Review of From Noon Till Three

In a departure from the rugged, action-oriented films normally associated with Bronson, this small western fairy tale has a great deal going for it. Bronson and his gang are headed into a town to rob its bank when circumstances cause him to have to stay behind at a nearby house. The house, a huge mansion filled with expensive furnishings, is owned by a starchy young widow (Ireland) who reluctantly allows Bronson to spend three hours waiting while his gang obtains the loot. What begins with reticence and adversarial qualities soon blossoms into a charming and unrestricted relationship between the two. They wind up sharing an afternoon of romance, humor, conversation and comfort. Unfortunately, the hold-up goes wrong and Bronson must ride out and leave Ireland behind. When he fails to return, she turns her loss into gold by penning a wildly successful (and exaggerated) novel based on their afternoon. This couple (who appeared in more than a dozen films together) strikes a wonderful chord here with each of them getting a chance to show off their personalities and talents. Bronson is craggy, but charming, and sports an impressive physique in their waterhole scene. His dry humor fits this role perfectly. Ireland, so often used as female furniture in their other films, gets one of her greatest parts here. She's allowed to go from a dour, reserved woman to a radiant, ebullient girl. She also shows a flair for comedy, something she didn't get to do often enough. The chemistry between the two is remarkable and the film could have been (and may even still have been) quite a valentine to their long relationship. Unfortunately, when the story could have stopped and been content as a winning, rewarding fantasy, it goes on (and on) with several endings heaped upon each other until a great deal of the charm is spent in an attempt to create irony and black humor. The ending will be unsatisfying for more than a few viewers. Still, not even the wrong-headed denouement can erase all the pleasure of the first hour or so of the film. The movie isn't devoid of action, but its primary focus is on the relationship of Bronson and Ireland. A waltz, heard many times throughout the film, is sweetly sung over the closing credits by Ireland. It's a delightful capsule showcasing these folks and it deserves to be more widely seen, in spite of its few flaws.