Ross McEwen (played by Joel McCrea) is a protagonist in Four Faces West.
A bank robber who flees New Mexico after taking $2000 and leaving an IOU. After being bitten by a rattlesnake, he is aided by a nurse on a train. He evades capture by disguising himself as her husband, develops a romantic attraction to her, helps a sick Mexican family, and ultimately surrenders to the marshal. Fay Hollister (played by Frances Dee) appears in Four Faces West.
A traveling nurse who assists Ross McEwen following a snake bite. McEwen pretends to be her husband to evade the law, and they grow close. She is later separated from him and captured by the marshal's posse. Pat Garrett (played by Charles Bickford) appears in Four Faces West.
The new marshal tasked with capturing McEwen. He leads the train search, warns bounty hunters against reckless violence, captures Fay, and eventually accepts McEwen's voluntary surrender after witnessing his humanitarian actions, promising to vouch for him. Monte Marquez (played by Joseph Calleia) appears in Four Faces West.
A gambler passenger who deduces McEwen's guilty identity after observing his disguise. He later attempts to protect McEwen by claiming he is a stranger to Garrett, but his deception fails when the marshal sees through it. Florencio (played by Martín Garralaga) appears in Four Faces West.
A Mexican rancher whose family falls ill. McEwen stops to help them and builds a signal fire for medical aid. He is a relative of Marquez. Burnett (played by Davison Clark) appears in Four Faces West.
A cattleman in Alamogordo who hires Ross McEwen as a hired hand after his arrival in town. Clint Waters (played by Dan White) appears in Four Faces West.
A deputy under Marshal Pat Garrett. He arrives in Alamogordo with Garrett to continue pursuing McEwen. Frenger (played by John Parrish) appears in Four Faces West.
The Santa Maria banker robbed by McEwen. Surviving the encounter, he offers a $3000 reward for the robber's capture.
Four Faces West (1948) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Ross McEwen
(played by Joel McCrea) — protagonist
A bank robber who flees New Mexico after taking $2000 and leaving an IOU. After being bitten by a rattlesnake, he is aided by a nurse on a train. He evades capture by disguising himself as her husband...
Fay Hollister
(played by Frances Dee) — supporting
A traveling nurse who assists Ross McEwen following a snake bite. McEwen pretends to be her husband to evade the law, and they grow close. She is later separated from him and captured by the marshal's...
Pat Garrett
(played by Charles Bickford) — supporting
The new marshal tasked with capturing McEwen. He leads the train search, warns bounty hunters against reckless violence, captures Fay, and eventually accepts McEwen's voluntary surrender after witness...
Monte Marquez
(played by Joseph Calleia) — supporting
A gambler passenger who deduces McEwen's guilty identity after observing his disguise. He later attempts to protect McEwen by claiming he is a stranger to Garrett, but his deception fails when the mar...
Florencio
(played by Martín Garralaga) — supporting
A Mexican rancher whose family falls ill. McEwen stops to help them and builds a signal fire for medical aid. He is a relative of Marquez.
Burnett
(played by Davison Clark) — supporting
A cattleman in Alamogordo who hires Ross McEwen as a hired hand after his arrival in town.
Clint Waters
(played by Dan White) — supporting
A deputy under Marshal Pat Garrett. He arrives in Alamogordo with Garrett to continue pursuing McEwen.
Frenger
(played by John Parrish) — supporting
The Santa Maria banker robbed by McEwen. Surviving the encounter, he offers a $3000 reward for the robber's capture.
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
Burnett → Ross McEwen
(Professional Employer)
At the Alamogordo saloon, Burnett is willing to take Ross on as a hired hand.
Monte Marquez → Florencio
(Family Relative)
Florencio is identified as another relative of Monte Marquez.
Pat Garrett → Fay Hollister
(Power Captor)
Fay becomes separated from Ross and is captured by Garrett's men.
Ross McEwen → Fay Hollister
(Romantic Interest)
Fay helps Ross after the rattlesnake bite, and the plot states that they develop an attraction to each other.
Clint Waters → Pat Garrett
(Professional Deputy)
Clint Waters is identified as Garrett's deputy and arrives with him in Alamogordo.
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
Ross McEwen → Florencio
(Alliance Humanitarian Helper)
Ross finds Florencio's family ill, stays to help them, and starts a fire to signal the lawmen for assistance.
Monte Marquez → Pat Garrett
(Conflict Deceptive Opponent)
Monte tells Garrett that Ross is a total stranger, but Garrett is not fooled.
Monte Marquez → Ross McEwen
(Alliance Protective Acquaintance)
Monte observes enough of Ross's disguise to identify what happened, but later claims Ross is a total stranger to Garrett.
Clint Waters → Ross McEwen
(Conflict Pursuer)
Clint arrives with Garrett in Alamogordo while the lawmen continue pursuing Ross.
Pat Garrett → Ross McEwen
(Conflict Lawful Adversary)
Pat Garrett is the new marshal tasked with capturing Ross and leads the search for him.
Ross McEwen → Frenger
(Conflict Robber And Victim)
Ross McEwen robs Frenger's bank in Santa Maria and takes $2000, later leaving Frenger without his boots and holding an IOU.
Story Analysis
A fugitive's journey transforms from desperate escape into an act of compassion that makes surrender possible.
