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In "When In Disgrace" Boetticher writes:" As far as my films with Randolph Scott are concerned, I have never included Westbound, which in my opinion could have continued right on into the Pacific Ocean. Westbound was a mission of rescue, nothing more. It wasn't until after the third picture with Randy that I was told he had one more contractual obligation at Warner Brothers, and I considered that a disaster." I consider Westbound a successful rescue mission. If Boetticher could not do much with the story, he did it with the characters. Karen Steele is the hard working woman whose husband Michael Dante comes back from the war without an arm. Randolph Scott, whose mission is to bring gold to the Union using stagecoaches, helps them make a station. Andrew Duggan is a rich man married to Virginia Mayo, who in the past had an affair with Scott. He is a man of the Confederacy, who will do anything he can against Scott's mission. All the actors, specially the two women are excellent, making a strong impression with their characters. The music is absolutely great, very catchy. Boetticher maintains his standard of creating good action scenes. Definitely much more than just another Randolph Scott western.
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