Attention critics! You were right the first time
Reviewed by MatthewThompsonDalldorf for Marnie at 2012-12-17 01:47:14
Title character (Hedren), a mysterious but frigid woman, makes a living my applying for secretary jobs at various companies, then robbing her employers blind and skipping town. When her current boss catches her in the act he blackmails her into marrying him, where he finds himself intrigued by her dark and bewildering past. Though Hitchcock's direction is as polished and imaginative as ever, the technique frills fail to hide the horrendous script and eye-rolling plot holes.Critically panned at the time of it's release, it has since gone on to be praised as a classic. We were right the first time.
The plot for this caper-comedy western has something to do with a search for government gold that was stolen by the Confederacy and hidden in a waterhole, but what viewers are more likely to remember is the scene were our protagonist (Coburn) rapes the Sheriff's daughter Blye and all the "cute" winks and nods that follow. There are some other gags as well, but they are too bland to be worth mentioning.
A Hidden Heston Gem
Reviewed by sean66 for Will Penny at 2008-08-31 16:33:41
Though I'm sure not many people have heard of this flick, I would argue that it stands as the single best of all of Charlton Heston's performances on screen. He fully inhabits the title role and plays it with an understated realism rarely seen in the rest of his work. The character of Will Penny is no larger-than-life epic hero, he's just a man with a man's failings, and Heston beautifully conveys Penny's awkwardness and fear of commitment as well as his strength and courage. Heston was never better.