Harry Carey, who died in 1947. At the beginning, stuntman Cliff Lyons is shown silhouetted against a sunset, riding Carey's favorite horse, Sonny, over the words: "To the Memory of Harry Carey, bright star of the Western sky..." The opening credits say "Introducing Harry Carey, Jr." but this was not his first appearance on screen. He had been in at least five pictures before this one. Young Carey had had a close relationship with Ford until this picture, but found himself the target of verbal and physical abuse that shocked him. John Wayne explained that Ford did this to everyone as a way of getting the performances he wanted. The acerbic director showed some real sensitivity when he made young Carey go home early one day. The tribute segment described above was going to be filmed, and Ford wanted to spare him. The senior Carey starred in the first film version, The Three Godfathers (1916) playing Bob Sangster, a former horsethief who is trying to go straight. In the remake Marked Men (1919), directed by John Ford, he played Harry, a prison escapee who also survives the ordeal, finding love on the way. Hell’s Heroes (1930), directed by William Wyler, stars Charles Bickford as Bob Sangster, a true desperado, who originally plans to rape the woman in the wagon, and in the end saves the baby by drinking from a poisoned waterhole, knowing it will give him enough time to get to safety. Three Godfathers (1936), stars Chester Morris as Bob, a ruthless killer, with Lewis Stone and Walter Brennan as members of the gang. He also uses the poisoned well. In the 1948 version no one is killed during the robbery, and the loot is small. It is lost before they leave town and is never mentioned again. In the 1930 and 1936 versions, which are grimmer, the bad guys are very bad, people are killed during the robbery, and saddlebags full of stolen gold play a crucial role. Film critic Leonard Maltin prefers Hell’s Heroes as the "most satisfying, least sentimental" of all the films. He praised the “underrated” 1936 version as "beautifully shot and warmly acted". Maltin describes the 1948 film as "sturdy, sentimental, sometimes beautiful", but feels that the last scene "didn't ring true". Reception The film has maintained its positive reception. It holds an 82% "Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 critics. According