The Man Called Noon (1973) User Reviews

This European Western is packed with action , thrills , intrigue and crossfire

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 25 September 2011]

This is an average Spanish/British/Italian co-production filmed of course in Almeria , Spain . It deals with Robert Noon (Richard Crenna), a gunslinger who has turned amnesiac. Helped by Rimes (Stephen Boyd), another gunfighter who has befriended him, he attempts to figure out who he is actually. He gradually aware that his wife and child have been killed . Is he Noon ? . The duo goes to ranch Rafter where lives Fan Davidge (Rosanna Schiaffino) who will support them , there the foreman named Henekker (Jose Jaspe) gives him a letter signed by Noon and Dean Cullane . As they go to El Paso where lives the scheming sister (Patty Shepard) of the lawyer named Dean Cullane . As time goes by, Noon also recalls a lot of gold buried somewhere but he is double-crossed . Niland (Farley Granger), an ambitious judge and the outlaw Ben Janish (Angel Del Pozo) along with his hoodlums ( Aldo Sambrell, Jose Canalejas, Fernando Hilbeck, Julian Ugarte) will do everything to prevent Noon and Rimes from achieving their objective .

In the picture there're action western, shootouts, thrills, and a little bit of moderated violence . It follows American models more than Italian , displaying an intrigue about possible fake personality . The film is well starred by a fine star-cast though wasted as Stephen Boyd , Richard Crenna , Rosanna Schiaffino ; all of them early deceased , exception Farley Granger who passed away this same year . The starring Richard Crenna played another British Western titled ¨Catlow¨ that bears remarkable resemblance , as the same author Louis L'Amour , some actors and similar Almerian scenarios .The motion picture has been filmed on La Pedriza , Manzanares of Real , Madrid and Almeria(Spain), where during the 6os and early the 7os were shot several spaghetti western . The film well filmed in Tabernas and Texas Hollywood-Fort Bravo, Almeria, with a good production design including great a fortress , one of the best ever created , firstly used in ¨El condor¨ and where were posteriorly shot several Spaghetti as ¨ Blind man, Massacre at Fort Holman, ¨ and ¨Conan the Barbarian¨. Nevertheless, today the fort has been partially crumbled and only remain some ruins . There appears usual Spanish western secondary actors : Angel del Pozo, Julian Ugarte, Barta Barry , Ricardo Palacios, Jose Canalejas and of course Aldo Sambrell, among others. Atmospheric score by Luis Bacalov who subsequently won Oscar for ¨The postman and Pablo Neruda¨ and colorful cinematography by John Cabrera , though is necessary and urgent remastering .The movie is regularly directed by Peter Collinson. Collinson's directorial treatment provides it with action, gun-play, and suspense . He was an expert on thriller (Sell out, Target on assassin), intrigue (Spiral staircase, Ten little Indians, Open season), terror(Straight on till morning), Warlike-adventure(You can't win ém all), his biggest hit was ¨The Italian job¨ , until his early death by cancer at 41. Rating : Mediocre but entertaining .

Louis L'amour paella western-style

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 28 March 2021]

I would never put paella westerns and Louis L'amour in the same sentence, let alone in a film, as L'amour books are traditional as it gets, but it works here. From the tense intro till the end, the film lives up to the excellence of the book, capturing the mystery, the characters quite well. The landscape lends itself to the suspense - and the action is gritty and exciting, especially at the end ( the ranch in the cave is well-imagined.)

Though there's action, it never overrides the narrative, and the focus is on Richard Crenna, looking cool, all dressed in black looking like Johnny Cash, who has lost his memory after an attempt on his life. From there, with the help of the underrated Stephen Boyd, he tries to learn who he is, and for his efforts he gets a passel load of bullets heading his way.

Great cast - Farley Granger, Rosanna Schiaffino and the hottie villainess Patty Shepherd. - great action. A bit confusing at times, but amnesiac films - like Bourne identity - tend to have this streak, and you have to sit it out and be patient and you'll soon get the answers. Maybe the dialogue could've been sharper, more clearer, however, it is a solid western that should get more attention.

