Ten Wanted Men *** (1955, Randolph Scott, Jocelyn Brando, Richard Boone) – Classic Movie Review 7485

Director H Bruce Humberstone’s run-of-the-mill 1955 Technicolor Western Ten Wanted Men stars Randolph Scott, who is his usual stalwart self as John Stewart, an Arizona cattleman fighting tricky rancher Wick Campbell (Richard Boone) after his ward seeks protection with Stewart. Campbell hires the Ten Wanted Men of the title to help him to seize power.

Run-of-the-mill it may be, but this is a more than acceptable Columbia B-movie Western, made and performed with the needed conviction. It is given a lift with a particularly good cast, including lots of welcome old-timers and people on their way up, like Lee Van Cleef (as Al Drucker) and Dennis Weaver as the sheriff (Clyde Gibbons). Boone is an especially good bitter bad guy.

There is plenty of talent behind the writing. The screenplay is by Kenneth Gamet, and the original story-writers Harriet Frank Jr and Irving Ravetch penned the grand Hud, Hombre, The Reivers, The Spikes Gang and The Cowboys.

It gets another lift from Wilfred M Cline’s good-looking Technicolor cinematography, shot on various striking Arizona locations.

Also in the cast are Jocelyn Brando, Alfonso Bedoya, Donna Martell, Skip Homeier, Leo Gordon, Clem Bevans, Minor Watson, Lester Matthews, Tom Powers, G Pat Collins, Kathleen Crowley, Franklyn Farnum, Louis Jean Heydt, Edna Holland, Reed Howes, Robert Ivers, Paul Maxey, George Boyce, Denver Pyle, Boyd Red Morgan, Jack Perrin, Julian Rivero, Carlos Vera, Francis McDonald and Boyd Stockman.

Ten Wanted Men runs 80 minutes, is made by Ranown Pictures Corp and Scott-Brown Productions and is released by Columbia Pictures Corporation.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7485

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