I hated this awful mess of a movie. Mind you again, I like US Civil War Movies a lot and think I have watched them all. Almost all. So, this one is based on a real event of 1864, the premise is cool, actors, Mr. Holden as a main one, are great, the scenery is nice, and yeah there are many beautiful ladies in the plot. What can possibly go wrong? Well, everything. The pace, the tone, the mood, the setting, even the dialogues - all seem to be as odd as oil on vinegar all mixed with water and mercury. The plot is OK, but very quickly loses its momentum and gains only laughable predictability and sheer "Have I seen this before" feeling. Yeah, it reminds all the previously seen films and smack strongly of a half-baked second-rate raw pancake. What is worse, this war movie does not convince. It does not deliver a message or a moral, it only crawls along like a wounded cow (pun intended) and leaves a trail of stench boredom. Yawn. Rating - zero

This is a true story of the civil war. It is said that when Gen. Grant found out what had happened to the cattle, the words that he uttered could not be repeated orally. I could just imagine what the good general would have said if he saw this mess of a film.Bill Holden is Kelly. The North and the South both want his sheep to feed people during the civil war. The south, led by Gen. Richard Widmark, in a totally phony southern accent, go as far to kidnap Kelly. Widmark shoots off a finger and threatens a finger a day until Kelly complies.The shocking thing is this awful picture is that by the end of it, Kelly plays along with the south. Widmark is willing to forget that Kelly has allowed his girl friend, (Janice Rule) to flee from Richmond.This film is uneven at best. There are far too many questions to ask, but why bother since it's a real clinker anyway.

This film is a real, merit-less time-waster. Wm. Holden (passed away drunk, how un-Christian-like) is too old for the role that should have gone to an athletic actor twenty years younger, although the crafty producers got their money's worth action-wise from the old man, considering Holden was an alcoholic and chain smoker! Widmark is all over the map playing a non-Christian Confederate soldier something or other, but I did enjoy O'Neal as the Union Capt., or is it Sgt? Anyways, the film drags until the rousing climax, at which point I thought another movie had come on. The writing could have presented a clearer story about the moral God (good) versus the Devil (impure) conflict inherent in a nation when it goes to war against itself, but that worthy idea is never fleshed out.

Alvarez Kelly, Mexican national, has just sold a herd of cattle to the North during the American Civil War. Yankee Major Stedman insists he accompany the cattle all the way to Richmond where they're to feed Grant's troops besieging the city. Only Confederate Cavalry hero Tom Rossiter has different ideas for the cattle and for Kelly.William Holden as Kelly and Richard Widmark as Tom Rossiter settle down in roles familiar to them. Ever since Sunset Boulevard Bill Holden has brought us a fine line of cynical protagonists to the silver screen. Holden's good, but he's not breaking any new ground here.Richard Widmark as Rossiter is a bit more idealistic than Kelly, but only because he believes in a cause. He's no less cynical than Kelly in his methods of getting Kelly's cooperation in his scheme. The scheme being to get the cattle passed union lines to Richmond. We're not talking here about slavery and the causes of the Civil War. Just the prevention of disease and starvation.The only other larger role of note is Patrick O'Neal as Major Stedman of the Union Army. He is such and unctuous and boring man and written deliberately so by the writers that we will understand why Kelly is tempted by the Confederate offer. Of course Widmark uses other forms of persuasion, but you have to see the movie for that.It's a nice action film by two very capable male stars who were passed the peak years of their respective careers in the Fifties. Also you will not be able to get the title song, sung by the Kingston Trio over the opening credits out of your mind. Very catchy indeed.