The Man From Colorado (1949)

A judge teeters on the brink of insanity... a town on the edge of revolt. And only one man stands between them in this powerful western featuring two of Hollywood's greatest leading men. Glenn Ford delivers a mesmerizing performance as Owen Devereaux a sadistic Civil War vet who continues to kill for the joy of it even after he becomes a judge. William Holden is outstanding as Del Stewart Devereaux's marshal and ex-army pal who tries to restrain the judge's violent nature. When Devereaux's psychotic behavior forces the townspeople to take up arms against him the former friends are pited together against each other in a brutal conflict with fatal consequences. The suspense never falters in acclaimed director Henry Levin's tightly woven tale which delves into the devastating psychological effects of war.System Requirements: Running Time 98 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 043396042742 Manufacturer No: 04274 Product Description

Glenn Ford wound up tight

The late Glenn Ford who passed away last year, was a very under-rated actor who never got his due as his son Peter will profess. This psychological Western shows Ford at his best in one of his few villainous roles (the other being"3:10 to Yuma"). His buddy William Holden is also excellent as his best friend and the one who sees the chink in his armor as he slowly descends into madness though Ellen Drew is totally wasted as Ford's wife. It's competentedly directed by Henry Levin but unfortunately if the writing were better this would've qualified as a classic (maybe Ford or Hawks could've helmed this). We know that Ford is aware of his psychosis as he writes in his diary and yet he trys to deny it from his best friend and wife--that doesn't make sense at all as far as the writing is concerned. In otherwards, there are holes in the story which leaves Ford, excellent as he is here, to make the character one-note. Also we know very little of his relationship to his wife (Drew) or why he continues on his vengeful blood-lust. Anyway do see it for the Ford/Holden combo since it would be the last film the two would do together (Holden before he died, had called Ford and said he would like to do another Western with him again). June 10, 2008

Colorado in the 1860`s

Good yarn and film that deals with how war changes those that fight in them. Background is the War Between the States as it relates to the then Colorado Territory and its aftermath. A Colonel, who commands one of the three (story does not specify which) Colorado Cavalry Regiments active during the war, possibly the 3rd that operated whithin the territory and of Sand Creek note, returns home to be named Federal Territorial Judge. His personal emotional problems affect those arouhd him. November 24, 2007

The Man From Colorado 1948

Glenn Ford (1916-2006) Delivers a mesmerish performance as Owen Devereux , a sadistic civil war veteran who has deep-rooted psychological damage due to his experience during the war . William Holden (1918-1981) is oustanding as Del Stewart , Devereux's marshal and ex-army pal who tries to restrain the judge's violent nature . When Devereux's psyhotic behaviour force the town's people to take up arms against him , the former friend are pitted against each other in a brutal conflict with fatal consequences . The suspense never falters in acclaimed director Henry Levin (1908-1980) tighly woven tale which delves into devastating psycohological effects of war . June 30, 2007

Very good, early Ford/Holden western

Moody western set in post Civil War Colorado. Glenn Ford stars as the tightly wound Union colonel who, immediately after the war ends, returns home and is elected judge for his corner of Colorado. Ford's first official action is to appoint best friend William Holden a federal marshal.

THE MAN FROM COLORADO begins a little before these happy ceremonies take place, though. The movie opens with Colonel Ford forming his men into line of battle against a small contingent of whipped confederates. At least we in the audience, and Ford with his field glasses, know they're whipped - we both see them waving the white flag of surrender. Even so, Ford orders the cannons to open fire, and the enemy forces are annihilated. Okay, so Ford ISN'T going to play the hero in this one. The likelier candidate, Ford's aide Holden, finds the white cloth tied to the end of a bayonet after the `battle', puts two and two together, and promptly buries the evidence before anyone else can see it. All this happens in the movie's first five minutes, so these aren't spoilers.

The emotional core of the movie is the Holden/Ford relationship. Holden's friendship with and loyalty to his old commander, and life long friend, is severely tested by Ford's increasingly erratic, and violence prone, behavior. The movie's engine can be found in a secondary plot thread. After mustering out, the enlisted men in Ford's old regiment find their gold claims have been - legally but unethically - taken over by a big mining concern. The mine owners have grown fat and rich while the men were off fighting, and the owners attempt to use the law, through their newly appointed judge, to hold and retain their ill-gotten pelf. There's fodder enough in that situation for two western's worth of violent conflict, and the movie delivers plot-wise.

I liked THE MAN FROM COLORADO, but I don't think it's a classic, and I'm not going to put it into the heavy rotation, Must Rewatch file. It's probably more than an interesting coincidence that this movie about displaced and cheated Civil War veterans was made and released four short years after the end of World War II. The movie stops just short of endorsing the violent and illegal acts committed by the mis-used vets. Plus there's something brave, or courageous, about a movie from that era that'll set up a plot with a scene of a war crime committed by an officer in the US Army, a crime the officer is never brought to justice for committing. Another of the movie's strength is Holden's character, who moves from wary loyalty to disillusionment and beyond, is well conceived and wholly credible. The weakest link in this movie is also its boldest creation played by, arguably, the movie's best actor. Don't get me wrong, Glenn Ford was very good at playing moody, introspective characters, and he IS very convincing playing someone trying to keep a lid on his explosively violent temper. The problem he is that's ALL he plays. The movie spends no time showing Ford at ease, so it's up to Holden and Ellen Drew (wasted here as Ford's bride and underdeveloped triangle love interest of Holden) - it's up to these two to tell Ford "he's changed" and for us to believe them. Blah - the movie's in the showing, not the telling. As interesting as villains can be, they usually aren't when their kettle's on the boil 24/7. The movie tells us, rather than shows us, that the Ford character went bad and the war done it to him. As fine an actor as Ford was, he can't escape a tediously imagined character. Granted, it's a quibble to complain about Ford's character's one-dimensionality, but with so many other pieces in place it's a frustrating disappointment. Instead of great, THE MAN FROM COLORADO is just very good.
March 28, 2007

Unconventional Western

Henry Levin's post-Civil War western, shot in Techincolor, features real-life best friends Glenn Ford and William Holden (both RIP) as former Union officers who find themselves on opposite sides after Owen Devereaux (Ford) becomes town judge, and who begins to abuse his power to punish anyone who opposes him. Del Stewart (Holden) is made town marshal but he sees that his friend is slipping more and more into insanity (which today would be referred to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), brought on by his experiences during the war. Enemy lines are drawn more strongly as Devereaux marries Carolyn (Ellen Drew), with whom Stewart is also in love. As Owen's mind deteriorates and his madness intensifies, the town is thrown into a uproar and his sadistic, murderous tendencies only grow. Of course, there has to be a showdown that only one man can win.

Ford's son has referred to this film as "an oddball production", perhaps because it was a rarity of the time, a psychological western. As Ford served in WW2, he had many of his own experiences to draw from; as offbeat of a role this is for him (similar to his Don Jose in "The Loves Of Carmen" of the same year, he sports the same longer hairstyle, but the gray on his temples here doesn't quite give the distinguished effect that was intended), he portrays a tortured, jealous man quite well, never more evident in the scenes paranoia sets in, thinking that his wife loves Del and not him. Ellen Drew is effective in her role, although I find her much easier to believe as Holden's love interest, but after seeing Ford with Rita Hayworth, the chemistry would be hard to compare. Different but compellingly watchable, and interesting to see these lifelong friends on screen together for the second and last time (they previously costarred in "Texas", in 1941), in another worthy addition to the Columbia Classics collection. With the recent passing of Glenn Ford, this is another film that adds richness and variety to his legacy. September 10, 2006

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