History Film / HangmansKnot

In 1865, a troop of Confederate soldiers led by Major Matt Stewart attack the wagon of gold escorted by Union cavalry and the soldiers are killed. The only wounded survivor tells that the war ended one month ago, and the group decides to take the gold and meet their liaison who that knew that the war ended but did not inform the troop. The harsh Rolph Bainter kills the greedy man and the soldiers flee in his wagon driven by Major Stewart. When they meet a posse chasing them, Stewart gives wrong information to misguide the group; however, they have an accident with the wagon and lose the horses. They decide to stop a stagecoach and force the driver to transport them, but the posse returns and they are trapped in the station with the passenger. They realize that the men are not deputies and have no intention to bring them to justice but take the stolen gold.

* NewMeat: The fresh faced Jamie Groves who has never killed a man.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Following Bainter's AttemptedRape of Molly, there is brutal fistfight between him and Major Stewart with not a single word exchanged.

* PsychoPartyMember: Rolph Bainter (Creator/LeeMarvin). His solution to every problem is to try to shoot it. He intends to shoot the unarmed and wounded Union captain, does gun down their treacherous liaison officer, and keeps threatening to shoot the hostages. He is barely kept in line by Major Stewart, and steps completely over it when he attempts to rape Molly.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Major Stewart proves his fitness to command TheRemnant by laying a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on PsychoPartyMember Rolph Bainter after Bainter's AttemptedRape of Molly.

* InconvenientlyVanishingExoneratingEvidence: A self-inflicted version occurs when PsychoPartyMember Rolph Bainter shoots and kills the Confederate office who betrayed them, but who was also the only one who could have testified that they were acting under orders and [[TheRemnant did not know the war was over]] when they massacred the pay train and stole the gold shipment.

* AttemptedRape: Rolph Pointer forces nurse Molly Hull up against the wall and attempts to force himself on her. Her scream brings Major Stewart who settles matters with his fists.

* InconvenientlyVanishingExoneratingEvidence: A self-inflicted version occurs when PsychoPartyMember Rolph Pointer shoots and kills the Confederate office who betrayed them, but who was also the only one who could have testified that they were acting under orders and [[TheRemnant did not know the war was over]] when they massacred the pay train and stole the gold shipment.

* InconvenientlyVanishingExoneratingEvidence: A self-inflicted version occurs when PsychoPartyMember Rolph Pointer shoots and kills the Confederate office who betrayed them, but also the only one who could have testified that they were acting under orders and [[TheRemnant did not know the war was over]] when they massacred the pay train and stole the gold shipment.

* InconvenientlyVanishingExoneratingEvidence: A self-inflicted version occurs when PsychoPartyMember Rolph Pointer shoots and kills the Confederate office who betrayed them, but also the only one who could have testified that they were acting under orders and [[TheRemanant did not know the war was over]] when they massacred the pay train and stole the gold shipment.

* ClosestThingWeveGot: Molly, a Union army nurse, operates to [[WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut remove the bullet]] from Egan's back. Justified, as she is a Civil War veteran who would have a lot of experience with battlefield surgery ''and'' specifically removing bullets.

* {{Posse}}: Major Stewart and his troops are chased by group of drifters posing as a posse who intend to kill the Rebs and keep the gold for themselves.

* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: On hearing the Union captain's empty pistol click, Jamie spins and shoots the gun out of hand.

''Hangman's Knot'' is a 1952 American Western film written and directed by Roy Huggins and starring Creator/RandolphScott and Creator/LeeMarvin.