Ramrod 1947

Connie Dickason is Veronica Lake’s strong-willed daughter, the child of a ranch owner who has fallen under the sway of the powerful local cattleman Frank Ivey [Preston Foster]. Instead, Connie takes up with a sheep rancher who is run out of town by Ivey, leaving behind a note that he is handing the title of his ranch over to Connie.

The conniving and manipulative Connie persuades ranch hand Dave Nash Joel McCrea to be her ramrod, the ranch foreman who will enforce her will. He recruits an old pal, Bill Schell Don DeFore, who bends the law to his own purposes now and then but is fiercely loyal to Dave, to come help him run the ranch and fend off the ruthless Ivey.

Rose Leland Arleen Whelan is in love with Dave, and he feels great affection toward her. Connie seduces both Dave Nash and Bill Schell to do her bidding; she even persuades Bill to stampede her own cattle, without Dave’s knowledge, just so Ivey will appear guilty to the law.

Sheriff Jim Crew Donald Crisp goes to arrest Ivey and is shot down in cold blood. Dave is ambushed by a couple of Ivey’s men. He kills one of them, Red Cates Lloyd Bridges, but is badly wounded. Bill hides him, but Connie carelessly exposes their hideout. Bill volunteers to distract Ivey and his men while Dave turns to Rose for shelter.

Ivey hunts down Bill in the mountains and shoots him in the back. Dave has had enough. He confronts Ivey in the street, armed with only a shotgun, but beats him to the draw. Connie is delighted. At last, she has her land and her man. Dave, though, wants nothing more to do with her, returning to Rose’s arms.