Ten Wanted Men (1955) Reviews

• This Was All Over Richard Boone's Hormones

  bkoganbing2006-06-25

  Saloon owner Richard Boone and cattle rancher Randolph Scott have had an uneasy rivalry for years. But the final straw comes when Scott's nephew starts sparking Donna Martell who Boone had considered his private preserve. Of course she never saw it that way and when she goes to Scott for protection, Boone starts a range war over it. Richard Boone is presented to us as having a chip on his shoulder to begin with. But he truly goes over the top because of his hatred for Scott. He kills poor Clem Bevans to get possession of his ranch which is next to Scott's. Boone rustles Scott's cattle of course, he shoots Scott's lawyer brother, he imports several hired guns like Leo Gordon, Lee Van Cleef, and Denver Pyle. Pyle in fact tries to rawhide Scott's nephew, played by Skip Homeier, into a fight. That one doesn't work out to well for Pyle. My favorite in this film is Leo Gordon. He's one mean man as he is in so many films. But what's funny here is the way he keeps slipping the needle to Richard Boone. Oh, he'll take Boone's money and Gordon's the sort who likes mayhem and violence for its own sake. But he does think Boone's motives a bit nuts and lets him know a few times in the film. It's not one of the best of Randolph Scott's westerns and it does seem a mighty silly reason to start a range war.

• Many Clichés but Also Entertaining

  claudio_carvalho2010-01-24

  The rancher John Stewart (Randolph Scott) welcomes his brother and lawyer Adam (Lester Matthews) and his nephew Howie (Skip Homeier) that have just arrived in the pacific Ocatilla to implement law with a party in his ranch. Howie flirts with the Mexican Maria Segura (Donna Martell) and the greedy Wick Campbell (Richard Boone) that has raised the girl since she was orphan tries to force her to live with him; however John Stewart protects Maria and she moves to his ranch. Campbell hires ten gunmen to work for him; he first kills John's neighbor that was going to pay a debt with him to have his lands; then he rustles John's cattle with the gunmen; frames Howie in a duel in the bar and he is arrested in jail; and kills Adam Stewart in a lonely road. When Campbell believes he has destroyed John Stewart, the outlaws turn against him and loot Ocatilla. But John Stewart is alive and ready to payback. "Ten Wanted Men" is that type of western with many clichés of the genre but also entertaining. The fifty-seven year-old Randolph Scott is still convincing in the role of an old cowboy that became a successful rancher and needs to use weapons again to protect his family, his friends and the town he helped to build. Lee Van Cleef in the beginning of his career has a minor role as an outlaw and Richard Boone and Leo Gordon perform the typical villain. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "Arizona Violenta" ("Violent Arizona")

• Range war fails to ignite.

  Spikeopath2009-11-05

  Ten Wanted Men (the title hints at something far more dramatic than is actually in the picture) is a serviceable, but instantly forgettable Western from the Scott-Brown production company. Directed by jobber H. Bruce Humberstone, with a screenplay by Kenneth Gamet (from a story by Irving Ravetch) and filmed in Technicolor out in Old Tuscon, it feels (and is) lifeless and poor on structure and execution. With some misplaced humour and a cobbled together plot, this ultimately ends up as a time filler for Randy Scott completists only. There's some enjoyment to be had from watching our Randy lob dynamite around, and Leo Gordon steals the movie as menacing villain Frank Scavo, but sadly it never comes together to make a worthy mark. Which when you have cast list that contains Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Lee Van Cleef, Skip Homeier and Dennis Weaver! then that's a crime as much as it is a shame. 4/10

• Just pure Western mindless fun

  drystyx2007-03-07

  This is just pure mindless Western fun. It has some big stars, including the most fun Western actor of all time, Randoph Scott. You always had to like him, even when he plays a...well, a jerk, like in this film. His character is, frankly, something that rhymes with glass hole. But he manages to pull it off with the aplomb that very few could do (Cary Grant, Morgan Freeman, people like that). There are supposedly ten wanted men, but don't go looking for them. They're never explained, but the title insinuates that these are the thugs hired by bad guy Richard Boone, who plays more of a moneybags bad guy than his usual rough neck. Still, he has a lot of guts, even trying to face down the ten wanted men at one point. The action and gun play, along with some big name stars, make this an enjoyable movie. The plot is very thin and basic. So if you're looking for depth, this isn't the time to watch the movie. It's just plain old fashioned Western fun. Not Scott's best, but has quality action.

• A typical Randolph Scott film, but not a major effort

  Mickey-22002-07-02

  "Ten Wanted Men" probably would not make a list of must see films, for the simple reason that it was released during the 50's as a movie bound for the Saturday afternoon double feature bill at the local movie house. The viewer will recognize a lot of Grade-B western movie actors, and this does give a bit of nostalgia to the film. Scott plays the rancher in the valley with most of the power and influence, while Richard Boone plays an up-and-comer who has designs to crowd in on Scott's area. Assisting Boone in this plan are veteran western heavies Leo Gordon and Lee Van Cleef and Dennis Weaver playing the sheriff before his "Gunsmoke" days. As indicated, it is a simple tale of the good guy against the bad guy, with a fistic brawl between Scott and Gordon settling the issue. A good film for the western fans.