The Hard Man (1957) Reviews

• All lines of inquiry

  bkoganbing2011-11-11

  Guy Madison plays the title role in The Hard Man, a rather ruthless deputy sheriff who prefers to bring in his fugitives draped over the saddle. Saves a lot of judicial proceedings that way. But when an old friend he's sent to track down tries to outdraw him, Madison is forced to shoot Myron Healey who's been accused of murder. Before Healey dies he gives Madison a convincing story he was framed. Shooting down a friend who may have been innocent sends Madison off to a nearby town looking for answers. All lines of inquiry lead to cattle baron Lorne Greene and his wife Valerie French. I don't think Lorne Greene was cast as Ben Cartwright in Bonanza on the strength of this role. Greene's a mean one here, a guy who has increased his herd through rustling and he's got a nice batch of gunfighters on the payroll to keep questions to a minimum. However Valerie French who played Ernest Borgnine's unfaithful wife in Jubal plays exactly the same kind of part here. She's looking for a way out of her marriage, one way or the other. Both these issues figure prominently into why Healey was killed. The Hard Man is a nicely done adult type western with some solid performances by Madison and the rest of the cast. With some bigger name players this film would be more known, but I can't fault anyone either behind or in front of the camera for their work.

• Unremarkable But Watchable

  terenceallen2004-09-02

  The Hard Man does not stand out as anything unique, but it is an entertaining western that can hold your interest during viewing. Guy Madison does fine as the stalwart lawman/gunfighter brought in to clean up the town. Valerie French has the requisite beauty as the femme fatale, although it sounds as if her voice was dubbed by another actress. The greatest revelation about the Hard Man is seeing a pre-Ben Cartwright Lorne Greene play a ruthless, utterly despicable villain. This was made several years before Bonanza began, and Greene makes the most of playing the bad guy. This alone makes the movie worth watching. The Hard Man is a fine Western to watch to pass the time. The only thing noteworthy is to watch this while comparing Greene's character to his future Ben Cartwright role.

• A Good Western

  swithers542005-04-02

  This is a better western than some made in the 50's. Guy Madison is good as the reluctant fast gun. Lorne Greene (pre-Bonanza) is excellent as a thoroughly ruthless land baron. Valerie French is pretty. Myron Healy who has been in countless pictures is not even credited but is the reason for Guy Madison to go to the town where Lorne Greene is the boss. Madison does a good job of showing how a lawman can sometimes be as ruthless as the outlaws if not careful. He is forced to kill his friend and then finds out the friend may have been framed as a killer. He rides to the town where his friend committed the crime and runs into a lot of road blocks (most notably Lorne Greene's character) as well as a beautiful woman that he is not sure of.

• The Hard Man

  osloj2016-01-03

  While The Hard Man (1957), isn't the best western film, it isn't that awful. Most of the action takes place in town, so that may put off some of the audience. Guy Madison is a bit of a square-jawed, tough guy here, who is used by the law to hunt for murderous outlaws. He shoots one of his old cowpoke friends in self-defense, and the guy claimed he was innocent. Guy Madison gets picked up by an elderly sheriff to be his side man and use his gun if he has to. That puts him at odds with Lorne Greene, who continues his "bad guy streak" (Tight Spot (1955)). He isn't half bad. Guy Madison finds out that Lorne Greene was behind his cowpoke friend's setup. There's a love interest in the form of Valerie French (from Jubal (1956)), and she is lovely to look at. I think they should have had more bad guys that were formidable instead of being cartoon rogues. The film is a barely above the average, and although it's not that exciting, it wasn't a bad view for an American western film. Also recommended: Jubal (1956) Hour of the Gun (1967) A Man Called Gannon (1968) The Last Hard Men (1976)

• High Noon: the soap opera - but entertaining

  score-102012-03-31

  Just the thing for a lazy Sunday afternoon - like all those TV westerns from 50s/60s which this reviewer found when perhaps more impressionable - when men were Men, spoke deep, dressed clean and drew sixguns easy fast. The story/plot in detail is (surely ?) corny ridiculous soap - to this nonAmerican anyhow - but, once that is accepted, this film can entertain as a straight "shoot 'em, cowboy" with a hero in the Hollywood tradition of the (semi-official) vigilante from the Lone Ranger to the Dark Knight. Definitely competently acted and made q well enough, this film is a nice reminder of how the fun Western used to be. Canadian Lorne Green went on to greater fame; going by this movie, Madison and French were unlucky not to do same.