she runs down the dirt street after his buckboard – repeatedly calling out "Griff! Mr. Bonnell!" – and they appear to ride off together for California. Cast Barbara Stanwyck as Jessica Drummond Barry Sullivan as Griff Bonnell Gene Barry as Wes Bonnell Robert Dix as Chico Bonnell Dean Jagger as Sherriff Ned Logan John Ericson as Brockie Drummond Hank Worden as Marshal John Chisholm Jidge Carroll as Barney Cashman Paul Dubov as Judge Macy Gerald Milton as Shotgun Spanger Ziva Rodann as Rio Neyle Morrow as Wiley Chuck Roberson as Howard Swain Chuck Hayward as Charlie Savage Sandy Wirth as Chico's Girlfriend Eve Brent as Louvenia Spanger Production Fuller uses every opportunity to show off the widescreen format while employing extensive use of close-ups and one of the longest tracking shots ever done at Fox’s studio at that time – over three minutes long. Harry Sukman composed the score and conducted it as well. Jidge Carroll sings two songs onscreen in the film, the theme song titled "High Ridin' Woman," written by Harold Adamson and Harry Sukman; and "God Has His Arms Around Me," written by Victor Young and Harold Adamson. Both songs were later recorded by the western singing group, The Sons of the Pioneers, and released on their single for RCA (RCA 47-7079) on November 1, 1957. Fuller later repeatedly claimed that the ending he wanted involved Griff killing Jessica to get Brockie and the studio overruled him. The available script copies, written by Fuller, have the same ending as the film, so there is no way to independently confirm this, but it's considered likely Fuller meant what he said, and went along with the studio heads so the film could get made. Reception The film has received critical acclaim from modern day critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives a score of 90% based on 20 reviews, with an average score of 8/10. See also List of American films of 1957 References External links Forty Guns: High-Riding Woman an essay by Lisa Dombrowski at the Criterion Collection 1958 films 1957 Western (genre) films 20th Century Fox films American Western (genre) films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Samuel Fuller Films scored by Harry Sukman Films set in the 1880s Films set in Arizona Revisionist Western (genre) films 1957 drama films 1957 films 1958 drama films CinemaScope films 1950s American films