A pleasingly distinctive Italian western

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 13 October 2021]

I have seen a fair few spaghetti westerns and while the ones in the upper bracket are great, a lot are mediocre and indistinguishable from one another. So, it was kind of nice to find that this one was a little more original. Okay, it has another stranger with supreme weapon skills at its centre but in this case he is mysterious mainly because he has forgotten who he is after falling out a high window during an assassination attempt, so the story is partly about him discovering his identity - is he a cold blooded killer? It's a very different idea for a western and it works pretty well. Aside from this, it is photographed to an above average standard and there are a few interesting characters. It does maybe dovetail into less interesting and typical material in the last third but on the whole, this was a pleasingly distinctive Italian western.

a simple movie but beautifully executed

[karlericsson · 15 July 2011]

reviewers on this page complain that this is just another ordinary western - that's the same as saying that the Taj Mahal is just another house - which it is - but what a house!

OK, this is not the Taj Mahal of anything but it is a western in which somebody took the time to find the right angles to shoot from and the right beautiful music to accompany everything with. This time and care put in, changes this film from being a trivial western into being a nicely mysterious experience with imagery that stick to the mind.

The mystery - it is true - is not so much in the dialogue as in the silence between the spoken words. The action is not as important as the scenery in which it takes place.

In the end you are left with a feeling of surprising satisfaction for something that on the surface seems trivial indeed.

The Man Called Noon

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 27 May 2023]

Despite the fact that Stephen Boyd starred in a couple of the most famous films ever made, he really was a singularly mediocre actor and that is pretty clearly illustrated in this hotch-potch of a western. Here he ("Rimes") finds himself assisting the forgetful "Noon" (Richard Crenna) to track down who he is, where he is from and just how, exactly, he found himself in this amnesiac state. During moments of lucidity, "Noon" recalls a cache of gold - so the two, along with the feisty "Fan" (Rosanna Schiaffino) set off to find it before nasty "Judge Niland" (Farley Granger) and his slightly do-lally pal "Peg" (Patty Shepard) do them all in. Peter Collinson has done an OK job with this. These multi-national efforts were never as good on screen as they might have looked on paper. Crenna is efficient, though not spectacular and there is some nice cinematography to accompany a jaunty score from Luis Bacalov. Nothing new here and not a film I could say I shall ever watch again.

"Hip" early 70s Western with Richard Crenna and Rosanna Schiaffino, but mediocre

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 7 December 2014]

"The Man Called Noon" (1973) is a Spanish/Italian/English Western starring Richard Crenna as the eponymous character and Stephen Boyd as his pardner. After Noon suffers amnesia from being winged in the head and falling, he teams-up with Rimes (Boyd) and meets a woman named Fan (Rosanna Schiaffino), who takes a liking to him. Farley Granger and Patty Shepard are other characters in the story, which features a hidden cave and fortune.

Shot in Spain, the film has the cool style and music of Spaghetti Westerns of the time, but with an arguably better story and characters, likely because the script's based on a Louis L'Armour novel. Unfortunately, as the movie progresses its flaws surface, like an obvious smudge on the lens of one of the cameras, the inexplicable lights in the "bat cave" and an increasingly unbelievable vibe. Despite this, Crenna and Boyd are effective Western protagonists and Rosanna & Patty are agreeable female eye candy. Although mediocre overall, it's worth checking out if you like Westerns from the 60s/70s.

The film runs 98 minutes.

GRADE: C+

does not do justice to L'Amour

[doughoehn · 4/10 · 6 September 2007]

My biggest disappointment about the film "The Man Called Noon" is that it does so little justice to a fine L'Amour novel. Judged on its own merits, this movie is about a "4". When will a western film ever acknowledge that it is impossible to hit anything with accuracy while "fanning" a revolver? But with that critique, ninety percent of spaghetti westerns could be pitched. On the plus side, Crenna and Boyd's search for the truth has an epic quality. Crenna's early escape into the cloud of steam from the train locomotive is also effective. But the melodramatic cries of the dying villains, the bad acting (over or under) of Granger and the two women, the ridiculous shots from different angles of the same two horses falling down to make us think an army of outlaws has bitten the dust, and the ten ketchup bottle "death" scene of Henneker make "Noon" unintentionally funny.

Riding Rough With Richard Crenna!!!

