While surveying a telegraph line in 1861, Western Union engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) is severely injured in an accident. He is discovered by Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott), an outlaw on the run from a posse. Forced to travel on foot after his horse was hurt, Shaw at first considers stealing Creighton's horse, but changes his mind and takes the man with him, saving his life.
Sometime later, following his recovery, Creighton returns to Omaha, Nebraska and plans the construction of a telegraph line from Omaha to Salt Lake City, Utah. Facing considerable opposition to the line from Confederate soldiers, Indians, and outlaws, Creighton elicits the help of his sister Sue (Virginia Gilmore), foreman Pat Grogan (Minor Watson), and assistant Homer Kettle (Chill Wills).
Looking to put his outlaw past behind him, Shaw arrives at Creighton's Western Union office looking for honest work and is hired as a scout by Grogan who is unaware of his past. Creighton recognizes him among the men and allows him to stay despite his suspicions. Creighton also hires tenderfoot Richard Blake (Robert Young), a Harvard-educated engineer as a favor to Blake's father. Shaw and Blake are both attracted to Sue and vie for her attention, but their romantic rivalry is cut short when construction of the telegraph line starts on July 4, 1861.
After work commences on the line, one of the men is killed apparently by a mysterious band of cattle-rustling Indians. Unconvinced that Indians are to blame, Shaw rides out to investigate and follows the rustlers' trail to the camp of Jack Slade, a former friend and cohort, whose gang committed the killing disguised as Indians—the gang Shaw left following his last bank robbery. Slade reveals that they are working for the Confederacy to disrupt Western Union because they believe the telegraph service will help the Union. Shaw rides away and returns to the line. Not wanting to turn in his former friends, Shaw tells Creighton that a large band of Dakota Indians stole the cattle, and recommends that they simply replace the herd and not risk a fight with the Indians.
Sometime later, a confrontation takes place between men working on the forward line and a band of drunken Indians. When one of the Indians tries to steal some equipment, a nervous Blake shoots him, ignoring Shaw's order to remain calm. After word arrives that the main camp is under attack by other Indians, the Western Union men rush back to help with the defense. At the main camp, Slade's men, who are again disguised as Indians, steal the Western Union horses. The company discover the ruse when one of the wounded Indians turns out to be a white man. Forced to buy back their stolen horses from Slade, Creighton becomes suspicious of Shaw's involvement, especially when he admits to knowing the gang.
Soon the U.S. Army arrives and announces the Indians have now refused to allow the telegraph lines to go through their territory in response to Blake's shooting of the drunken Indian. Creighton, Shaw, and Blake ride out to convince Chief Spotted Horse to allow them to build the line through Indian territory, even though the man Blake wounded was Spotted Horse's son. Creighton is finally able to persuade the Indians to allow them passage, and work continues until the company approaches Salt Lake City.
Sometime later, Shaw receives word that Jack Slade wants to meet with him. On the way to see Slade, Shaw is captured and bound by Slade's men. Slade says his group is going to burn down the Western Union camp and they don't want Shaw to interfere. After Slade and his men ride off, Shaw escapes from his ropes but arrives back too late to prevent the fire. He helps rescue some of the Western Union men from the flames and burns his hands in the process.
After the fire, Creighton confronts Shaw for an explanation, but Shaw does not reveal what he knows and is fired by Creighton. As Shaw leaves the camp, he tells Blake that Slade is actually Shaw's brother and that he, Shaw, will find Slade's gang and stop them from interfering with the telegraph project. Shaw rides off and finds Slade and his men in a nearby town. At the barber shop, Shaw confronts his brother, whose gun is concealed under the barber's sheet. Slade shoots Shaw through the sheet. Shaw fights back in spite of his wound, killing some of the gang members, and then dies. Blake arrives and continues the fight with Slade who dies from his wounds. Soon after, the Western Union line is completed and the workers celebrate. When Sue laments the absence of Shaw, Creighton tells her that Shaw can hear them.
年过九十的东木大叔又一部自导自演的作品，再次respect，虽然内容和预想的有点不一样，但也还算不错，毕竟一大把年纪的东木也不太可能打打杀杀了，拍成这样的类似童话的故事也挺不错的。
好像没啥gothic味道了，就一个普通的挽救叛逆期女儿和家人关系的动画片，也并不好笑。
美墨边境风光养眼，东木老爷看起来身体状态也不错，就是剧作没有最大化利用好创意，太过依赖对白而缺少画面的动态；情节的设计也缺点意思，比如那只公鸡原本可以更多参与到故事中来。
剧本太儿童教育片了，只有东木泡妞值得看，大镖客最年轻最帅的时候永远是独行侠无名客，现在终于有了黄昏恋……anyway 片头字体一出现就是老西部片了，应该彻底复古来个name-above-the-title，开屏就把Clint Eastwood映到观众脸上，然后才是片名；墙上的rowdy剧照真是年轻美好，就算东木老了也帅，还是让人觉得时间残忍；东木走进服装店，旁边的路人都穿poncho，为什么不给他一件经典poncho；忽然理解他美观众对Dirty Harry的执念，现在我也想看Harry的退休生活
略微有点失望，但是为了童年记忆不忍心三星。。。
一无既往地教育观众做个好人，期待下一部。。（淘宝可以买到片里的那个重要道具，搜“压饼器”，但好像不能压很薄的饼。）
东木此片是没有好好打磨啊，没有什么冲突，就是单纯的老爷车展了
好喜欢女儿面无表情的样子（以及每天变着花样折磨自己弟弟
「I don't know how to cure "old."」
真的好差，各种剧情就是拼起来的。而且本来亚当斯家族就是阴暗、黑色的。好多场景居然都是大阳光天气，还去沙滩了。和真人版的真的没得比。哎，这个题材本来做动画比真人简单多了，咋滴会这样
大人找孩子，孩子找大人，历经磨难，相互救赎。91岁高龄的伊斯特伍德再次演绎美式传统类型。温情还在，热血无存。6
太爱亚当斯一家了
我们不得不学会慢慢接受他的“倚老卖老”
略微有点失望，但是为了童年记忆不忍心三星。。。
但是温情家庭主题不变
前一阵我从达拉斯去了了墨西哥城，看完本片就是俩字“舒坦”。片尾的歌曲唱着Find a new home, 或许对东木老爷子来说，美国已经没什么值得留恋的了。
这部影片的存在侮辱了亚当斯。DISGUSTING.
合家欢电影，人物刻画更多的吃设定。没看过前作的话不太友好，会一头雾水。不过，作为轻松愉快的电影观看体验还算及格。
跟第一集问题一样，细节还成，但主线还是太不爱登士家庭了，也就最后克苏鲁大舅vs邪恶大鸡科学家能看看？
无神话的西部 与 有终点的公路，回首凡尘，那些属己之物真的不重要，德州也好，墨西哥也罢，心安即大地，东木与电影亦然。
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