Based on the novel by bestselling author, Elmore Leonard!

It is near the end of the Civil War. After several years away from home and no contact with his family, Confederate soldier, Paul Cable returns home to Texas, but a warm welcome is far from what he receives. His wife, Martha, a tough, independent frontier woman, had been told he was killed in action, and though she resumes her duties as his wife, seeing him, rekindles the anger and resentment she felt all those years before, when he first left to join the rebel cause. Adding fuel to her fury is the fact that Paul wasn’t there to help her bear the burden of losing their youngest daughter to a fever. Though her father advises her to put these hurtful grudges aside, her heart is hardened.

In spite of Martha’s icy reception, Paul is determined to keep his family together, so Paul, Martha, their son and daughter leave to reclaim the ranch he owns in Arizona. During their journey, a group of cowboys stampedes a herd of horses through the Cable family’s campsite. It’s then Paul meets cowgirl Lorraine Kidston, the stunning daughter of rancher Duane Kidston. She reprimands her cowhands, but at the same time learns that Paul Cable is back to reclaim his land. This information does not go over well with her father, a former Union soldier, who, with his brother, Vern, has taken over Paul’s claim. The brothers have little use for Rebels, and feel they have the right to Paul’s land.

When Paul confronts the Kidston brothers, one of their cowhands draws on Paul, but before he can pull the trigger, he’s shot dead by a surprising sharpshooter—Martha. This incident leads to an all-out feud between the clans. In time, Vern and Lorraine begin to sympathize with Paul. They push to give the ranch back to Paul, and grudgingly, Duane, finally relents.

The ranch now back under Paul’s ownership, the family can finally settle down. But just when their lives seem to be moving in the right direction, Duane is murdered—and the prime suspect is Paul.   

Did You Know?

The role of James Sanford, Martha’s father in Last Stand at Saber River was the final movie performance of legendary Westerns character actor, Harry Carey, Jr.

He died on December 27, 2012 at age 91.