Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

duerden60 Dear me this is a western in name only. With all the star names I expected a lot more. Hugh O'Brian totally wasted with hardly any lines. None of the sons would have put up with the bullying overbearing prick of a father! Maybe the movie was aimed at women as it had so many male stars but this bloke thought it a disappointing watch to say the least. Perhaps I am one of the few people who think Spencer Tracy, whilst an excellent actor in some of his films, perhaps westerns are not his forte. I don't even like 'Bad day at Black Rock' which I found rather silly. If 'Broken Lance' was remade today, we would have an entirely different movie with perhaps a more realistic storyline.

stevealfie "Broken Lance" is an almost scene for scene remake of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's, "House of Strangers". Lightly based on Shakespeare's "King Lear", it tells the story of a family, where the patriarch is forced to break up his empire, and spread the shares among his children(in this case, his sons). His sons, who feel that they are owed the empire, refuse to help the father in times of trouble.Both "Broken Lance" and "House of Strangers" are led by two powerhouse performances by their leading men. Spencer Tracy in the former, and Edward G. Robinson, the latter."Broken Lance" also had a superb supporting cast. Richard Widmark, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters and E.G. Marshall.The story works well as a western, in that, it enables the movie to have the type of large, sweeping scope and grand story that is "King Lear.Told in flashback(just like House of Strangers), the story is the search for revenge by the son that truly loved his father(Wagner). Being his father's favorite, the other brothers plot to do away with him.While the ending is a little contrived, and again, told the exact same way as "House of Strangers", Edward Dmytryk does an excellent job of moving the story along and adding a good deal of action.*** out of ****

ianlouisiana Irish - American rancher Matt Deveraux hands over control of his empire to his sons,two young no ' count wasters and a hard working older sibling who actually has the nous to improve the business.A fourth son,from his second wife,an Indian,is not well regarded by his brothers.He is the western equivalent of the child born on the wrong side of the blanket. Devraux dies when his youngest is in prison,and his release triggers the tale told in flashback. Mr S.Tracy is first class as Deveraux,waspish,emotional,ruthless yet vulnerable.His almost bi - polar qualities are well captured and Tracy's portrait is quite sympathetic although you wouldn't want to cross him. Back in the 50s it was acceptable to equate an Irish background with hot - tempered passion without falling foul of the "stereotype police" and references are made to Tracy's father emigrating to escape the potato famine just in case we hadn't got the message. Mr Holliman and Mr O'Brian are fine as the no - good sons, as weak and cowardly as Mr Widmark is ambitious and visionary. As the fourth son,a "half =- breed" as he refers to himself(what were we thinking of?)Mr Robert Wagner,bronzed up like an Essex Girl after two weeks in Marbella,glowers and displays what looks suspiciously like eye - liner. Mr E.G. Marshall plays the Indian - hating Governor with a certain deluded integrity. But really "Broken Lance" is mainly notable for Mr Tracy and the splendid direction by the redoubtable Mr Edward Dmytryk. They combine to raise it well above the bar set for adequate but enjoyable Westerns and to the next level where the real giants gather.

jpdoherty 20th Century Fox's BROKEN LANCE ('54) was -alongside "Garden Of Evil - the first western in the then new process of Cinemascope and Stereophonic sound! This was the splendid format which revolutionized picture making and throughout the fifties the studio was the forerunner, and were expert, at producing films in this new medium. Who can forget such memorable classics as "King Of The Khyber Rifles" (' 53), "Beneath The 12 Mile Reef" (' 54), "Untamed" (' 55), "The Last Wagon" (' 56) and "The Bravados" (' 58). All ablaze in that amazing new lifelike widescreen creation!BROKEN LANCE was a western remake of the studio's earlier "House Of Strangers" (' 49) and the change of setting suited the highly charged taut drama quite well! Richly photographed in colour in the new process by the great Joe McDonald it was solidly directed by Edward Dmytryk. Splendidly written and developed by Richard Murphy from Philip Yordan's original screenplay it was well acted by a nicely chosen cast. Spencer Tracy - in one of his rare forays into a western - plays Matthew Devereaux, the irascible autocratic cattle rancher who because of his harsh nature and domineering ways causes great enmity with his four sons. With one son Joe (Robert Wagner) there is a mutual respect but he treats the three others with derision and dissension. This eventually leads the eldest son Ben (Richard Widmark) wanting to take over the ranch. After an altercation - which causes the father to have a stroke - the story culminates in the ailing Matthew riding out after his three errant sons to prevent them from selling off the land and dying in the saddle from the exertion and strain of the pursuit. It is a wonderfully executed intense and powerfully dramatic sequence!Although he dabbled before in the genre and even played a cattle baron seven years earlier in "Sea Of Grass" (' 47) it is nonetheless unusual to see Tracy in a western! But he is excellent here in the role of the domineering patriarch out west and delivers the goods as if westerns were a common thing for him! (two years later he was to play a similar part in MGM's "Tribute To A Bad Man" (' 56) but was replaced by James Cagney at the last minute). The supporting cast were good too! Besides Wagner and Widmark the other brothers were played by Hugh O'Brien and Earl Hollimann. The lovely Jean Peters has the female lead but really has little to do in an under written part! But Katy Jurado gives a nice restrained performance as Tracy's Indian wife and earned an Oscar nomination for her efforts. Besides the stunning Cinemascope/colour Cinematography on locations in southern Arizona the picture also has a stunning score by the ever underrated and little known composer Leigh Harline! Harline was an interesting movie composer! He was born in Utah in 1907. After attending the University of Utah he joined the Utah Radio Orchestra. In Hollywood from the early thirties he went to work for the Disney Studios where he wrote the music for "Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs" and also for "Pinocchio" (' 40) from which came the huge song hit "When You Wish Upon A Star". This tune assured lifelong financial comfort for Harline! He stayed in Hollywood and worked mostly on a free-lance basis. Alfred Newman liked his work and had him score many of Fox's top pictures such as "House Of Bamboo" (' 55), "True Story Of Jesse James" (' 56), "The Enemy Below"(' 57) and "Warlock" (' 59). His music from BROKEN LANCE is probably his best work! The Main Title is a powerfully dramatic and engaging statement for full orchestra! Scored for baying brass and striking bravura strings - with faintly humming female chorus - it is at once thrilling and exhilarating! This theme is used in different guises throughout the picture and creates great impact first as Devereaux and his ranch hands ride across some magnificent Cinemascope landscapes in hot pursuit of some cattle rustlers and then again for the final chase sequence! There is also an Irish melody to point up the main protagonist's Irish background and a gentle love theme for the film's softer moments for scenes with Wagner and Peters. Thankfully this fine score has been preserved on an excellent record album! Harline's last score was his excellent music for "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao" (' 64). He died in 1969!So quite a satisfying movie all round! It perhaps is not, and never will be, regarded as a brilliant western but it will always be remembered as a splendid reworking of the "King Lear" tale in a most pleasing, handsome and dynamic Cinemascope setting!