That redhead is no deadhead, as Maureen O'Hara proves, in this entertaining range war drama. The screenplay is brilliant, providing a variety of shifting alliances to keep us guessing. Maureen's character, Cattle Kate(so nicknamed) is actually from Texas, not Wyoming, to which she has recently migrated, at the beckoning of the second most visible character: Jim Averell(William Bishop), whose historical namesake was married to Cattle Kate for a few years. He is a mysterious complex man with a Stalin complex. Stalin's game plan was to be a benchwarmer while the Fascist and non-fascist governments of Europe destroyed each other in warfare. Then, the USSR would roll over all of Europe with little effective opposition, with the arsenal they would build up in the meanwhile. Of course, the Germans upset his plan by overrunning most of Europe in record time and with minimal destruction. Well, Averell tells Kate that his ambition is to become governor, and buy up most of Wyoming. Toward this goal, he sought to ally himself with the small ranchers against the big bully ranchers, who had seen to it that legislation was passed that favored them. Another part of his scheme is to incite a range war between The large and small ranchers, who would mutually destroy each other, and leave their ranches for him to pick over. Reece Duncan(Alexander Scourby)would represent the local big owners.Clearly, Averell is a wealthy man, but the source of his wealth is not apparent. He seems to have lots of time to meddle in the affairs of the ranchers, without actually owning any cattle himself. He sets up Kate with a cattle buying business, as well as a saloon business to cater to her traditional employment, with the rational that they will probably marry eventually. But, actually he plans to use her toward his agenda. Yes, he's a snake! She, not he, takes the risk of being accused a cattle rustler, if her hands brand some mavericks that Duncan considers are his, or rustle somebody's branded cattle. He arranges for her branding logo to closely resemble that of Duncan's, so that it can be applied over Duncan's brands which are then hidden. Kate herself wouldn't approve of that, but her hands might be tempted. An incident happens where Duncan's foreman is murdered on the range at night when some cattle go missing, and one of Kate's branding irons is found near his body. The cattlemen are of a mind to string her up, so she is put in jail, with several deputies as guards, partly for her safety. It seems awfully careless for one of Kate's hands to leave that branding iron as incriminating evidence. This mystery is resolved partly by facts and partly by logic.I haven't yet mentioned Sheriff Blaine: recently appointed essentially by Averell, as meeting his specification of someone he thought would be malleable to his interests. Blaine's Texas family was wiped out in a range war, and he doesn't want to get involved in another, so he's thinking of resigning soon. Yet, he doesn't easily back down when confronted with a difficult problem. He hires a bunch of deputies when he thinks it's necessary.Averell, Duncan, and Blain are all single, so which, if any, is Kate going to marry? Why do you think she made this choice? I'll let you view the film to find out(Film currently available cheaply as part of an 8 pack of westerns.) The real Averell apparently had no ambition to be governor nor own the whole of Wyoming. He and Kate were lynched together for supposedly rustling some cows. Probably, it depended on what all was included in the concept of rustling, as pointed out in this film.Included is an obligatory cattle stampede, consisting of mavericks. Also, a huge, complicated, street brawl as the climax.Of the main characters, Maureen and Bishop(as Averell) have plenty of charisma, which is lacking for Scourby(Duncan) and Nicol(Sheriff). That's not to say that these others weren't adequate in their roles. I think the picture would be much more popular if "name" actors had taken the place of the latter two. Also, a humorous sidekick, such as Andy Devine or Gabby Hays would have been nice.Thank goodness it was shot in color, or we would have missed Maureen's flaming hair to match her tongue and action! For other good, but little known, color films that feature Maureen as a domineering wildcat, I recommend "Comanche Territory" and "Against All Flags", she being a pirate captain in the latter.

During the 1930s, 40s and 50s (especially the 50s), Hollywood made a bazillion western films. Because they made so many, it's not surprising that there are several basic plots you'll find in about 95% of these movies. This one features two of these plots...plots that are really clichés because they occur so often. First, there is Jim Averell...a guy who wants to be more and more powerful. He's running for governor and has his eyes set on controlling the west. Second, he's making himself richer and richer by bringing in a gang of cutthroats and they spend their time rustling other folks' cattle. There is so much familiarity about these story elements...too much. Sure, Maureeen O'Hara is there and she looks nice in color but the film never seems more than just another mediocre western with little to distinguish it aside from having O'Hara involved in the big gunfight at the end. Ordinary...

... thanks to a good story, a stunning cinematography (whooaahhoo Maureen's dresses in Technicolor), fast paced direction and editing (the fights are real tough like in movies directed by Anthony Mann, Ray Enright or Phil Karlson), and above all Maureen O'Hara surrounded by a good cast.Maureen O'Hara is so sexy and her interpretation is always subtle, she shines in every scene. And the great surprise is that she can be as tough as a man. The perfect woman in Technicolor.And the other success of that so entertaining western is the interpretation of William Bishop, one of my favorite actors in B movies (Thunderhoof, The Texas Rangers, The White Squaw, ... and that unknown noir crime Breakdown with terrific boxing sequences). Such an athletic silhouette and determined face. Each time I see a movie with William Bishop, I'm never disappointed.

The Redhead From Wyoming casts Maureen O'Hara as a saloon mistress and cattle queen in the new state of Wyoming. Then as now Wyoming is a sparsely populated place and we've got ourselves a typical range war western in this flick.There's a lot stray cattle in Wyoming and a guy can stake a claim, round up some mavericks and start a herd. Only the guy who got there ahead of everybody else is Alexander Scourby owner of the local Ponderosa. He's got an unofficial no trespass sign on unbranded cattle on his range.Into this mix comes O'Hara and William Bishop. O'Hara comes to run the local saloon owned by Bishop. He also sets her up in the cattle business as well. But he's got an agenda all his own and I will say he dreams big.Maureen O'Hara as The Quiet Man was opening to rave reviews was busy working on this film and she called it a 'stinkeroo' in her memoirs. But it's a matter of perspective, next to The Quiet Man it really is. But it's not a bad action western.Possibly also she saw that William Bishop had the best role in the film by far. As I said he dreams real big, he's got the small ranchers on his side and he's not got their interest at heart. Bishop is slick and crafty with a good line of gab.Nominal hero in the piece is Alex Nicol as the outsider sheriff caught in the middle. Nicol never really registers though as a strong hero, the part called for someone like Jimmy Stewart.A couple of television western regulars had supporting roles here. Dennis Weaver plays one of the small ranchers and Jack Kelly plays Bishop's top gun hand. He has a nasty fight with Alex Nicol in the climax.It's not a 'stinkeroo' as Maureen put it, but unless you're a fan of her's don't go out of your way to see it.