Barbara Wants a Bigger Ranch

John Parrish (Glenn Ford), a former captain in the Union Army, has spent three years in the West, recovering from his wartime injuries. Engaged to Caroline Vail (May Wynn), Parrish has decided to sell his ranch and return east at Caroline’s urging. The only potential buyer is Lew Wilkison (Edward G. Robinson), the owner of Anchor, a huge estate. It's no surprise when Wilkison underbids for Parrish's ranch. But Parrish is infuriated and a new war is set in motion when Cole Wilkison (Brian Keith), Wade Matlock (Richard Jaeckel), and The Violent Men (1955) murder John's ranch hand Bud Hinkleman (Bill Phipps) to "convince" Parrish to take the offer.

This is an adequate western, with a stellar, though not well-used cast.  Glenn Ford is fine as a man who seems condemned to using violence, even though he yearns for a life of peace. His interactions with Edward G. Robinson are good (though short and on the technical side). Also convincing are his scenes with Dianne Foster as Judith Wilkison, the daughter of Lew and Martha (Barbara Stanwyck). Mr. Ford is quoted as saying this was one of his favorite films - primarily because he got to work with Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Robinson  (Glenn Ford: A Life by Peter Ford).

What we missed were strong exchanges between Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Ford or Mr. Robinson. Ms. Stanwyck's key scenes are with Brian Keith, an actor we all admire, but who is given precious little with which to work. Cole Wilkison is a villain - he's out for money and for sex; if he is able to hurt or kill someone while getting it, all the better. But his motivations are one-dimensional. As a result, the dialogue between these two fine actors is mere speechifying. It's a waste of talented performers who can give so much more. In Peter Ford's book, he says that he believed his father had fallen for Ms. Stanwyck. That alone makes you wish for just one scene in which she and Mr. Ford really talked. 

In his book Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman, author Dan Callahan says: "whenever Stanwyck has blond hair in a movie...get out of the way, buster, there's going to be a lot of trouble" and he is certainly correct in this instance. Martha is, without a doubt, one of the most unscrupulous characters Ms. Stanwyck has ever done. I'm sure you are thinking - "wait, what about Phyllis Dietrichson? Martha can't be worse than her!" But Indeed Martha is worse, because there is no depth to the character. Ms. Stanwyck tries, but she doesn't have the tools, in the form of a script, which allow Martha to have some substance. Ms. Stanwyck has one really good scene, in which she and Edward G. Robinson are trying to escape a burning house. It's only a moment, there is no real dialogue, but it is proof that when you have two dynamic actors, the results are electric.

Lew Wilkison has managed to distance himself from the current violence; Edward G. Robinson's portrayal is of a man who wants the power, but feels himself emasculated by the injury that limited his ability to walk. His daughter, Judith, as portrayed by Dianne Foster is far different than either of her parents. Initially unlikable, Judith becomes the only truly good character in the film. She has one goal, and it is not that of either of her parents. There is, however, a bond between father and daughter that is certainly not evident with her mother. Lew shows a concern for his child; Martha would rather just send her away.  

Ms. Foster had a brief film career; between 1953 and 1958, she was in 11 films (including The Kentuckian (1955) and The Last Hurrah (1958)). Beginning in 1959, she mostly appeared on television, guesting in shows such as The Wild, Wild West, Hawaiian Eye, Ben Casey, and Perry Mason. She's been married three times; her last marriage to Dr. Harold Rowe was in 1960 - the couple were together until his death in 1999. Ms. Foster has three children and lives in  California, where she is a painter.

Based on the novel Smoky Valley by Donald Hamilton (AFI Catalog), the film does not appear to have been well received; Though it is a beautifully filmed movie, done in Technicolor and Cinemascope, the New York Times review by Bosley Crowther said: "If, at the end, it leaves you feeling you've seen just another horse-opera...it's no wonder, for that's what it is." The New York Herald-Tribune called the two leads "Little Caesar in buckskin" and "Lady Macbeth of the plains" (TCM article).  It's not that it's a bad movie, it's just not a good one. With such a good cast, it's worth a single viewing (but if you have to choose a Stanwyck western, go for Trooper Hook).

Here's a trailer from the film: