Dix hommes à abattre

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.

I think a 7 out of 10 is not a bad rating for a movie, given how many deserve a 1 or a 3. Ten Wanted Men starts off with one big thing in its favor - it is a beautiful movie to watch. The color of this film is rich and true and it makes most every scene a treat for the eyes. The story itself is reasonably good - I found myself engaged in it fairly early when Campbell gets into it with Howie Stewart. (This is the second movie of Homeier's where he played someone named Howie.) I like Randolph Scott a lot but I'm also a Homeier fan, and he had a good part in this movie. Unlike his usual bad guy roles, here he played a good guy who still had the opportunity to shoot a gun and break out of jail and such. Lee Van Cleef had only a small role, really, but was very good in it. Denver Pyle was about as nasty and evil a character as I've seen him play. As far as the story goes, I would have liked to see Scott use the dynamite to greater advantage against the bad guys; they had it coming.

So, this is not the greatest movie ever made, but I think it rates a seven at least. If you like Westerns, you won't regret watching this one. Just the great color is a selling point, but the story itself isn't bad at all.

Things go wrong when John Stewart (Randolph Scott) gives refuge to Wick Campbell's girlfriend ,Maria Segura (Donna Martell) . As his ward seeks protection with rival cattleman John Stewart , then land baron Campbell (Richard Boone)turns against him . As Stewart being forced to protect his family , property and cattle . Stewart is obligated to guard his woman (Jocelyn Brando) , brother (Lester Matthews ) , nephew (Skip Homeier) and friends . Then the jealous cattle baron hires a motley group of gunslingers to help him seize power in the territory. Later on , 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.The life and death of a reign of terror ! Ten times bigger than ever before ¡

This stirring fare deals with the classy confrontation between a successful cattle baron and a pistol-wielding landowner determined to ruin him . Standard tale with better than average interpretation from Randolph Scott and Richard Boone . Although the incidents move slowly , at times , it contains noisy action through well-trodden pastures , and there's plenty of fire-power and go-riding . Agreeable story in which Richard Boone gives the best acting as an embittered , jealous rancher called Wick Campbell who rustles Stewart's cattle, murders his brother and brings as hired guns to ten outlaws . In the character of Corinne shows up Jocelyn Brando , Marlon Brando's sister, she makes one of her rare screen interventions . And the bad guys and good guys include a whole crop of familar faces you love to see . As good guys appearing pre-McCloud Dennis Weaver , Skip Homeier , Clem Bevans , Kathleen Crowley ,Tom Powers , Minor Watson and bad guys intervine Lee Van Cleef pre-Leone , Leo Gordon , Denver Pyle , all of them bite the dust .

Including a brilliant cinematography by Wilfrid Cline , being well filmed in brilliant Technicolor . Shot on location in Sonora desert ,Tucson Mountains ,Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona , Sierrita Mountains , Silver Bell Mountains, Reymert, Cochran, Arizona and Lone Pine, California . It contains an atmospheric and thrilling musical score by Paul Sawtell . The motion picture was well produced by the notorious duo : Harry Joe Brown/Randolph Scott, both of whom produced various prestigious Westerns for Bud Boetticher . The flick was decent and professionally directed by Bruce Humberstone who worked on several silent movies and he was able to make all kinds of genres without problems . He is known for making a lot of Charlie Chan /Warner Oland films as Charlie Chan at the opera , Chan at the race track, Charlie Chan in Honolulu , Charlie Chan at the Olympics . He directed Westerns as Ten wanted men, Lucky Cisco Kid ; Musical : Iceland, Hello Frisco; Comedy :Wonder man , Tall dark and handsome ; Noir film as Hot Spot and Aventure : Tarzan and Lost safari, Tarzan and the trappers, Tarzan fights for his life , King of the jungle and The Purple Masked . Rating: 6/10 . Enjoyable and acceptable Western .

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.

"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.