The Man from Colorado

The Man from Colorado
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Henry Levin
Produced by	Jules Schermer
Screenplay by	Robert Andrews Ben Maddow
Story by	Borden Chase
Starring	Glenn Ford William Holden Ellen Drew
Music by	George Duning
Cinematography	William Snyder
Edited by	Charles Nelson
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	1948 (UK) January 20, 1949 (USA)
Running time	100 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1 million

The Man from Colorado is a 1948 American western-psychological drama film directed by Henry Levin and produced by Jules Schermer for Columbia Pictures. It stars Glenn Ford as a Union officer who becomes addicted to killing during the American Civil War, William Holden as his best friend, and Ellen Drew as their common love interest. Robert Andrews and Ben Maddow based the screenplay on a story by Borden Chase.

In Colorado near the end of the American Civil War, Union Colonel Owen Devereaux (Glenn Ford) orders his regiment to fire on a detachment of Confederate soldiers, even though he (and only he) has seen that they are signaling their surrender with a white flag. Afterward, his best friend and second-in-command, Captain Del Stewart (William Holden), finds the flag and buries it as a surviving Confederate officer secretly looks on.

Immediately after the battle, the war ends. As the soldiers celebrate, Sergeant Jericho Howard (James Millican) gets drunk while on duty and is insubordinate to Devereaux, who has him arrested. At a ball, the mayor announces Devereaux's appointment as the federal judge for the region. Stewart asks Caroline Emmett (Ellen Drew) to marry him, but she later marries Devereaux instead.

When the Confederate survivor confronts Devereaux about the white flag, Devereaux shoots him, even though the man has already been subdued. Stewart realizes that Devereaux must have seen the flag and concludes that the war has unhinged Devereaux's mind. He agrees to serve as Devereaux's marshal after Devereaux promises not to participate in arrests.