Ten Wanted Men (1955)

When his ward seeks protection with rival cattleman John Stewart, embittered, jealous rancher Wick Campbell hires ten outlaws to help him seize power in the territory.

Director:

H. Bruce Humberstone (as Bruce Humberstone)

Writers:

Kenneth Gamet (screenplay), Irving Ravetch (story)

Stars:

Randolph Scott, Jocelyn Brando, Richard Boone

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Randolph Scott	...	John Stewart
Jocelyn Brando	...	Corinne Michaels
Richard Boone	...	Wick Campbell
Alfonso Bedoya	...	Hermando
Donna Martell	...	Maria Segura
Skip Homeier	...	Howie Stewart
Clem Bevans	...	Tod Grinnel
Leo Gordon	...	Frank Scavo
Minor Watson	...	Jason Carr
Lester Matthews	...	Adam Stewart
Tom Powers	...	Henry Green
Dennis Weaver	...	Sheriff Clyde Gibbons
Lee Van Cleef	...	Al Drucker

Storyline

When John Stewart gives refuge to Wick Campbell's girl friend, Campbell turns against him. He rustles Stewart's cattle, murders his brother, and brings in hired guns. Then he and his men pin Stewart and a few others down in a house apparently killing them. But Stewart has escaped and returns alone to rid the town of Campbell and his men.

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Plot Keywords:

shoulder holster | arizona territory | arizona | rancher | ranch | 

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Taglines:

The life and death of a reign of terror !

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Violent Men

Filming Locations:

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ranown Pictures Corp., Scott-Brown Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When John Stewart and Wick Campbell have their showdown, John draws and fires his revolver. There is the sound of a shot, but Stewart doesn't actually fire the weapon. He never cocks it and the hammer never moves in order to discharge a round. Also, there is no muzzle flash or gun smoke.

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Quotes

John Stewart: When I invite a man to my house, I expect him to act like a gentleman.

User Reviews

Great Cast--Mediocre Movie

Exceptionally fine cast from top to bottom, from Boone and Gordon at the top to Pyle and Louis-Jean Heydt in support, and of course in the starring role, the great Randolph Scott. Then too, the color photography is unusually pleasing and picturesque. And the fact that Harry Joe Brown produced suggests that this is a 1955 warm-up for the classic Boetticher-Ranown Western cycle that was soon to follow.

So, with these kinds of ingredients, why isn't the movie better than I think it is. For one thing, the direction appears pretty slack. The scenes simply follow one another without building into the kind of intensities expected from the rivalries involved. It's like Humberstone shot each scene without considering its dramatic significance to the narrative as a whole. So, for example, when gunsel Gordon takes over the town from Boone, there's no real sense of displacement, no real dramatic impact. Similarly, the dynamite sticks that act like grenades simply appear and also produce little dramatic impact. Yet both episodes are clever plot wrinkles, and with the right development could have helped lift the movie beyond the merely routine.

Also, too many times-- especially in standing conversation-- the actors speak their lines with perfect enunciation, as if they're performing from center stage. I expect that's also Humberstone's doing, but it comes across as stagey and inappropriate for a Western. And, of course, there's poor Donna Martell who looks great but is rather painfully no actress.

Still and all, it's an interesting, if somewhat convoluted, story and a treat for the eyes. And seeing all those familiar faces from other films almost looks like a reunion of sorts. I expect some good-hearted soul in production decided on a payday for a number of veteran performers. Also, it's a good chance to catch Skip Homeier in a rare sympathetic role, and Dennis Weaver shortly before his slow-talking, slow thinking deputy on the classic series Gunsmoke. Anyway, disappointing or not, no Western starring the granite-jawed Scott can afford to be overlooked.