The Naked Spur was a low-budget Western that became a top-grossing film. It follows a bounty hunter named Howard Kemp who is tracking the escaped convict Ben Vandergroat, who has a $5,000 bounty on his head. Along the way, Kemp is coerced into teaming up with two other men and they capture Vandergroat and his accomplice. Vandergroat attempts to turn the group against each other. The film was directed by Anthony Mann and features psychological elements as it blurs the line between hero and villain and leaves the audience unsure of who to root for.