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.

I'll take a stab at identifying the trio of characters in the title; I think it boils down to the three 'C's' - Colt (Charlton Heston), Cinch (Tom Tryon) and Cable (Forrest Tucker). Colt Saunders without question after watching him upend Lorna Hunter (Anne Baxter) with only undergarments showing; Cinch because as Colt's put upon younger brother, he carried a grudge that would have led to betrayal if he hadn't had the change of heart at the finale. I'm including Cable because he was ready to use his six-gun at the drop of a hat to take down Captain Saunders, and was the buzzard identified by Gran Vaquero Ortega (Gilbert Roland) in my summary line above.Well anyway, that's my take on things. I liked the way Gil Roland's character was written in the story. Innocencio Antonio Ortega was a romantic and a poet, with uncanny insight into the human condition. His welcome address to the new Mrs. Saunders was an inspiration to his five sons, right after Rafael got tongue tied and couldn't find the words to continue. I think it was right after this picture that Robert Blake was no longer credited as 'Bobby'; the nickname seemed more appropriate when he was Red Ryder's sidekick in the Forties.Now it made sense when Cinch backed down from challenging his brother, but what was going on when Commissioner Harrison's (Bruce Bennett) deputy Massey (John Harmon) appeared to go for a draw down on Colt earlier in the story? He had to know he would have been a goner, even if the rest of Harrison's deputies opened fire. Lorna's interference brought tensions back under control, but I couldn't figure out what the idea was here. For certain he was mortified for revealing Lorna's past, so maybe it was his way of committing suicide without having it pan out.With long time relationships under stress and a marriage on the rocks, anyone having viewed a few hundred of these era Westerns would have had a good idea that things would work out in the end. Even though Cinch cashed out as the redeemed younger brother, there was no way Colt and Laura Saunders were going to ride off into the sunset in different directions. As for those buzzards, well they wound up getting the guy with the red hair.

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

How can you not like a film that has characters named Colt Saunders, Beauregard 'Cinch' Saunders, Ruby LaSalle and the ageless Gilbert Roland as someone rejoicing in the misleading nomenclature of Innocencio Ortega.The three violent people of the title is a gross numerical understatement - all the male cast in his part of the west seem to be capable of giving and receiving their fair share of violence -Forest Tucker and Richard Jaekel are particularly outstanding in this line of work and they get great back up from Bruce Bennett and Barton MacLane. Charlton Heston as usual mistakes tightening his jaw as equating to exuding dramatic power while Tom Tryon demonstrates the technique that got him cast as a emotionless extra terrestrial on at least one occasion. The show, as was so often the case, is stolen by Gilbert Roland. Enjoyable nonsense from the golden decade of the Horse Opera.