Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott teamed up for quite a few westerns. While most of them have the simplest of plots, they managed to rise above the vast pool of mediocre films of the genre. Now this wasn't necessarily because the plots were that unusual. In fact, the plot for THE TALL T seems rather similar to quite a few westerns I've seen. The difference is the nice meandering style and Scott's simple and seemingly effortless delivery. Some of this was Scott--he was a much better actor than people thought at the time. Some of this was Boetticher's ability to bring out this from Scott and the other actors. So together they have produced with THE TALL T yet another classic film---one that is strikingly beautiful and once again has an object lesson about doing the right thing--a common theme in their films together.
In this film, genial and easy-going Scott wanders into a stage coach robbery and kidnapping along with the rest of the people on the stage. The bandits are tough and mean business--you can tell this because Henry DeSilva is among them--a perennial psycho bad boy of old Westerns. An unusual member of this ensemble cast, however, is a middle-aged Maureen O'Sullivan who is usually more at home in a Tarzan film, not a western--although she is just fine here as and aging spinster who finally marries--and marries a total lout! Later in the film, after being bullied and threatened, Scott realizes that they might not make it out alive so he decides to act. Behaving like the typical action-hero, he quickly switches from nice guy to killer--much like Bogey did in KEY LARGO--leading to a dandy showdown with all three of the killers.
The final showdown isn't particularly surprising nor are many of the plot elements. However, as I said above, it's all handled so well. Scott is great as a combination action-hero AND nice-guy cowboy and the film is among the better examples of the genre.
In this film, genial and easy-going Scott wanders into a stage coach robbery and kidnapping along with the rest of the people on the stage. The bandits are tough and mean business--you can tell this because Henry DeSilva is among them--a perennial psycho bad boy of old Westerns. An unusual member of this ensemble cast, however, is a middle-aged Maureen O'Sullivan who is usually more at home in a Tarzan film, not a western--although she is just fine here as and aging spinster who finally marries--and marries a total lout! Later in the film, after being bullied and threatened, Scott realizes that they might not make it out alive so he decides to act. Behaving like the typical action-hero, he quickly switches from nice guy to killer--much like Bogey did in KEY LARGO--leading to a dandy showdown with all three of the killers.
The final showdown isn't particularly surprising nor are many of the plot elements. However, as I said above, it's all handled so well. Scott is great as a combination action-hero AND nice-guy cowboy and the film is among the better examples of the genre.