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.

《西部联盟》剧情介绍

《西部联盟》是一部令人生畏的西部史诗剧，讲述了在残酷无情的美国西部，一群了无牵挂的亡命之徒的故事。

故事发生在19世纪中叶，当时美国正处于向西部扩张的鼎盛时期。在这个混乱无序的时代，一个人可以凭借勇气和枪法闯出一番天地。

主要角色：

怀亚特·厄普：一位传奇执法者，因在枪战中的冷静和勇气而闻名。

多克·霍利迪：一位肺结核患者，也是一位出色的枪手和赌徒。

克雷·多肯：一位凶残无情的罪犯，是厄普的宿敌。

菲尔斯·博克：一名自称“牙医”的著名枪手。

埃德·贝利：一名经验丰富的侦探，帮助厄普调查谋杀案。

故事情节：

该剧以1881年堪萨斯州道奇城的“臭鼬格罗夫枪战”开场，厄普和霍利迪为营救被多肯绑架的埃利亚斯·巴伯斯而战斗。战斗以多肯的死亡告终，为厄普和霍利迪赢得了声望。

此后，该剧关注了厄普及其同伙在西部扩张中的旅程。他们见证了淘金热、牛群争夺和血腥的帮派战争。他们还与印第安部落和贪婪的政客发生冲突。

在整个过程中，厄普必须与他的恶魔作斗争，包括酗酒和暴力倾向。霍利迪也因肺结核不断恶化而与死亡搏斗。然而，他们忠诚于彼此，并决心维护西部正义。

该系列剧探索了西部时代的复杂性。它描绘了在这个残酷无情的环境中生存的艰难和决心，同时也突出了法律和秩序与暴力和无政府状态之间的持续斗争。

关键主题：

友谊与背叛：厄普和霍利迪之间强大的纽带是该剧的核心。然而，他们也与其他人物有着复杂的忠诚度和背叛关系。

暴力与正义：该剧毫不回避地描绘了西部的暴力。厄普和他同伙经常被迫诉诸暴力，但他们始终致力于维护正义。

道德与妥协：在西部，道德经常受到妥协的考验。厄普和霍利迪必须在做正确的事和生存之间做出艰难的选择。

改变的时代：《西部联盟》通过厄普和霍利迪的旅程展示了美国向西扩张的影响。它揭示了新边疆的机遇和挑战，以及美国身份的不断演变。

评价：

《西部联盟》获得广泛好评，因其扣人心弦的故事、引人入胜的人物和令人惊叹的视觉效果而备受赞誉。该剧获得了多项艾美奖和金球奖提名，并建立了忠实的追随者。

《西部联盟》不仅是一部令人着迷的西部剧，也是美国历史的一个发人深省的寓言。它提醒我们，即使在最艰难的环境中，友谊、正义和救赎仍然是可能的。