Run for Cover

Not a terribly deep western, but a satisfying one that makes some decent social commentary. I'm not the world's biggest Cagney fan, however I liked his performance here as a man of upstanding integrity. A little too perfect but a hero that's enjoyable to watch. The movie keeps things moving at a steady pace, maybe too steady but quite watchable. There are a couple of interesting surprises as well. There are certain better westerns out there, but you could do a whole lot worse.

Decent enough, but it doesn't do much to set itself apart from other Hollywood westerns of this period. The themes feel very familiar: law and order, masculinity, betrayal and, of course, redemption. The acting is good, it's pacey enough not to get boring at any point and the romantic sub-plot between Cagney and Lindfors is sweet without being saccharine. But ultimately it's fairly average.

The only reason why anyone would watch this is James Cagney in a main role. I have no idea why he disliked being typecast as a tough guy, he makes a great tough cowboy. Tough but lawful. Like most pre-Sergio Leone westerns this one is fairly boring. Cinematography looks good, I wonder why they stopped using VistaVision.

James Cagney is great in this western film. The rest of the cast also does a good job in this film.The script is good and unpredictable. Overall I would recommend this film.