The Violent Men

This was a very good 1950s western, one of the better ones I've seen in a decade which featured that genre on screen and on TV. It certainly had three big actors on the marquee: Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. It turns out that Ford was the star of this film while the other two stars were in supporting roles. Ford had the bulk of the dialog. He also was the "good guy" while Robinson was the "bad guy" and Stanwyck was twice as bad as Robinson. She played the real heavy in this film and the character she played was a little too contradictory at times.

Ford handled his starring status very ably, as he usually did - especially in westerns. He played a nice guy who didn't want to fight, was a peaceful man......but if you pushed him.....look out!

The story had a nice mixture of action and lulls, not overdoing either. It had an expansive western setting which was put to good use with the CineamaScope widescreen. It also featured realistic people in a realistic setting. That credibility with the characters, especially the supporting players, was most impressive. The men way out-shined the women in this film, acting and character-wise. Dianne Foster and May Wynn were weak - the only negatives of the production. It's easy to see why these two actresses never became stars.

Even though it is over 50 years old, this western is one you'd still find fast-enough moving to enjoy, no matter how old you are or what you're used to seeing. For classic film fans, this is almost a must with this cast and good story. Highly recommended.

The Violent Men is pretty good western that certainly benefits from its excellent cast.

Edward G. Robinson is the big rancher trying to squeeze out the smaller ranchers one of whom is Glenn Ford. Ford is ready to sell to appease his fiance (May Wynn) until Robinson's ambitious brother (Brian Keith) murders one of Ford's hands. Then you know what happens next.

Barbara Stanwyck is along as Robinson's scheming wife the kind of role in which she specialized. Dianne Foster plays their daughter who comes to admire Ford.

The Violent Men is nothing more than a "B" plot with an "A" movie cast but it is very well done.

John Parrish is an ex Union officer who plans to sell his ranch and land to the Wilkison's over at Anchor. The trouble is that the price being offered is way too low and when they start to bully Parrish and his workers, he has a change of heart, particularly when things take a brutal turn for the worse.

Originally after watching this one I had a sense of frustration, chiefly because of the cast that was involved. When you got Edward G. Robinson, Glenn Ford and Barbara Stanwyck in the same movie, you hope that they get a story and script from which to excel. Sadly they don't get chance to produce a Western classic worthy of multiple revisits, or is that my over expectation is doing it a disservice? Well I slept on it and decided to ponder further about the picture. I think yes it's fair to say that the actors in question deserved a better story from which to work from, it is, when all is said and done, a plot that has been milked for all it's worth, and then some. But The Violent Men is still a very rewarding film regardless of the missed opportunities evident with the production.

Glenn Ford as Parrish is as cool as an Eskimo's nose throughout, and it's always great to see Babs Stanwyck playing a bitch because she's good at it. While Eddie G, when one gets used to him being in a Western, is fine in what is an under written part. Robinson, who stepped in at the last minute when first choice as Lee Wilkison, Broderick Crawford got injured, is the one who is short changed the most by the makers, even supporting characters such as the devilish Wade Matlock {a grinning delight from the reliable Richard Jaeckel} and Judith Wilkison {a radiant Dianne Foster} get something to leave an impression with. But for what it is, Robinson's crutch toting "bad" guy is at the least memorable for all the right reasons.

Not shy on action and gun play, it's with the twists and almost Shakespearean tragedies that Rudolph Maté's film rises above the mundane, with all of it gorgeously framed by Burnett Guffey's stunning cinematography. Lone Pine in Alabama has been used on many a Western picture {see Seven Men From Now for another glorious use of it}, but here Guffey really excels and manages to dazzle the eyes at every turn. The Violent Men isn't a great Western picture, and perhaps a better director than Maté could have really given Donald Hamilton's {The Big Country} novel an adaptation to be proud of. But for every niggle and irk I personally had with it, I found two more reasons to actually really like it, so that it be, it's recommended, for sure. 7/10

