"The Tall Stranger" is an enjoyable Cinemascope colour Western starring Joel McCrea. McCrea's work in Westerns is not as celebrated as that of John Wayne, Gary Cooper and James Stewart, but to connoisseurs, he is one of the masters of the genre. Like many of the movie "greats", McCrea never seemed to be acting - which is probably why he was underrated - but his face always let the audience know what his character was thinking. As with Gary Cooper, there was something about Joel McCrea that made him a "natural" for Westerns, even though his early work was in comedies and dramas.
While on his way to see his estranged brother at the end of the civil war, Ned Bannon (Joel McCrea) is bushwhacked for no apparent reason by Zarata (Michael Ansara) and is left for dead. He is rescued and revived by settlers bound for California. The settlers are planning to pass through land owned by Ned's brother Hardy (Barry Kelley). Ned warns them that his brother will attack them and that there is no trail beyond anyway, but the settlers' leader Harper (George Neiss) dismisses his warnings. Even more mysteriously, Harper encourages the settlers not to proceed to California but to build their homes on Hardy's land. It it as though Harper wants a war between Hardy and the settlers, but why?
"The Tall Stranger" tells its story briskly. The gun fights are noisy and the fist fights are savage. Very admirably, although many of the characters are good-natured, there is no sentimentality in the movie until suddenly, out of the blue, comes a moment of real sentimentality - and it works. It has real impact! Two of the settlers, a young woman (Virginia Mayo) and her son, have taken refuge with Ned in a barn owned by Hardy. Hardy is planning to ambush the settlers to drive them off his land. Ned tries to reason with him to no avail. He points to the woman and her son, and asks Hardy what threat are they to him. Hardy blusters that he did not invite them onto his land, and that he is going ahead with his intended massacre. The boy goes over to Hardy, looks up him with a child's trusting eyes and asks him why he hates them. Hardy looks down at the boy . . . . . and his face crumbles. It's outrageous! It's a blatant tug at our heart strings - and it works! It's the emotional high point of the movie.
"The Tall Stranger" has a strong cast. Unfortunately, Virginia Mayo as the love interest has a token female role which contributes nothing to the plot. For some reason, Virginia Mayo antagonised quite a few film-lovers in the 40s and 50s, but she was always a perfectly adequate and decorative leading lady, and is so here. The supporting cast is interesting because three actors who usually played villains in the 1950s, play likable characters in "The Tall Stranger". That most forceful actor, Leo Gordon, for once plays an out-and-out good guy: Hardy's loyal and sensible right hand man. Whit Bissell who normally played worms and weasels here plays a friendly and obliging settler - and does it well. Ray Teal who often played sly characters with dishonourable ulterior motives, plays an amiable and slightly simple settler. Only Michael Ansara, a regular villain in '50's movies, remains true to form. Zarata not only murders people: he tries rape as well.
"The Tall Stranger" is not a well-known film, and it is unlikely that it will make it onto DVD, but if it does, I will buy my copy immediately.
While on his way to see his estranged brother at the end of the civil war, Ned Bannon (Joel McCrea) is bushwhacked for no apparent reason by Zarata (Michael Ansara) and is left for dead. He is rescued and revived by settlers bound for California. The settlers are planning to pass through land owned by Ned's brother Hardy (Barry Kelley). Ned warns them that his brother will attack them and that there is no trail beyond anyway, but the settlers' leader Harper (George Neiss) dismisses his warnings. Even more mysteriously, Harper encourages the settlers not to proceed to California but to build their homes on Hardy's land. It it as though Harper wants a war between Hardy and the settlers, but why?
"The Tall Stranger" tells its story briskly. The gun fights are noisy and the fist fights are savage. Very admirably, although many of the characters are good-natured, there is no sentimentality in the movie until suddenly, out of the blue, comes a moment of real sentimentality - and it works. It has real impact! Two of the settlers, a young woman (Virginia Mayo) and her son, have taken refuge with Ned in a barn owned by Hardy. Hardy is planning to ambush the settlers to drive them off his land. Ned tries to reason with him to no avail. He points to the woman and her son, and asks Hardy what threat are they to him. Hardy blusters that he did not invite them onto his land, and that he is going ahead with his intended massacre. The boy goes over to Hardy, looks up him with a child's trusting eyes and asks him why he hates them. Hardy looks down at the boy . . . . . and his face crumbles. It's outrageous! It's a blatant tug at our heart strings - and it works! It's the emotional high point of the movie.
"The Tall Stranger" has a strong cast. Unfortunately, Virginia Mayo as the love interest has a token female role which contributes nothing to the plot. For some reason, Virginia Mayo antagonised quite a few film-lovers in the 40s and 50s, but she was always a perfectly adequate and decorative leading lady, and is so here. The supporting cast is interesting because three actors who usually played villains in the 1950s, play likable characters in "The Tall Stranger". That most forceful actor, Leo Gordon, for once plays an out-and-out good guy: Hardy's loyal and sensible right hand man. Whit Bissell who normally played worms and weasels here plays a friendly and obliging settler - and does it well. Ray Teal who often played sly characters with dishonourable ulterior motives, plays an amiable and slightly simple settler. Only Michael Ansara, a regular villain in '50's movies, remains true to form. Zarata not only murders people: he tries rape as well.
"The Tall Stranger" is not a well-known film, and it is unlikely that it will make it onto DVD, but if it does, I will buy my copy immediately.