Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Michael O'Keefe Cowboy hero Wild Bill Elliott in his last movie for Republic Pictures. A stalwart of the genre, Elliott plays Shadrach Jones, a Texas State Policeman who gives up his badge to hunt down the man that shot his brother in the back, while robbing him of money set aside to purchase an Arizona ranch. Shad believes that the man he is looking for will be working on a cattle drive for Cap Mackellar(Walter Brennan). Jones takes on the job as trail boss with intent of finding the guilty man. Revenge or retribution? Justice or payback? Actually a B Western with a top notch cast making THE SHOWDOWN a must see. The cast also includes: Marie Windsor, Harry Morgan, William Ching, Jim Davis, Leif Erickson and Rhys Williams.

discount1957 Like many of Republic's B Westerns of this period, this was shot on sound stages with back-projection and process-work standing in for the big blue yonder once so much a part of the western.Nonetheless, like 'Hellfire' (1949), also scripted by the McGowans, this was a fitting end to Elliott's long stay with Republic. The interesting script has Elliott on the trail of the murderer of his brother and joining a wagon train knowing that one of the men is the guilty one. In an attempt to find out which one, he pushes men and cattle beyond their natural endurance. Brennan, cast against type as the quiet and friendly man who is finally gored to death, is the guilty one and Windsor is the saloon keeper who buys an interest in the herd and travels with it.The direction is as eloquent as the screenplay and elliott plays his forceful role to the hilt.Phil Hardy

gleetroy Artistic Western? That one reviewer must have been hitting the Hoppy Juice a bit too often. I guess he thinks any Western that's not a clash over water rights is "artistic." This piece of junk was obvious from the start (Surprise? You thought the girl did it?)Also "the cast was excellent , including Elliot?" He was stiffer than the oak tress in the background. I guess I can't take too much "Art" in my Westerns. Give me "Stagecoach" anytime.The Showdown. Bill Elliot. Was old Elliot Wooden School of Acting Guru a regular Republic leading man? Why was Walter Brennan playing that type of character at that point in his career?

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) This film is a surprise, you would not expect Bill Elliott, who was a B-western hero, to show up in such an artistic western as this one. It is the same type of surprise we had with "The Gunfighter" or "The Ox-Bow Incident" but those films had great actors, they only had the structure of a B-western. Anyhow this film sure deserved more credit than it got. The photography, the actors, (Elliott included) and the story are excellent. As Walter Brennan tries to convince Elliott that vengeance is wrong, that all will be taken care by divine retribution, it makes one think a lot about it, long after the film is over.