The Big Land

Civil War veteran Chad Morgan (Alan Ladd) and alcoholic ex-architect Joe Jagger (Edmond O'Brien) are taken in by kindly Kansas farmer Sven (John Qualen) and his widowed daughter-in-law, Kate (Julie Bishop). To repay their kindness, Chad and Joe concoct a plan to create a market town for cattle and grain, with the help of Joe's sister, Helen (Virginia Mayo), and her railroad executive fiancé (Don Castle). But the violent boss of a nearby market (Anthony Caruso) will kill to keep his monopoly.