Three Violent People (1956)

Excellent adaptation.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's an unfair comparison to connect a huge epic in production for years to a western, even if it was an A lister. But had this even cast somebody other than and Baxter in this, having Charlton Heston in the league would have automatically brought up mentions of that classic film. Today, Baxter's participation in the Ten Commandments is often greeted with giggles as she offered a camp performance as the Egyptian princess in love with Heston's Moses. She manages here to be less over-the-top and more sincere as a showgirl with a past who out of the blue marries land baron Heston who knows nothing about her. They move out to his ranch in the middle of nowhere, and rival ranchers use her past against them, leaving the playing field open to his one armed brother Tom Tryon the opportunity to move in. Her sudden pregnancy adds more conflict.This features some decent supporting performances with a young Elaine Stritch making her film debut as Baxter's old pal who runs a saloon/hotel in the closest town. Barely thirty when she filmed this, Stritch already shows the power of a veteran scene stealer, having been on Broadway for a decade. Gilbert Roland and Forrest Tucker are also incredibly good. Action packed and filled with personal conflict that makes for a good story, it still lacks the element of surprise. Baxter shows that she can hold her own, and interspercements of humor also adds to the entertainment value. But what could have been a week stern variation of classic theatrical drama like "Desire Under the Elms" is sadly never achieved. Heston's character becomes needlessly cruel for stupid reasons that dissipates sympathy for his character.

Three Violent People is directed by Rudolph Maté and adapted to screenplay by James Edward Grant from a story co-written by Leonard Praskins and Barney Slater. It stars Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter, Gilbert Roland and Forrest Tucker. Out of Paramount Pictures, it's a VistaVision production with Technicolor photography by Loyal Griggs and music scored by Walter Scharf.It's post Civil War Texas and Confederate Captain Colt Saunders (Heston) finds himself with a bride (Baxter) who has a secret past, and taxable assets at his ranch that scheming Carpetbaggers want for themselves. Into the mix comes Colt's brother Cinch (Tryon), who is minus an arm from an accident in childhood; where Colt was his heroic saviour. Things will come to a head as resentments, skeleton's in closets and post war greed will fracture the dynamic of the Bar S ranch.Try to remember that people aren't perfect. They just aren't. They make mistakes. And when they do, they suffer. They pay. Inside themselves they pay.It made little impact back on release in 56, where the release of Heston's other film that year, The Ten Commandments, dwarfed it considerably and simultaneously propelled Heston into the big league. It didn't help that Three Violent People is a very character driven picture, literate and heavy on the melodrama. This is no gunslinging action based bonanza, this features interesting characters talking a lot, where the screenplay has the big players nicely drawn, creating a pot boiler that only rewards those open to an intelligently paced structure. The title, sadly, is misleading and doesn't do the film any favours.You were one of the rear echelon heroes who hid on General Butler's staff while better men were getting killed in battle.Film has definite links to another "literate" Heston picture from 1954, The Naked Jungle. Sanctimonious macho male takes a wife and recoils when learning of her past. Cue the fleshing out of relationships for an hour until the pot starts boiling over and the pace ups and unfolds with a pleasingly suspenseful third act. Action until that third act is sparse, though there's good drama to keep one interested, very much so. This is also a gorgeous picture to look at, not just the rugged but beautiful landscape around the Bar S (Arizona), but also the colours that beam out from the screen, Loyal Griggs' (Shane) photography reason enough to seek this undervalued Western out.I got the one with the red hair ready for the buzzards.Lead cast performances are up and down, Baxter and Heston's chemistry is fine and sexy, but they do appear to be in competition with each other to see who can steal a scene. Baxter, looking positively ravishing throughout, really over does it early in the pic, while Heston forgoes his most agreeable subtlety from those early passages to ham it up later in the day. The best performance comes from Roland (Cheyenne Autumn), who as Bar S gran vaquero, Innocencio Ortega, not only looks immeasurable cool, he also casts a humanistic shadow over proceedings. Tryon, whose edgy one armed brother adds major spice to the narrative, turns in a rare effective performance.The problems are evident throughout, some over soaping by actors who should have known better and the villains are badly in need of flesh on their bones. Yet this is a Western that plays better now to Western fans than it would have done back in the 50s. Where the character driven bent can be appreciated without expectation of a "yeehaw" fuelled Oater. This be one for the ears, eyes and the brain rather than the pulse. 7/10

This film reminds me of many wedding cakes. They look great but aren't especially delicious. "Three Violent People" is a sumptuous looking film--a movie with great color and scope. BUT, like the cake, it's not exactly great, as the film seemed, well, a bit dull and DEFINITELY over-wrought.The film begins with a Confederate soldier (Charlton Heston) returning home after being gone many years. He soon meets a 'woman of easy virtue' (Anne Baxter) and despite knowing NOTHING about her, marries her. This makes little sense. What makes little sense as well is his reaction to her much later when he learns about her sordid past. Their marriage, inexplicably, is ruined and Heston sulks for most of the rest of the movie. Now on WHAT planet does this make sense?! There's quite a bit in between--including a plot involving evil Yankees and the Reconstruction (a popular theme--though historians are now recognizing that this theme never really was a problem in real life) as well as Heston's one-armed brother (Tom Tryon). None of this is especially engaging. In fact the ONLY part of the movie I loved was when Heston turned Baxter upside-down and shook her when they first met--because she'd stolen his money! But then, this is when he asked her to marry him!! Duh.Overall, looks great--but that's really about all.

This was the film Charlton Heston made immediately after The Ten Commandments and the last one on his original contract with Paramount Studios. For a co-star for Three Violent People, Heston got Anne Baxter who was Nefretiri in the DeMille epic.Heston plays Colt Saunders, Confederate veteran who is trying to get back and re-start his ranch and keep it from the hands of carpetbaggers in from the north. He's got a one armed brother played by Tom Tryon who has issues to say the least. Tryon did not lose the arm in the Civil War, it was lost in an accident during childhood and Heston was the one who amputated it.And if that's not enough Heston meets and marries Baxter without knowing anything about her. She's got a very shady past that comes out at a most inopportune time and drives a wedge between them.There's a lot of the righteousness of Moses in Heston's Colt Saunders. Unlike in The Ten Commandments it's not a welcome virtue for Anne Baxter or for the audience. Bruce Bennett and Forrest Tucker play a real pair of bottom feeding carpetbagger officials. And the always enjoyable Gilbert Roland plays the grand vaquero, foreman, of the Saunders spread.Not a bad western, western and Heston fans will like it.