Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine star! When two ex-cons are released from prison, they land in Prescott, Arizona. Soon, they’re hatching plans for a daring gold heist that could be the death of them…

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The Badlanders

This entertaining Western has action, adventure, and danger, and features the cool charm of Alan Ladd, the explosive menace of Ernest Borgnine, and the fiery allure of Katy Jurado!

In 1898, two prisoners are released from a Yuma, Arizona jail. The first, Peter Van Hoek (also known as “The Dutchman”) says he was framed for robbing the Lisbon mine. The other, John McBain, just finished serving a ten-year sentence for killing a man named Bascomb, who stole his land and all the gold on it.

Leaving jail separately, they each head to Prescott. Upon arrival, Peter runs into the Marshal—the very man he claims framed him. The Marshal tells him he’s not welcome there, and he must leave by sundown the next day. Peter agrees to go the following evening and heads back to his hotel. Once there, he meets Ada Wintour, the beautiful mistress of the wealthy Cyril Lounsberry—and that gives Peter an idea…

Meanwhile, John McBain turns up in Prescott and saves a Mexican woman named Anita when she is attacked by a group of dangerous men. Although the town deputy saves McBain’s life, he also tells him that he must get out of town by the next night.

Later, Peter sneaks back to the Lisbon mine and breaks off a piece of gold. Then he shows it to Lounsberry and makes a proposal: help him finance a team to steal gold ore from a secret shaft that only Peter knows about, and he’ll give him half the money earned from the gold he finds. Since Lounsberry doesn’t know it’s from the mine he owns, he agrees.

Now, Peter enlists the help of John McBain, since he used to own the property where the Lisbon mine is located, and Vincente, an explosives expert Peter knows and trusts.

When it comes to gold, a lot can go wrong. Set off the explosives at the wrong time, and their cover will be blown. Lay them in the wrong place, and the mine could collapse. Leave the mine with bags of gold in hand, and they could also lose everything to the thieves and murderers ready to steal it all.

The odds, as always, are against them. Since they are fueled by revenge and greed, they go ahead anyway. If they get it right, they could end up rich. But if they get it wrong, it could be the death of them.