Violence à Jericho

Although the splendid title offers nocturnal action, for the most part 'Rough Night in Jericho' is all very routine, full of roughnecks, fatally lacking in humour, with much talk of hanging and punctuated by bursts of vicious violence (including an extremely nasty fight involving a whip-wielding Slim Pickens).

Although George Peppard is technically the hero, he and Dean Martin make a pretty charmless pair of leads; while rather out of place amidst all this toxic masculinity is the radiant Jean Simmons - rather mature for a leading lady (inevitably playing a widow) who gives this film what passes for a soul.