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 6 January 2017]

"Innocent Bystanders" director Peter Collinson emphasizes action shrouded in mystery in scenarist Scot Finch's cinematic adaptation of Louis L'Amour's novel "The Man Called Noon," with Richard Crenna plagued by amnesia while a passel of trigger-happy pistoleros do their best to pack him full of lead. "Conan the Barbarian" lenser John Cabrera photographed this invigorating oater on various scenic Spanish locations where earlier westerns, such as Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" and John Guillermin's "El Condor," had been shot, and Collinson and he frame each shot so that this dusty, windswept horse opera is easy on the eyes. James Bond movie aficionados should savor the fact that stunt man Bob Simmons (the guy in the gun barrel sequences of "Dr. No" and "From Russia, With Love" arranged the stunts. The scenes of horsemen toppling from their saddles and horses plunging into the camera are genuinely exciting. Crenna faces the same trouble that Matt Damon would confront forty or so year later with his loss of memory. Mind you, it takes one spectacular fall from a hotel balcony and later another down the side of a mountain for our stalwart hero to recover his wits while his adversaries blast away at him. Oscar winning actor Stephen Boyd and former MGM contract player Farley Granger cannot seem to figure out what side they are on and whether they are going to riddle our hero. Similarly, two women—Italian beauty Rosanna Schiaffino of "The Long Ships" and Patty Shepard of "The Stranger and the Gunfighter"—stand on either side of our protagonist, but they have already decided what they are going to do about him. The last-minute showdown between these two dames is something to see, especially with Shepard decked out in black with a flat-crowned hat. Collinson and Finch don't lollygag around in this sagebrusher. Just as Jonas Mandarin (Richard Crenna of "Catlow") has finished dressing in his hotel room in Kiowa Flats, villainous sharpshooter Ben Janish (Ángel del Pozo of "Hell in the Aegean") creases Jonas' scalp with a bullet, and Jonas crashes through his window and falls into the street. Scrambling to escape from a search party of armed desperadoes, our resilient hero climbs aboard a train pulling out of town. Janish's henchmen assemble to find, but they lose him. Meantime, Jonas dashes across the rooftops of box cars (this is splendidly staged by Collinson) as the train chugs away into the distance. He winds up in a box car with a scruffy, six-gun toting owlhoot, Rimes (Stephen Boyd of "Ben-Hur"), and they behave like partners for a while. Eventually, they end up at a ranch presided over by the lovely Fan Davidge (Rosanna Schiaffino) who suffers under the tyranny of Janish. After Fan cleans up Jonas' scalp wound, our hero joins a group of ruffians in a nearby bunkhouse and proves his wits with his fists. He slugs it out with a couple and then settles down for a long overdue nap. The following day, Jonas saddles himself a horse with Fan's permission. Rimes and he gallop off into the wilderness. Rimes warns Jonas that the area is rift with 50 box canyons with no way out of them. Nevertheless, our wily protagonist finds a fortress of a stone house off in the mountain. This innocuous looking place looks comfortable within and Jonas leads Rimes to an elevator to a cave and an outlet where they catch a ride aboard another train. Collinson and Finch release information in piecemeal fashion to keep us in the dark as long as possible, and things slowly come together when Jonas learns about a lawyer named Cullane who has been recently killed. Stealthily, Jonas inventories Cullane's office, and he runs into Cullane's homicidal sister and later a character named Judge Niland (Farley Granger of "Strangers on a Train") who initially appears to be a good guy. Later, we learn that the noble judge isn't so noble, and he wants to kill Jonas. Our hero, Rimes, and Fan are trapped in the stone-house during the last quarter hour and have to shoot it out with hordes of henchmen while they contend with dynamite being hurled at them and smoke from burning sagebrush. As you can see, Collinson refuses to let the action loiter, and "The Man Called Noon" doesn't let up throughout its 98-bullet-blasting minutes. Richard Crenna is appropriately tight-lipped and he displays his prowess with a pistol as he keeps knocking down targets on rooftops and behind doors in the fortress sequence. "The Man Called Noon" qualifies a hard-riding western that doesn't wear out its welcome.

Watchably Awful Western

[abooboo-2 · 3/10 · 8 June 2001]

There's a thin line between good style and bad style, and this film lands squarely on the wrong side of that line. The director knows a few camera tricks, such as filming scenes from severely low angles with a cowboy boot or wagon wheel dominating the frame (copied from countless other spaghetti westerns) but he has no feel or flow.

Oddball cast. Richard Crenna, not exactly the most physical of actors, is hilariously unbelievable as a tough man of action. Your guess is as good as mine as to how he wins all those fist fights. And he's either bionic or a cousin of Bruce Willis' character in "Unbreakable", because he survives a couple nasty falls and countless flurries of gunfire with nary a scratch. In fact, the villains in this movie have to be the worst shots in the history of film. The more I think about it, I'm not sure who or what they were aiming at but it couldn't have been Crenna.

