Violent Saturday

The Brandenville Broth.

Violent Saturday is directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted to screenplay by Sydney Boehm from the novel of the same name written by William L. Heath. It stars Victor Mature, Richard Egan, Lee Marvin, Stephen McNally, J. Carrol Naish, Tommy Noonan, Ernest Borgnine, Virginia Leith and Sylvia Sidney. Music is by Hugo Friedhoffer and cinematography by Charles G. Clarke.

Stand Pat and Resist Evil.

A simmering powder keg of criminality told in beautiful De Luxe and CinemaScope, Violent Saturday is one of the definitions of a slow burn movie that pays off with explosive aplomb.

The town of Brandenville is the scene of a planned bank robbery by a trio of baddies led by Harper (McNally). The narrative has t...

This isn't really a film about an heist, it's more a rather effective observation on small town American life. "Harper" (Stephen McNally) arrives in town with his two partners - the rather nasty "Dill" (Lee Marvin) and "Chapman" (J. Carrol Naish) and starts casing the bank. Their attentions go largely un-noticed by the bank manager "Harry" (Tommy Noonan) who has some interesting nocturnal activities, nor by the successful but frequently drunk "Boyd" (Richard Egan) who is trying to rekindle his marriage with "Mary" (Margaret Hayes) whilst interfering nurse "Elsie" (Sylvia Sidney) spots an opportunity. Meantime "Martin" (Victor Mature) who stayed at home during the war to ensure continuing copper production wants to convince his son "Steve" (...