matthew, to lead their herd across the dangerous Chisholm Trail in hopes of securing a good return on their beef. Accompanied by a group of hired hands, they head north, but numerous difficulties arise, including tensions stemmi…