Paris Pitman, Jr. (Kirk Douglas) is the sole survivor of a homestead robbery and hides the loot in a snake pit. He is caught in a bordello and sentenced to 10 years in territorial prison. He makes friends and enemies. Corrupt warden LeGoff offers him a deal for a split of the loot but is killed in a prison riot. Lawman Woodward W. Lopeman (Henry Fonda) arrives to improve the prison as the new warden and he laughs off Pitman's offer.
This movie takes its time to get going mostly because Fonda doesn't arrive at the prison until much later. Instead, Paris is playing the long game and shows his cards only after awhile. This needs to be a mano a mano movie with Douglas facing off against Fonda. It would be better to have Fonda arriving sooner and one of the guards being the corrupt one with the offer. It is still great to have these men face off but it is not a classic.
This movie takes its time to get going mostly because Fonda doesn't arrive at the prison until much later. Instead, Paris is playing the long game and shows his cards only after awhile. This needs to be a mano a mano movie with Douglas facing off against Fonda. It would be better to have Fonda arriving sooner and one of the guards being the corrupt one with the offer. It is still great to have these men face off but it is not a classic.