The Deadly Companions (Western/Drama/Adventure, 1961)

The Deadly Companions (1961) is a Western directed by Sam Peckinpah in his feature film debut. The story follows Yellowleg (Brian Keith), an ex-Union Army sergeant haunted by a past scalp wound inflicted by a Confederate deserter, Turk (Chill Wills). Seeking revenge, Yellowleg teams up with Turk and the trigger-happy Billy (Steve Cochran) to rob a bank in Gila City, Arizona. During the heist, a shootout erupts with another gang, and Yellowleg accidentally kills the young son of Kit Tilden (Maureen O'Hara), a widowed dance-hall hostess. Wracked with guilt, Yellowleg insists on helping Kit transport her son’s body through dangerous Apache territory to bury him beside his father in the deserted town of Siringo, despite her initial resistance. The journey tests their resolve as tensions rise—Billy attempts to assault Kit and is expelled, while Turk deserts. The group reunites in Siringo after the outlaws rob the bank, leading to a climactic confrontation where Yellowleg’s motives of redemption and revenge converge.
Cast:
Maureen O'Hara as Kit Tilden

Brian Keith as Yellowleg

Steve Cochran as Billy Keplinger

Chill Wills as Turk

Strother Martin as Parson

Will Wright as Doctor

Jim O'Hara as Cal (General Store)

Riley Hill as Horseman

Billy Vaughan as Mead Tilden Jr.

Peter O'Crotty as Gambler

Chuck Hayward as Gambler