Fort Defiance is a 1951 American Western film directed by John Rawlins and written by Louis Lantz. The film stars Dane Clark, Ben Johnson, Peter Graves, Tracey Roberts, George Cleveland and Ralph Sanford. The film was released on October 9, 1951, by United Artists.
Plot
Ben Shelby rides up to a cattle ranch outside Fort Defiance, Arizona, looking for Johnny Tallon. He meets Johnny's brother, Ned, who informs him that according to a letter Johnny had written just after the end of the Civil War, he should be home soon. As they are talking, the horse Ned has been trying to saddle rears up; he falls and Ben saves him from being trampled. When he asks Ned why he did not get out of the way, Ned reveals that he is blind.
When Ned's uncle Charlie rides up, Ned introduces Ben as a friend of Johnny's. Charlie is grateful that Ned was unhurt by the horse, but is fairly intent on Ben leaving quickly. After Ben helps run off two army veterans who show up trying to cheat Charlie and Ned out of a fair price for some cattle, Ben suggests he could stay to wait for Johnny and help the two men run the ranch. Out of Ned's earshot, Charlie tells Ben he would appreciate him not telling Ned the truth about Johnny. Ben says he has no intention of talking about Johnny Tallon.
Weeks pass and Johnny does not show up; Ben and Ned become better acquainted and Charlie is pleased with Ben's work. One day, Ned tells Ben about his ideas for the future, after Johnny returns, which include Ben becoming a partner or building his own house on property nearby. Ben is dismissive of these plans and this angers Ned, who says that, though he cannot see, he knows that something is "eatin'" Ben and he would like to know what it is. Charlie interrupts this conversation, having returned from Fort Defiance, with news that Johnny has been shot dead while robbing a bank. Charlie then admits to Ned that he kept the truth about his brother from him, that since the end of the war he has been a gun-slinger and a robber. Now Ned understands that Ben came to kill Johnny and demands to know why. Ben reveals that he is the only survivor from his company of Arizona Volunteers which was wiped out at the Battle of Tennessee Ridge, three weeks before the war ended, due to a treasonous act by Johnny Tallon. Ben's own brother was also killed in this battle.
Later, in a saloon in the town of Fort Defiance, Ben begins writing a letter to his wife, Jane, to let her know he is finally coming home. As he considers his future, however, he decides to buy 250 head of cattle and throw in with Ned and Charlie after all. He writes to Jane asking her to catch the next stage to Fort Defiance. The three set up a Christmas tree in anticipation of her arrival and look forward to their prosperous future together. Then, Dave Parker, owner of the saloon and the biggest ranch in the area, rides up with a group of men. Ben had left behind in the saloon a half-written letter to his wife, in which he had mentioned Johnny and the Tennessee Ridge disaster; this letter has been brought to Parker's attention. He lost two brothers in that battle and now is ruthless in aiming to even things up a little by killing Ned Tallon. A gunfight ensues and, while Charlie tries to hold the men off, Ben and Ned ride away. Charlie is killed. A pursuit sees Ned and Ben ride into Navajo Canyon, where there is extreme danger because the government is about to move the Indians to a reservation. Parker calls off the chase, content to wait, and sends three men back to bury Charlie.