Highly watchable Western from a Donald Hamilton novel about confrontation between cattlemen and homesteaders . The picture gets action Western , shootouts , wonderful outdoors and is quite entertaining . It deals with a Union ex-soldier named John Parrish (Glenn Ford) schemes to sell up to Anchor Ranch and move east with his fiancée , but the low price offered by a wealthy rancher makes him think again . Glenn Ford/Parrish is the brave ex-officer , he is fighting to stifle the conflicts between homesteaders and cattleman who hire gunfighters (Richard Jaeckel). When one of his hands is killed he decides to stay and fight, utilising his war experience. The unscrupulous owner named Lew Wilkison (Edward G Robinson in conflict with good folk of the valley and plans rules over the lands . Not all is well at Anchor with the owner's wife carrying on with his brother (Brian Keith) who anyway has a Mexican moll (Lita Milan) in town . Meanwhile Parrish develops a loving triangle between his fiancée (May Wynn) and a good girl (Dianne Foster)

Enjoyable Western packs drama , thrills , go riding and some moving action sequences . It's a medium budget film with good actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . Good performances from Glenn Ford as obstinate war veteran , Edward Robinson as a crippled owner and Barbara Stanwick as his wife . 'Edward G. Robinson' may seem oddly cast in a western, but he was a rush replacement for 'Broderick Crawford' who early on in shooting fell off his horse and was injured ; Robinson would later appear in the western Cheyenne Autumn , this time replacing the ill Spencer Tracy who had to bail out. Large plethora of secondaries , many of them uncredited as Jack Kelly , Willis Bouchey , Peter Hansen and Richard Farnsworth . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by two great directors of photography W. Howard Greene and Burnett Guffey , filmed on spectacular Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, and Tucson, Arizona . Sensitive as well as evocative musical score by classical Max Steiner.

The motion picture was directed in sure visual eye by Rudolph Mate . Polish-born Mate was an assistant cameraman for Alexander Korda and later worked throughout Europe with noted cameraman Karl Freund , director Carl Theodor Dreyer and Erich Pommer . Dreyer was so impressed with his work that they hired him as cinematographer on The Passion of Joan of Arc . Mate was soon working on some of Europe's most prestigious films, cementing his reputation as one of the continent's premier cinematographers. Hollywood came calling in 1935, and Mate shot films there for the next 12 years before turning to directing in 1947. Unfortunately, while many of his directorial efforts were visually impressive ,especially his sci-fi When the worlds collide (1951) , his labour as cameraman was excellent . He realized a variety films of all kind of genres as Adventures : The Black Shield of Falworth , Seven Seas to Calais , Western : Three Violent People , The far horizons , Noir films : Union Station , Second chance .He also directed Epic films as The Barbarians and The 300 Espartans . The films themselves were for the most part undistinguished, with his best work probably being the film-noir classic DOA (1950). ¨Violent men¨ rating , : Better than average , 7. Well worth watching .

Caught this on TCM late last night. Could not resist watching a film with Glenn Ford, Edward G. Robinson, Barbara Stanwyyck Barbara is the attractive woman you love to hate and plays it to the hilt. Edward G. Robinson is convincing as always as the villain-in-chief. Glenn Ford always a pleasure to watch. The scene in the saloon where Glenn Ford faces down the murdering henchman, surrounded by his cronies, is just what you want to see a reluctant hero do.

But what caught my attention most was the scenery. I am sure this is one of the 100 or more movies filmed in Lone Pine, California amidst the Alabama Hills* lying just north of town. Rock formations provide the rugged scenery where over 100 cowboy movies have been filmed with every major cowboy movie star. It was the setting for "Bad Day at Black Rock" with Spencer Tracy, Ernest Borgnine and Jack Palance. Films were made here with John Wayne, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, and it was also the setting for, surprisingly, "Gunga Din". With snow-capped Sierra Nevada peaks in the background, I tried but could not possibly identify Mount Whitney, at just under 15,000 feet, the highest point in the lower 48 USA states.

One reviewer above complains about the use of stock footage for the cattle stampede as well as for stampeding the (enemies') horses. I just marvel at the motion picture arts that they could even create such scenes at all. Did they pay some huge rancher to allow a cattle stampede??? That must have run off many pounds of expensive beef. The horse stampede must likewise have been expensive. If these were wild horses filmed at large, they sure did a skillful job intercutting the clips with the ranchers' corrals in the film.

All in all, a standard oater but with great movie stars, scenery and action, I enjoyed watching. I think you will too.

(* Oh, yes. The Alabama Hills. In California? They were named during the Civil War by miners sympathetic to the Confederate cause. If you should drive North on California State 395 en route perhaps to ski at Mammoth Mountain, spend a few minutes to detour through the Alabama Hills. And take your camera! You'll be glad you did. Well worth the time.)