
Joseph "Doc" Frail is a doctor with a past he's trying to outrun. While in Montana, he comes across a mining camp with a hanging tree and rescues a man named Rune from the noose. With Rune as his servant, Frail decides to settle down, and he takes over as town doctor. He meets Elizabeth, who is suffering from shock, and the two soon fall in love. But when Elizabeth is attacked, Frail's attempt to help her lands them both in trouble.
Directed by Delmer Daves, The Hanging Tree leans on a strong ensemble — Gary Cooper, Maria Schell, Karl Malden — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about western titles of 1959.
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Three cowboys, mistaken for members of an outlaw gang, are relentlessly pursued by a posse.
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