The Night of the Grizzly

The Cole family arrives in a small Wyoming town as Jim leaves his lawman past to become a rancher. He inherits a run-down property and moves his wife Angela, children Charlie and Gypsy, niece Meg, and friend Sam Potts onto the land. The bank's Benson mentions a $675 mortgage, and Jim hesitates to take the title because it would drain almost all their savings, then reluctantly signs, while Jed Curry watches with the intent to reclaim the land.

Jed Curry visits Jim and presses him to sell the land, arguing that the title should stay in the Curry family. Jim resists, determined to make the ranch work for his family. Jed cautions that resistance could jeopardize any chance to keep the property.

Jim goes into town to locate cattle for breeding with his prize bull Duncan. Wilhelmina Peterson points him toward Hazel Squires, who can sell cattle cheaply. Jim is hopeful about building a herd, but the growing bear threat hints at troubles ahead.

Hazel says she can sell cattle for a buck apiece, then goes to check a pen for pigs. She finds them missing or dead, the work of Satan the grizzly bear attacking ranches nearby. The revelation sets the stage for a harsher struggle to protect the herd.

That night Satan reaches the Cole place, killing Duncan, the prize bull, and injuring the family dog while driving the mule away. The loss hits hard, and Jim vows to safeguard his family and future. The bear's menace becomes personal for the Coles.

The next morning, Jim and Meg go to the store for coffee. The Curry boys, along with their cohorts, harass Jim, provoking a confrontation that ends in a fight before Jed chastises his sons for their behavior. The incident hardens the town's tensions around Jim and the land dispute.

Seeking replacement stock, Jim borrows money from the bank by pledging various possessions as collateral. The loan provides funds to buy cattle and a bull, but it also deepens Jim's financial vulnerability. Benson's role as lender becomes increasingly entangled with Jed's influence over the land.

With financing secured, Jim travels to Hazel Squires' ranch to purchase the bull and cattle for breeding. Jed warns Benson not to repeat the previous actions and reminds him that he holds significant power as a major stockholder. The scene underscores the tension between business interests and small-town loyalties.

Jed posts a $750 reward for anyone who can kill Satan, turning bear-hunting into a town-wide incentive. Cass Dowdy, a bounty hunter with a checkered past, arrives with hunting dogs and the motive to profit from the bear's menace—and from Jim's potential reward. Jim had previously jailed Dowdy for murder, and Dowdy's arrival foreshadows a precarious alliance and conflict.

That night Jim and Sam set traps for Satan, hoping to trap the bear and stop the losses. They doze off, and Satan strikes again, killing one of the horses and Sam in the process. Dowdy's dogs are also killed by Satan, and Dowdy sabotages one trap, only to be injured in the act.

The next morning Jim confronts Dowdy again; they fight, and Jim wins, leaving Dowdy where he lies. Jim then comforts a distraught Angela, while the family braces for the continuing bear threat. The ranch prepares for a final stand against Satan and the financial pressures surrounding the land.

Charlie goes after Satan alone in the woods, and Jim follows to help. In the woods, Jim encounters Dowdy again and a tense fight nearly costs him his life, but he drives Dowdy away. Satan attacks Charlie at night, chasing him up a tree; Dowdy fires to save him but is mauled and dies. Jim shoots Satan dead, comforts the dying Dowdy, and the family returns home to begin rebuilding.