mostly story growing relationship jeff websterjimmy stewart ronda castleruth roman takes instant liking jeff brief encounter deck steamer skagway longer look hides cabin authorities seek charge murder find things common besides animal attraction neither trusts member opposite sex apparently married spouses cheated them gradually learn trust other journey skagway dawson ronda clearly close dealings corrupt sheriff gannon engages shady practices castle saloon skagway eventually decide gannon jeff meanwhile rene young naive french woman also takes immediate liking jeff gets insulting brush offs return yet sticks travels skagway dawson activities around dawson along ronda nurses back health jeff left dead gannons gunslingers gold claim walter brennan ben serves jeffs long time sidekick meaty role serves soften jeffs hard edges demise symbolically opens door woman companion replacement jeffbr br john mcintireas sheriff gannon makes probably charismatic evil town boss ever see film oozing charm humor go along bullying evidently sees something jeff repeatedly declaring hes going like him makes believable incarnation infamous soapy smith spent last years skagway one premier con men timesbr br jeff quintessential antihero lonerexcept companion ben want stick neck others even knows one right man job respect closely resembles burt lancasters character vera cruz example thus jeff turns job marshall dawson convinced leave dawson gannons gang move clear intentions taking everyones insufficiently legal gold claims disposing miners suggesting rest make hurried exit dawson even ronda suggests jeff make hurried exit dawson still alive then jeff sudden change heart apparently still nursing desire revenge shooting ben himself changes antihero hero leading expulsion gannons gang dawson respect differs lancasters character never reformsbut jeff truly changed handing revenge wrongs committed interestsbr br the main problem see plot  principle women clearly ronda groomed right woman tame jeff although clearly characterized bad girl jeff checkered recent past himself shot least  men us yukon stolen cattle back gannon ironically soon jeff changes antihero hero rhonda makes similar change running street warn jeff gannons impending ambush dies result jeff asks look herselfhis supposedly abandoned creedbr br its clear corine calvert renee make credible substitute dead ronda jeffs mind yet apparent implication parting scene get together even though jeff never visibly gives kiss hug image good naive young woman somewhat compromised job rhondas saloon bumping miners weighting gold dust pushing spilled dust floor recovering later im also unclear relationship rube morris middle aged miner followers around works claim herhes fatherbr br another problem amateurish handling gun fight jeff gannons gang gannon skill pistol killed seriously wounded jeff boardwalk jeff him jeffs badly shot right hand suddenly become well enough shoot pistol apparent ease also wonder jeff friends help save avalanche victims much far away pull alive snow rondas pack horses mules also buried avalanchebr br you see host probably nameless familiar faces among miners gannons gang sequences shot canadian rockies provide breathtaking backdrop action allinall entertaining western major flaws concentrated end doubt film takes great liberties history geography especially part taking place canadian yukon fact much tamer us skagway