While hunting for bighorn sheep in the southwest, New Yorker Horton Maddock (played with scary precision by Griffith) accidentally kills a transient.

Deciding that he has no reason to trust his guide Ben (Bottoms) - the sole witness to the murder - Maddock embarks on a deadly hunting game against the young man.

Stripped of his clothes and any provisions, Ben must fight for survival in the unforgiving desert...with a bloodthirsty Maddock right on his heels.

Exceptionally done, this superb film is a showcase for Griffith's versatile acting chops, rare proof that comedy was not his only forte.

Bottoms is unassuming as the unlucky fellow who must use his wits in the unrelenting heat of the desert.

Memorable scene: Ben hides out for the night by burying himself under the dirt...using only the hollow tubing of a slingshot to breathe.