DVD Review: Charles Bronson in FROM NOON TILL THREE (1976)

FROM NOON TILL THREE

Directed by Frank D. Gilroy. Starring Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Douglas Foweley, Stan Haze, Damon Douglas, Hector Morales, Davis Roberts, Betty Cole, Don “Red” Barry. Released in August of 1976. Running time: 99 minutes. Released on DVD by Kino Lorber.

Before he lapsed into self parody, trading on his 1974 hit “Death Wish” by shrugging off his ability in a series of action-heavy vigilante movies, Charles Bronson was an actor we took seriously. After a long career supporting everyone from Vincent Price, to Tracy and Hepburn, to Elvis Presley, Bronson began commanding the frame more effectively in films like “The Dirty Dozen”and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” He then began making action movies like “The Mechanic” and “The Stone Killer,” as well as westersn like “Red Sun” and “Chino” that were finding their box office niche overseas, especially in Italy. Every once in a while he’d make a film like “The Valachi Papers” to prove he was an actor with some range, but it was movies like “Mr. Majestyk” that served as a harbinger to what his career would eventually become. He was pretty much defined by “Death Wish” and from that point became known for action dramas like “St Ives” and “Telefon.” Bronson’s westerns during the 1970s is where he offered some of his best work. Films like “Breakheart Pass,” “The White Buffalo,” and “From Noon Till Three” are among the better examples. It was the last decade in which he would make westerns, “The White Buffalo” being his final movie in that genre.

Director Frank D. Gilroy had created the TV series “Burke’s Law” and his career was mostly about writing teleplays. He did pen the films “The Only Game in Town” and “the Subject was Roses,” based on his plays, the latter of which won him a Pulitzer. He adapted his novel for “From Noon Till Three,” and despite his lack of experience behind the camera, he arranged to also direct the film as part of the deal. Gilroy’s intention was to send up Bronson’s established tough guy image with a “Cat Ballou” type of western comedy. It works to some extent better than the more popular movie. Bronson and Ireland, a married couple in real life appearing in their eighteenth movie together, were give a great deal of freedom to transfer their actual personalities to their characters, director Gilroy able to work from that successfully. Thus, this was a particularly happy experience for everyone involved, and the result is a pleasantly entertaining, nice mounted western of the period.

The film maintains its satirical edge without ever becoming obvious. Charles Bronson plays his character’s parody without ever forcing the inherent humor. When Bronson looks incredulously at Jill Ireland, who has just fired a gun in his direction, his look of controlled shock nets a big laugh. He handles the amusing dialog in an equally controlled manner. Bronson’s subtlety is far more amusing than even he appears to realize. And when he and Ireland tussle about in a slapstick manner, it never disrupts the otherwise gentle pace of the proceedings. The film is nicely mounded, cinematographer Lucien Ballard doing his usual masterful job in responding to Robert Clatworthy’s production design.

Despite its aesthetic success, “From Noon Till Three” was not a box office or critical success at the time. Thus it can be considered underrated and it is great that KINO has made it available on DVD in a nicely restored hi def print. The film is available here.