Silas identifies the man that killed his wife and kidnapped his child,15 years prior,as Frank Valance; The new gubernatorial candidate, and plans to assassinate him.
小鎮執法官威爾·凱恩(加里·庫柏 Gary Cooper 飾)在卸任的當天,同未婚妻艾米(Grace Kelly 飾)舉行了婚禮,兩人預備開始蜜月旅行的當口,小鎮迎來了三位不速之客,他們是皮爾斯、科比和本,三人在火車站等候五年前被威爾抓獲的惡棍弗蘭克·米勒。預感小鎮將被捲入一場血腥仇殺的人們紛紛躲避,或者力勸威爾離開,但前任執法官執意留下,並開始在鎮上尋找幫...