Of all the Fritz Lang films I have seen, this may be the one that I was least enamored with. Gary Cooper seems miscast as an atomic scientist (Prof. Alvah Jesper), who is sent to Europe by the OSS to rescue other scientists who are being forced to cooperate with the Nazi atom bomb project. During his mission, he becomes involved with the Italian resistance, falling for plucky Gina (Lilli Palmer). I've read that Lang originally shot this film emphasizing the dangers of atomic power, but Warner re-edited and it fails to have any direction. It still shows a few Lang-esque moments, but this is only recommended for his most devout following as it really lacks any punch... or his signature panache.

While surveying a telegraph line in 1861, Western Union engineer Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger) is severely injured in an accident. He is discovered by Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott), an outlaw on the run from a posse. Forced to travel on foot after his horse was hurt, Shaw at first considers stealing Creighton's horse, but changes his mind and takes the man with him, saving his life.
Sometime later, following his recovery, Creighton returns to Omaha, Nebraska and plans the construction of a telegraph line from Omaha to Salt Lake City, Utah. Facing considerable opposition to the line from Confederate soldiers, Indians, and outlaws, Creighton elicits the help of his sister Sue (Virginia Gilmore), foreman Pat Grogan (Minor Watson), and assistant Homer Kettle (Chill Wills).
Looking to put his outlaw past behind him, Shaw arrives at Creighton's Western Union office looking for honest work and is hired as a scout by Grogan who is unaware of his past. Creighton recognizes him among the men and allows him to stay despite his suspicions. Creighton also hires tenderfoot Richard Blake (Robert Young), a Harvard-educated engineer as a favor to Blake's father. Shaw and Blake are both attracted to Sue and vie for her attention, but their romantic rivalry is cut short when construction of the telegraph line starts on July 4, 1861.
After work commences on the line, one of the men is killed apparently by a mysterious band of cattle-rustling Indians. Unconvinced that Indians are to blame, Shaw rides out to investigate and follows the rustlers' trail to the camp of Jack Slade, a former friend and cohort, whose gang committed the killing disguised as Indians—the gang Shaw left following his last bank robbery. Slade reveals that they are working for the Confederacy to disrupt Western Union because they believe the telegraph service will help the Union. Shaw rides away and returns to the line. Not wanting to turn in his former friends, Shaw tells Creighton that a large band of Dakota Indians stole the cattle, and recommends that they simply replace the herd and not risk a fight with the Indians.
Sometime later, a confrontation takes place between men working on the forward line and a band of drunken Indians. When one of the Indians tries to steal some equipment, a nervous Blake shoots him, ignoring Shaw's order to remain calm. After word arrives that the main camp is under attack by other Indians, the Western Union men rush back to help with the defense. At the main camp, Slade's men, who are again disguised as Indians, steal the Western Union horses. The company discover the ruse when one of the wounded Indians turns out to be a white man. Forced to buy back their stolen horses from Slade, Creighton becomes suspicious of Shaw's involvement, especially when he admits to knowing the gang.
Soon the U.S. Army arrives and announces the Indians have now refused to allow the telegraph lines to go through their territory in response to Blake's shooting of the drunken Indian. Creighton, Shaw, and Blake ride out to convince Chief Spotted Horse to allow them to build the line through Indian territory, even though the man Blake wounded was Spotted Horse's son. Creighton is finally able to persuade the Indians to allow them passage, and work continues until the company approaches Salt Lake City.
Sometime later, Shaw receives word that Jack Slade wants to meet with him. On the way to see Slade, Shaw is captured and bound by Slade's men. Slade says his group is going to burn down the Western Union camp and they don't want Shaw to interfere. After Slade and his men ride off, Shaw escapes from his ropes but arrives back too late to prevent the fire. He helps rescue some of the Western Union men from the flames and burns his hands in the process.
After the fire, Creighton confronts Shaw for an explanation, but Shaw does not reveal what he knows and is fired by Creighton. As Shaw leaves the camp, he tells Blake that Slade is actually Shaw's brother and that he, Shaw, will find Slade's gang and stop them from interfering with the telegraph project. Shaw rides off and finds Slade and his men in a nearby town. At the barber shop, Shaw confronts his brother, whose gun is concealed under the barber's sheet. Slade shoots Shaw through the sheet. Shaw fights back in spite of his wound, killing some of the gang members, and then dies. Blake arrives and continues the fight with Slade who dies from his wounds. Soon after, the Western Union line is completed and the workers celebrate. When Sue laments the absence of Shaw, Creighton tells her that Shaw can hear them.

这是一个根据一个古老的德国传说改编的故事。很久以前有一个英雄，他叫西格弗里德。因为龙血沐浴，他浑身刀枪不入，力大无比。有一天，他邂逅了美丽的公主西里姆希尔德而坠入了情网，决心去城堡里找她，他这一路经历了很多，遇到了好人还有坏人......

根据德国古典史诗《尼贝龙根之歌》改编。本片共两部，第一部的副标题是《西格弗里德》《西格弗里德之死》，又译《斩龙遇仙》；第二部《克伦希尔德的复仇》。第一部剧情：库山王子西格弗里德从传说中得知，如果能用丛林内的巨龙血液沐浴，就能全身刀剑不入，乃立刻启程斩龙取血。不料飘来一片树叶 贴在他的背上挡住了龙血。他自恃刀剑不入，乃出兵讨伐矮人国，夺取隐身头巾和尼伯龙根的国宝。后来，他更凭这两样法宝之助打败冰岛女王的武士，跟王妹克伦希尔德结婚。武士哈根获悉，将长矛对准被树叶贴住而未沾龙血的背部猛掷，西格弗里德应声倒地。第二部描述西格弗里德死后，克伦希尔德嫁给了匈奴国王伊泽尔，生下一个孩子。她邀请她的兄弟前来参加派对，并鼓励伊泽尔向杀死她前夫西格弗里德的凶手哈根报仇。不料哈根得到她兄弟们的保护，于是她必须为逼迫自己的兄弟交出哈根而展开一场激战。