There's Stephen Boyd, about a decade past his prime, drawling and mumbling his way through a turn as some sort of a slippery opportunist, the Han Solo role. Actually not a bad performance. And also Farley Granger, 20 years or so removed from his fling with matinee idol stardom. He's a more interesting looking actor at this point with graying hair and richer voice, but he comes off as all kinds of ridiculous in the big dumb, senseless finale. Hard to tell if his acting is much improved with such a poor script.

It's also got an inappropriately exuberant music score, bad stunt doubling, a confusing plot with too many names you never can attach to faces, and some gratuitous violence that might have been offensive if it hadn't been so nonsensical. Despite all that, at least it DOES make an attempt to stylize the material and give it a little pizazz. That's more than some films do.

Understandably obscure

[Wizard-8 · 2 July 2014]

Despite the presence of Richard Crenna, "The Man Called Noon" is a real obscurity - I couldn't find a listing for it in any of my movie reference books, and I have a lot in my personal library! But it didn't take long watching it to figure out why it is unknown today. Now, I will say that the director manages to pump in a lot of atmosphere into just about every scene, and occasionally there is some decent action. However, the movie is all the same a tough slog. It is remarkably slow for a European western, with the movie remaining at a near standstill for long periods. The screenplay also suffers with the amnesia subplot - not much is done with it, and what there is has a strong degree of extreme familiarity. No freshness there. Also, there are some strange changes in tone - one scene the movie is trying to be a gritty western, and then it suddenly changes into a western with a more epic tone. In short, the movie is a real mess, and even fans of Euro westerns might be squirming in their seats.

WEstern oddity

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 28 March 2018]

A weird and average low budget western, British made and shot in Spain with American leads in the cast. This film features none other than Richard Crenna as the heroic lead, a mysterious gunslinger come to clean up the town, suffering from the usual amnesia that makes him slightly vulnerable (a trope that was over-utilised in this particular genre of film-making). I do love Crenna but first and foremost he was a character actor so it's a little unusual to see him as the hero here; it's impossible to ignore the fact that he seems miscast. The likes of Stephen Boyd, Farley Granger, and Patty Shepard play in support. This film is directed by Peter Collinson, the director of such movies as THE ITALIAN JOB and STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING, and it's an interesting oddity rather than anything particularly enjoyable. The plot seems long-winded and the outcome obvious, but at the same time at least it retains the interest.

Confusing until very close to the end

[leslieabelson · 5/10 · 25 August 2020]

Just watched this for the first time, mainly to see Stephen Boyd. The first thing I noticed overall was the beautiful scenery and the outstanding cinematography. Beyond that I found the story very confusing. It all started to come together towards the end of the film. I think perhaps that watching the story a second time will help the details fall in line. It's not a bad movie, just confusing. For Stephen Boyd fans, you will barely recognize the man. His later film choices met his needs and brought him the satisfaction that he could not find in Hollywood. as a character actor. That being said, for those of us who remember him as Messala in BenHur and some of the other films he made in Great Britain before BenHur) and other of his films from the sixties, this is a painful film to watch. Don't get me wrong, he did a fine job in this film but I wanted to see the man who knocked my socks off in 1959.

Good movie with 1 downside

[pahenning · 5/10 · 16 January 2022]

It is a good movie overall, with some action and thrilling scenes. However, there is quite a lot of differences with the Louis L'amour book on which it is based. Would've been nicer if they could've stayed closer to the original storyline. But all in all, it was a good movie especially if you haven't read the book.

Really Cool!

[a_digiacomo · 9/10 · 16 April 2005]

Richard Crenna starts off as an amnesiac, and the film actually plays with our heads as we watch it. Everyone knows who he is, but he doesn't! So, we see things from his disjointed perspective. He seems to be this "Holy Avenger" type "Dark Knight" like a western Batman or something! the local train line stops at his PERSONAL train stop! he has a ranch house with a HUGE cave just through a fireplace secret door! He has unbelievably powerful--maybe even War Horses breeds--horses He was hired to wipe out the wretched, scum evil dudes and save the sweet but fire tempered girl, BUT he doesn't know it! Stephen Boyd is so cool in this flick, he's like "Richard Boone Lite"--he is funny, mysterious, slippery, and becomes Crenna's character's best friend/almost sibling. He exudes a sort of "yeah, I'm the sidekick, but I shoot almost as good as him, and I'm just a little less honorable" attitude here. All in all, this movie is SO cool! BTW, I'm 43, and have seen ALL the sixties and seventies spaghetti westerns, and only this one(of the non-Eastwood) is a treasured, and cherished, favorite! And, I got it at Wal Mart for a single dollar!

