Product Details

• Actors: Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Dianne Foster, Brian Keith
• Directors: Rudolph Maté
• Writers: Donald Hamilton, Harry Kleiner
• Producers: Lewis J. Rachmil
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: September 29, 1997
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302487846
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,306 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Glenn Ford Western, February 9, 2005

By 

Terence Allen (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Violent Men (DVD)

In The Violent Men, Glenn Ford plays a rancher who owns a small spread in a valley being consumed by a hardbitten, crippled rancher played by Edward G. Robinson. Robinson's character was a pioneer, and feels that he is entitled to get as much of territory as he can get his hands on, and is close to getting it all, except for Ford's ranch and a few other small ranches.

Ford is getting ready to sell out to Robinson when the movie begins, but quickly changes his mind when Robinson's tactics become more and more violent. Robinson is aided by a seemingly dutiful wife, play by Barbara Stanwyck (very different from the Helen Barkley character she would play years later on the television series, The Big Valley), and by Robinson's younger, hotheaded brother, played by Brian Keith. Robinson also has a daughter who is none too fond of his tactics.

When Ford decides to stay, he organizes the other small ranchers, and a fullscale range war begins, with scorched earth tactics employed by both sides. Complicating matters is the fact that Stanwyck and Keith are having an affair, and have their own plans for Robinson's cattle empire.

The Violent Men is a very enjoyable western with solid performances by everyone involved.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LITTLE CAESAR IN BUCKSKIN, November 2, 2001

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Violent Men [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Lew Wilkison (Eddie Robinson) is a cattle crippled cattle baron who drives the small ranchers and farmers out of his valley............THE VIOLENT MEN, a superior Western has Brian Keith play Robinson's brother and Barbara Stanwyck play his wife Martha, a sort of Lady Macbeth of the plains, who helps her husband grab the land because she wants it for herself (this was before she married Tom Barkley!). Stanwyck also wants the brother - she entertains him rather regularly in her bedroom, and the two of them scheme for the day Robinson dies and they will own the whole valley. They make a splendidly unsavoury trio! Barbara Stanwyck is in full command of her characterization of the mean, power-crazed woman and she finally got a Technicolor Western she could be proud of. In England, the picture was aptly released as ROUGH COMPANY and it was admired for its action scenes: a horse stampede, a ranch fire, an ambush - plus much internal drama between the characters. Fascinating stuff. The direction by Rudolph Mate (who photographed Stanwyck in her classic STELLA DALLAS) is rather flat and uneventful. The cinematography (Burnett Guffey) and musical score by Max Steiner make this fun Western a first-class picture to watch.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Western Noir Drama, September 25, 2000

By 

"williedynamite" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Violent Men [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is not your average western. This more like a Western Noir Drama. The violent men features a top notch cast. Glenn ford, Edwarg G robinson and the queen of film noir Barbara Stanwyck starr in this Rudolph Mate (DOA) directed take on your standatre western. It's basically about a shrewd, crippled land tycoon (Robinson) his wife, (Stanwyck) and his hired goons who are taking all of the neighboring farmers land. He has almost all of the land he needs except for Glenn Ford's land. Conflicts and mayhem aboud.

Sounds like about 100 other westerns everyone's seen a million times. Well, not this one. This is coming from a director(Mate) who directed a film noir classic so you know that the story wouldn't be that simple. There are quite a few twists and turns and more than a few wrinkles thrown in for good measure. The violent men is well directed with very good performances throught with particular nods to Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G Robinson who work here for the first time since Billy Wilders classic Double Indemnity. Good Stuff.