It's 1848 and while the US Senate debates the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which
ended the Mexican War already Americans are pouring into the area known as the
Mexican Cession. Especially in California where most of the Mexican population
was in any event.
Steve Brodie was one of the first as he starts land speculating giving cut rate land deals to American settlers on some Mexican land. Cuz there ain't no way the Senate will ratify a treaty that will recognize Mexican land rights.
Two people fighting back are the Delmontes, brother and sister Rick Jason and Rita Gam. They've got a lot of acreage in California and a few vaqueros to back them up.
Two people they get involved with are American widowed settler Mala Powers who Jason rescues on the desert with her child. Brian Keith plays a Texan gunfighter who switches sides and helps the Delmontes. He's a puzzling figure even in his own mind and a tragic one. To him go the acting honors in Sierra Baron.
Of course Brodie figures wrong because as history tells us the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was passed reognizing the rights of Mexicans already there. They were given the option of going to the now truncated Mexico or becoming American citizens.
The happy ending here was sadly to be shortlived when gold was discovered on John Sutter's estate and the 49ers just poured in like a flood. A bit of irony I'm sure known to a lot of the audience when Sierra Baron was on the big screen in 1958.
Steve Brodie was one of the first as he starts land speculating giving cut rate land deals to American settlers on some Mexican land. Cuz there ain't no way the Senate will ratify a treaty that will recognize Mexican land rights.
Two people fighting back are the Delmontes, brother and sister Rick Jason and Rita Gam. They've got a lot of acreage in California and a few vaqueros to back them up.
Two people they get involved with are American widowed settler Mala Powers who Jason rescues on the desert with her child. Brian Keith plays a Texan gunfighter who switches sides and helps the Delmontes. He's a puzzling figure even in his own mind and a tragic one. To him go the acting honors in Sierra Baron.
Of course Brodie figures wrong because as history tells us the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was passed reognizing the rights of Mexicans already there. They were given the option of going to the now truncated Mexico or becoming American citizens.
The happy ending here was sadly to be shortlived when gold was discovered on John Sutter's estate and the 49ers just poured in like a flood. A bit of irony I'm sure known to a lot of the audience when Sierra Baron was on the big screen in 1958.