It makes me curious whether Fritz Lang was given these plot points by studio executives or if he selected them himself. Regardless, the actors portraying the central characters don’t quite succeed in elevating this pioneering and intriguing story above a fairly standard level of filmmaking—even though it's about perseverance and negotiation. The film begins with "Shaw" (Randolph Scott) finding an injured "Creighton" (Dean Jagger), who is being chased by a group of men. Shaw assists him to a house where he leaves him in the care of kind people who help him heal. It’s revealed that "Creighton" works as a Western Union surveyor, tasked with mapping out plans for the telegraph line. Some time passes and they meet again at the construction site, along with "Blake" (Robert Young), who seems more refined than the others; soon, the two men find themselves competing for the attention of "Sue Creighton" (Virginia Gilmore), which introduces an entirely superfluous romantic element to the narrative. As the project moves forward, the characters face hostile encounters, deception, and even some trickery from disgruntled Confederate soldiers—all while suspecting that "Slade" (Barton MacLane) is behind everything. The cinematography is noteworthy, and the Zane Grey novel, as with much of his writing, provides an exciting adventure story that translates well to film, featuring horse chases, gunfights, and a dramatically filmed fire at the conclusion. I feel the actors are the weak point; Scott does okay, but the other two just aren’t up to par. It's disappointing because it had the potential to be far better. Even so, it remains pleasant enough to watch.

Source on TMDB