La banda dei dieci

"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.

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.

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

Randolph Scott made a lot of good Westerns'; this was not one of them. Even with a stellar cast of Richard Boone, Scott, and Marshall Dillon's Deputy, the story? (which was written obviously less than an hour), is so weak, that these veteran actors couldn't rescue it. Even the inclusion Lee Van Cleef without his mustache doesn't help. The rest of the troupe was pretty awful, and that included Joselyn Brando, who unlike her younger brother was a terrible actress. The use of dynamite as an equalizer was also pretty lame. I gave this four stars only because Scott was my father's favorite actor. Even dad would have recognized this turkey for what it was; a misfire.

They're pinned down, bullets flying left, right and centre and Jocelyn Brando is sitting at the table peeling apples for what is presumably going to be a nice apple pie for supper. Then in strolls Randolph and spends the next five minutes telling her what he thinks about her. Ah the innocence of the pictures back in the day which can still in a funny way be more enjoyable than present day films.