Petrolio rosso

A brief recap of the plot-- After his wife dies in childbirth, Doc decides to remain with his young daughter in the little Oklahoma town and set up practice there. Trouble is that oil is on Indian land and only bad guy Dobie knows about it, so he tries various schemes to get Indian Charlie's land away from him. Meanwhile, Doc has struck up a friendship with Charlie whose daughter Maria takes care of Doc's youngster. So there's trouble brewing between the greedy Dobie and the Doc.

Great role for McCrea as the doctor. His naturally likable demeanor is perfect for a caring physician. Of course, there's also that steely determination he can summon when needed and make us believe it. Dexter comes across as an intelligent bad guy, knowing when to strike and when to hold back, unlike most western bad guys who are too often stupidly aggressive. Barbara Hale as Anne makes a good mature counterpart to McCrea. Earlier they made The Lone Hand (1953) together, so the rapport is unforced. Then there's cult favorite Gloria Talbot as the Indian maiden Maria, Anne's rival for Doc's affections, though the Doc's too preoccupied to notice. On the whole, it's a non-scenic, rather easy-going horse opera, with some expected fisticuffs and a well-staged showdown. Nothing special, just another very watchable McCrea western, of which he made many during his productive middle years.