
A train carrying a Japanese delegation with a ceremonial sword for President Grant is robbed by bandits led by Link (Charles Bronson) and Gauche (Alain Delon). When Gauche double-crosses him and leaves him for dead, Link is ordered to team up with Kuroda Jubei (Toshirô Mifune), one of the ambassador's guards, who has a week to recover the sword or commit suicide. Hoping to find out from Gauche where the gang buried their spoils before Kuroda can kill him, Link tries to escape from the samurai.
A train carrying a Japanese delegation with a ceremonial sword for President Grant is robbed by bandits led by Link (Charles Bronson) and Gauche (Alain Delon). When Gauche double-crosses him and leaves him for dead, Link is ordered to team up with Kuroda Jubei (Toshirô Mifune), one of the ambassador's guards, who has a week to recover the sword or commit suicide. Hoping to find out from Gauche where the gang buried their spoils before Kuroda can kill him, Link tries to escape from the samurai.
Four ne'er-do-well sons reunite in their Texas hometown to attend their mother's funeral. Led by older brothers John (John Wayne), a gunfighter, and Tom (Dean Martin), a gambler, the four soon learn that their father gambled away the family ranch, which was the cause of his murder. The brothers decide to avenge their father's death and win back the ranch, a situation that quickly leads to trouble with the local sheriff and violent conflict with the rival Hastings clan.
The Zachary family live quietly on a cattle ranch in post-Civil War Texas. A stranger (Joseph Wiseman) appears and disturbs their bucolic existence by spreading a malicious rumor that their adopted daughter, Rachel (Audrey Hepburn), is a Kiowa Native American. Soon, the Zachary brothers (Audie Murphy, Burt Lancaster) and their mother (Lillian Gish) must defend themselves from both racist whites and vengeful Kiowa.
Two old-time Wyoming fur trappers (Charlton Heston, Brian Keith) try to protect a runaway Indian (Victoria Racimo) from her angry ex-mate.
Canadian Mountie O'Rourke (Alan Ladd) and his Cree companion, Cajou (Jay Silverheels), come upon the scorched remains of a wagon train and find beautiful lone survivor Grace (Shelley Winters), who claims the attack was carried out by American Indians. Realizing the attack is only the beginning, the men fear war between the American Sioux, the Canadian Cree and the whites. O'Rourke must now protect his troops from further attack and save Grace from being extradited to Montana on a murder charge.
During the 1840s, six settlers and their guide are caught in a dangerous situation: They are lost, food and water are running out, and the surrounding desert threatens to claim them all. Meanwhile, their guide, Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), refuses to acknowledge that they may be several weeks off-course. When a Native American (Rod Rondeaux) is captured, Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams), one of the settlers, shields him from Meek's wrath, and he offers to lead the group to water in return.
Four soldiers of fortune are hired by a wealthy rancher to rescue his beautiful young wife who has been kidnapped by a villainous Mexican bandit. When they finally find her, after fighting their way across deserts and mountains, they discover she is not being held against her will. This causes friction within the band whether they should honor their agreement.
Lawyer Al (Dan Duryea) and brother Frank (Dick Foran) turn to robbing banks and trains after Union troops raid their home.
Betrayal forces a woman (Amy Madigan) struggling to run her Old West ranch to turn to a mysterious drifter (Ed Harris).