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The Violent Men

Play trailer Poster for The Violent Men 1955 1h 36m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Former Union soldier John Parrish (Glenn Ford) wants to sell his ranch and start a new life by settling down out east. However, the ruthless tactics of Lew Wilkison (Edward G. Robinson), the scheming businessman interested in his property, make Parrish reconsider the move, especially after one of his ranch hands is murdered. Adding to the increasingly tense conflict is Wilkison's wife, Martha (Barbara Stanwyck), who is cheating on her husband with his brother, Cole (Brian Keith).
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The Violent Men

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Grant Watson Fiction Machine It is the sort of family relationship one would expect to see in something by William Shakespeare: a veritable Elsinore transported to 19th century Arizona. Rated: 7/10 Sep 23, 2024 Full Review Ian Kane Epoch Times “The Violent Men” lives up to its title with its intense action sequences, but it also offers a nuanced exploration of its characters and themes. Rated: 4/5 May 1, 2024 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: B+ Feb 23, 2013 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Robinson, Ford, Stanwyck and Keith know how to act. Rated: B+ Jun 17, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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j F Great acting, script, and even for a western, great scenery in technicolor. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/27/23 Full Review Camille J The Violent Men is an age old story written in blood of the old west, and the cattlemen willing to die or kill for the land. However, this film brings with it decades of experienced actors to retell the narrative with believable delivery of dialogue with all the vileness of the human heart. This film also brings with it such beautiful photography, and a music score that brings the excitement of the story full circle. I recommend the film with 3 1/2 stars. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/22/23 Full Review Steve D Average western with great cast. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/01/23 Full Review james g Glenn Ford is great. The rest of the cast very good and worth a watch. Story sort of typical for the genre. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member 151228: Between the vindictive, self-serving, backstabbing Martha Wilkinson (Barbara Stanwyck) and the ultimatum wielding Caroline Vail, the women in this film got me riled. I was sucked right in by this duo and further by John Parish's (Glenn Ford) apparent unwillingness to invest in protecting his employees, friends and community. And that was all before the film was half over. I was so annoyed I was almost going to it off but then things started to go the way this old western fan wanted, and was conditioned to expect. Martha's true black-hearted nature was revealed, Parish turned out to be as coy as I had hoped and it wasn't over yet. Corruption and vigilante justice was to follow. Moviegoers must have reviled Stanwyck for years afterwards? Credit to such an old western for playing me so well. It's been awhile since I felt this passionate about a story. To top it off, there is an impressive stampede scene near the end as well as a realistic Wild Bill Hickok, Davis Tutt showdown. This film has it all and is now one of my favorites. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I guess I'm out of the habit of taking advice. John Parrish is a former Union military general that has settled on a ranch in the west with a large estate, group of cattle, and land to be tended. He has met the love of his life and would love to sell and move back east; however, a rich man who owns the city and law enforcement wants to strong arm the land owners to all sell their land to him. John bends and bends until he eventually breaks and will eventually have to snap back against the rich rancher. "You can't trust a man who will send six killers to shoot an old man in the back." Rudolph Mate, director of Foreign Correspondence, Gilda, To Be or Not to Be, The Passion of Joan Arc, The 300 Spartans, and The Prince Who was a Thief, delivers The Violent Men. The storyline for this picture is very interesting but fairly straightforward with few unexpected outcomes. The cast delivers solid performances and includes Glen Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Brian Keith, Edward Robinson, and Jack Kelly. "I'd sooner to settle down then to be forced later." This movie was recommended to me by Verizon Fios so I DVR'd it off Encore Western. I expected a little more from this I guess. I thought the main character could have been more dynamic and entertaining. Overall, this is a slightly above average western that is only worth watching if you're a fan of the genre, but I wouldn't go too out of my way to see this. "I'll keep fighting him until one of us is dead." Grade: C+ Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Violent Men

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Movie Info

Synopsis Former Union soldier John Parrish (Glenn Ford) wants to sell his ranch and start a new life by settling down out east. However, the ruthless tactics of Lew Wilkison (Edward G. Robinson), the scheming businessman interested in his property, make Parrish reconsider the move, especially after one of his ranch hands is murdered. Adding to the increasingly tense conflict is Wilkison's wife, Martha (Barbara Stanwyck), who is cheating on her husband with his brother, Cole (Brian Keith).
Director
Rudolph Maté
Producer
Lewis J. Rachmil
Screenwriter
Harry Kleiner
Production Co
Columbia
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 21, 2010
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Stereo
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