VOLCANIC! VALIANT! VICIOUS! Violence and Passion the Screen Has Seldom Seen!
A former Union Army officer plans to sell out to Anchor Ranch and move east with his fiancée, but the low price offered by Anchor's crippled owner and the outfit's bullying tactics make him reconsider. When one of his hands is murdered he decides to stay and fight, utilizing his war experience. Not all is well at Anchor with the owner's wife carrying on with his brother who also has a Mexican woman in town.
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Character
Classical in form, grave, earnest and unpretentious.
- classical in formformally daring
- gravecomic
- earnestironic
- unpretentiousprestige
- effortlessdemanding
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“Is Glenn Ford the best thing in The Violent Men?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Sep 20227/10
As ever, Barbara Stanwyck provides a strong and robust characterisation as "Martha" in this rather superior western. The story itself is a bit well travelled - a wealthy cattle baron trying to squeeze out the middle man, but together with decent effort from the not always the most imposing Glenn Ford ("Parrish"), we are presented here with a solid story of greed and determination that offers us a sense of defiance and pioneering spirit. She is married to, and to a certain extent in love with, the crippled "Lew" (Edward G. Robinson) but having a long-term fling with his brother "Cole" (Brian Keith). Ford is the civil war veteran and small time rancher who is determined not to be ground down as his stock is stampeded and it becomes distinctly perilous for the man. Luckily, his war time experience gives him a bit more of an edge when it comes to looking out for himself - and gradually the scene is set for a denouement that epitomises ambition, betrayal and a degree of redemption. There is plenty of gun and horse play to enjoy and Rudolph Maté offers us a light touch allowing the actors to use a potent dialogue and some lovely grand scale cinematography to deliver a watchable story.
Read the whole review on TMDB - Wuchakon TMDB · Sep 20227/10
**_What if Victoria Barkley & her big ranch weren’t so noble?_** An ex-cavalry officer (Glenn Ford) wants to sell his Southeastern ranch and move back East with his fiancé (May Wynn), but the glaring crimes of the men of a local cattle baron (Edward G. Robinson) tempts him to make a courageous stand even though he’s weary of war. Barbara Stanwyck plays the baron’s wife, Brian Keith his brother and Dianne Foster his feisty daughter. Richard Jaeckel is on hand as an arrogant heavy. Released in early 1955, "The Violent Men" is a Western based on Donald Hamilton’s book “Smoky Valley.” There are similarities to “Jubal,” which came out the next year and is arguably superior, but this one ain’t no slouch and is inexplicably obscure. My title blurb is a good description of the goings-on as there is a predominant ranch in a big valley in the Old West with Stanwyck as the matriarch, but she & most of her men are the furthest thing from noble. (I’m of course making contrasts with The Big Valley, which debuted on TV ten years later). There’s quite a bit of human interest that draws the viewer into the story, which I appreciate even if it’s a little soap opera-y. The theme of a formidable man n
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Cast
- Glenn FordJohn Parrish
- Barbara StanwyckMartha Wilkison
- Edward G. RobinsonLee Wilkison
- Dianne FosterJudith Wilkison
- Brian KeithCole Wilkison
- May WynnCaroline Vail
- Warner AndersonJim McCloud
- Basil RuysdaelTex Hinkleman
- Lita MilanElena
- Richard JaeckelWade Matlock
Crew
- Rudolph MatéDirector
- Harry KleinerScreenplay
- Donald HamiltonNovel
- Burnett GuffeyDirector of Photography
- W. Howard GreeneDirector of Photography
- Max SteinerOriginal Music Composer
- Jerome ThomsEditor
- Lewis J. RachmilProducer
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