
When solitary cowboy Jefferson Cody (Randolph Scott) hears tales of a white woman living as a captive of the Comanche tribe, he rides deep into the tribe's territory to exchange goods for her freedom. As Cody escorts the captive woman away, he learns that she is Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates), and that there is a sizable reward offered by her husband for her return. Cody and Mrs. Lowe must brave ruthless bounty hunters greedy for the reward, as well as the now-warring Comanches, to make it to safety.
When solitary cowboy Jefferson Cody (Randolph Scott) hears tales of a white woman living as a captive of the Comanche tribe, he rides deep into the tribe's territory to exchange goods for her freedom. As Cody escorts the captive woman away, he learns that she is Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates), and that there is a sizable reward offered by her husband for her return. Cody and Mrs. Lowe must brave ruthless bounty hunters greedy for the reward, as well as the now-warring Comanches, to make it to safety.
Phoebe Titus (Jean Arthur) is a tough-as-nails pioneer with dreams of starting a freight service in Tucson, Ariz. Peter Muncie (William Holden), a vagabond passing through Arizona en route to California, takes a romantic interest in Phoebe and coaxes out her softer side. Just as their romance begins to blossom, Peter packs up and moves on. Though charming southerner Jefferson Carteret (Warren William) steps in to lend a hand, he may be plotting in secret to sabotage Phoebe's nascent business.
In the 1890s Kansas, cowboy Don Carver, a drifter by nature, meets and falls in love with Molly Lassiter after accidentally lassoing her, literally, into a saloon. Deciding to change his ways, Carver intends to join the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893, stake his land and settle down with his new love. However, before the start of the homesteading race, Carver is arrested, and his hopes of beginning anew are jeopardized.
The honorable Calem Ware (Randolph Scott), marshal of the Wild West boomtown of Medicine Bend, attempts to defuse the simmering tensions in his rapidly growing and increasingly violent town, as a greedy businessman (Warner Anderson) hires a sinister black-gloved gunman (Michael Pate) to take care of his problems with the marshal for good. Meanwhile, a traveling song-and-dance troupe arrives in town, bearing Ware's lost love, Tally (Angela Lansbury), who holds the secret to his violent past.
A quiet cowboy (Buck Jones) on a white horse saves a gal (Dorothy Fay) from cattle rustlers.
Dick Bailey (Richard Arlen) has been on a drunken bender since his pal, a young rancher, was murdered. Bailey suspects the greedy Stack (Fred Kohler) killed his friend in a scheme to gain control of his ranch. But then the dead man's sister (Mary Brian) comes to town, expecting to inherit the ranch. Bailey tries to woo her, but his drunkenness revolts her, and Stack tries to claim the ranch on the basis of unpaid taxes. Bailey must sober up to fight off the vicious Stack and win the girl.
Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and his longtime friend and partner Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) travel the 1880s Southwest, bringing justice to lawless towns desperate enough to hire them. In the mining town of Appaloosa, malevolent rancher Randall Bragg and his cronies ride roughshod over the frightened citizens. As Cole and Hitch work to end Bragg's reign of terror, an unconventional widow (Renee Zellweger) arrives, complicating the job and threatening their bond.
Sheriff Chadbourne (Samuel Herrick) transports convict Ben Trask (Lloyd Bridges) to El Paso in a covered wagon. The wagon also carries sea captain Theodore Bess (Lee J. Cobb) and married couple Laura (Marie Windsor) and Jerry Niblett (Dean Train). The group comes upon a wounded Native American, banished by his tribe, who offers to lead them to gold. But then the tribe attacks the wagon, killing Jerry and wounding Chadbourne. Ben is freed to help, but the group's troubles have only begun.
Major Matt Stewart (Randolph Scott) leads a troop of Confederate soldiers on a raid, targeting a wagon that is transporting Union gold. All the Union soldiers are killed except for one, who informs Stewart that the war had already ended a month ago. Stewart leads the troop into hiding, knowing they could face murder charges. After capturing a coach driven by nurse Molly Hull (Donna Reed), the soldiers try to evade a group of bandits chasing them to steal the gold.