High Lonesome (1950)

Set in the sprawling expanse of Texas' Big Bend country, a wandering youth is apprehended while pilfering food from the prominent Davis ranch. The mysterious lad, quickly dubbed "Cooncat" by the ranch inhabitants, becomes an instant enigma. A cloud of suspicion descends upon him, whispers of hidden criminalities, tales of a brutal father he escaped from, and rumors of a murder he may have committed. Cooncat reluctantly admits to the murder of a trading post owner, Jim Shell, insisting that two ghostly drifters had goaded him into the act. He paints a vivid tableau of his murky memories, of a stolen revolver, a blow to the head, and the hauntingly familiar faces of the drifters, known as Smiling Man and Roper. The Davis clan, however, find his tale hard to swallow, all except for the patriarch's daughter, Meagan, who finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Cooncat. A failed expedition to confirm Cooncat's story only deepens the mystery. The trading post is discovered deserted, showing signs of long-term abandonment, and the description of the drifters chills the blood of the Davis clan. They are uncannily reminiscent of two Jessup family members, rivals of the Davis clan, who met a violent end fifteen years ago. The ranch is torn between doubt and curiosity; Pat Farrell, engaged to Abby Davis, insists on turning Cooncat over to the sheriff, while the Davis clan decides to keep him at the ranch till the murky waters of his narrative clear. In the ensuing days, a series of harrowing events unfold. Cooncat's repeated escapes, the sinister sighting of the ghostly drifters, and a string of brutal murders, all seemingly point to the young drifter. Tension simmers, alliances fracture, and a desperate hunt for Cooncat ensues. However, Cooncat resurfaces at the Davis ranch with a mission - to clear his name and unmask the real killers. With time running out and the noose of suspicion tightening, he must race against time and the relentless pursuit of the Davis and Farrell crews. High Lonesome is a riveting tale of mystery, suspicion, and a desperate quest for truth, set against the backdrop of a haunting Texan landscape.

High Lonesome is a western movie featuring John Archer and directed by Alan Le May.

High Lonesome is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Plex, Plex Player, Pluto TV, The Film Detective and Tubi TV and it's also available on Amazon Prime Video, Dove Channel, FlixFling, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel , Pure Flix and fuboTV.

It is also possible to buy High Lonesome on Amazon Video and FlixFling.