Storyline: Two travelers, passing through a small western town, come across news of a farmer's murder and cattle theft. The town residents, along with the travelers, form a group to track down the criminals. After finding three individuals with the stolen cattle, the posse is determined to deliver swift justice.
Henry Fonda was dissatisfied with the majority of the films he was required to star in during his contract with 20th Century-Fox, with only two exceptions: this film and "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940).
Director William A. Wellman had been eager to adapt the novel "The Ox-Bow Incident" into a film for a long time but was met with demands from the rights holders to cast Mae West in any adaptation, which he deemed as absurd. Eventually, Wellman purchased the rights himself and was able to make the film according to his vision.
The film features the same western street set as "The Gunfighter" (1950).
Fonda held this film as one of his personal favorites.
When polled by the AFI for their publication "Private Screenings," Clint Eastwood named this film as his favorite.
Fonda's participation in the film partly stemmed from his firsthand experience of witnessing the lynching of Will Brown in Omaha, NE in 1919 at the age of 14.
This film holds the distinction of being the last film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture without receiving any other Academy Award nominations.
