Although unusual in quality, this western plays a variation on a familiar theme: the rough-hewn man who goes to work for a fiercely independent woman and ends up on her side, not to mention in her bed. The variation here is that our 'hero' is a disreputable outlaw (Jack Nicholson, who also directed) saved from the hangman's noose by a marriage of convenience to Mary Steenburgen, who works a useless goldmine (look out, here comes the plot) left to her by her father. Nicholson the director does just fine, but Nicholson the actor suffers from the strain of split responsibilities, his usual well-modulated performance often going over the top, leaving the film relying on the appealing performance of Steenburgen to keep our sympathy and the story going. Its mood of romantic farce, with bursts of action and undertones of eroticism, is remarkably well sustained. Good support from a starry (but then unknown) cast and especially from Veronica Cartwright, later to be seen simpering and whimpering at the Alien, but here as a 'baccy-chewing bandit hellcat'! Good supporting cast of eccentric character stars includes Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Anne Ramsey and Danny DeVito.


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