A Rather Odd Western

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 27 April 2022]

This film begins with a man being shot at and then falling out of a two-story building onto the street below. He is subsequently chased by several armed cowboys but manages to catch a passing train and escape into one of the box cars. As luck would have it, there happens to be another man by the name of "J. P. Rimes" (Stephen Boyd) also in the box car who quickly realizes that the wounded man has developed a case of amnesia and because of that Rimes essentially takes him under his wing for the time being. To that effect, even though he has assumed a certain name during this particular time, Rimes begins to suspect that this person is none other than an extremely notorious gunman by the name of "Ruble Noon" (Richard Crenna) and if that's the case then a lot of people are going to die before he is finished with whatever job he was hired to perform. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather odd Western which tries to combine both mystery and action together-with only a certain amount of success as the plot seemed a bit convoluted at times. Not only that, but the acting on the part of Stephen Boyd was exactly that convincing either. Be that as it may, while this wasn't a great film by any means, I suppose it managed to pass the time fairly well and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Great Western

[judith_cos-1 · 8/10 · 16 March 2009]

I just discovered this Western and really liked it. The plot is very "Bourne," and I wonder if Ludlum got some ideas from it. There are some excellent and interesting camera shots. Stephen Boyd, who is quoted as saying "I like to look at people and see them smile - when the face smiles the soul comes through," did indeed make me smile. I loved his accent. Richard Crenna pulled off the role nicely, though I don't think of him in the Western genre. I'm a fan of Louis L'Amour but don't think I read this book - will have to now! Sure, it's a bit slow in places and even loses some continuity, but if you like old Westerns, and the relationship of man and horse, plots about amnesia and integrity, then you'll like this.

Neat little Western

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 16 May 2018]

Gunfighter Ruble Noon (a fine and credible performance by Richard Crenna) gets amnesia. Crafty outlaw Rimes (smoothly played by Stephen Boyd) helps Noon figure out his identity. After it's discovered that Noon knows about a hidden fortune in gold, slippery judge Niland (a pleasingly slimy turn by Farley Granger) and the ruthless Peg Cullane (a deliciously wicked portrayal by Patty Shepard) conspire together to get their hands on said gold.

Director Peter Collinson relates the engrossing and intricate story at a steady pace, maintains a fairly tough and gritty tone throughout, makes nice use of the dusty'n'desolate desert locations, and stages the exciting shoot outs and rough'n'ready fisticuffs with skill and flair. The compelling script by Scot Finch and Antonio Recoder offers a few nifty twists. The sound acting by the bang-up cast rates as another major asset: Rosanna Schioffino as the sweet Fan Davidge, Aldo Sambrell as the cowardly Kissling, and Jose Jaspe as loyal ranch hand Henneker. Luis Bacalov's robust harmonic score hits the rousing spot. John Cabrera's polished cinematography provides lots of striking shots of the beautiful scenery. A worthwhile film.

Good Western

[januszlvii · 8/10 · 27 March 2022]

The Man Called Noon is a good Western. What really makes the movie is Stephen Boyd as Rimes. A very dangerous outlaw who becomes a friend to Noon ( Richard Crenna). Boyd steals every scene he is in. Another standout is Patty Shepard as Peg Cullane. You rarely find women as evil as she is in a Western ( Barbara Stanwyck in The Violent Men comes to mind). There is also a scene towards the end with her dressed all in black on a horse, that reminded me of Stanwyck at the beginning of The Furies. Spoilers Ahead: The other scene of hers that was something was when she said to Stephen Boyd and Richard Crenna who was further away: "Doesn't anyone have the guts to shoot a woman?" Good girl Fan Davidge ( Rosanna Schiaffino), takes her up on the challenge and wins. What was interesting was a gun fight between two women in a Western. I cannot think of another Western where you see that. The biggest weakness was Crenna as Jonas Mandarin/ Noon. He simply did not work as the lead who lost his memory ( he eventually regained it ( remembering his murdered wife and child as well as a fortune in gold he hid away)). As you can probably figure out, in the end Boyd gets some of the gold, Crenna keeps the rest, has the Noon persona buried and becomes Mandarin again and ends up Rosanna Schiaffino ( lucky guy, going away in a carriage with her). 7/10 stars. Mostly for Boyd and Shepard.