Hugo Fregonese's Saddle Tramp would be a much better movie if the makers could only have made up their mind about the tone of the proceedings. The basically serious drama -- about a man who wants as little responsibility in life as possible, only to take on more than he ever bargained for when his visit to an old friend inadvertently results in the man's death -- holds up well; and the introduction of Wanda Hendrix's character midway through adds a new level of depth and seriousness to the plot. But the cutesy antics of the child protagonists, and the over-the-top cantankerousness of John McIntire's ranch owner sometimes gives one the feeling of having walked in on a movie aimed much more at young kids, and doesn't fit with the nastiness surrounding the John Russell and Ed Begley, Sr, characters, or the range war that appears about to break out. It all makes for an uneven mood that compromises the value of the story and the performances and, at times, makes one wonder precisely what kind of a picture we've walked in on.