Review: Tall in the Saddle


John Wayne stars as Rocklin, who receives a letter from a ranch owner named Red Cardell to come work for him. When he arrives in town, Rocklin finds out that Cardell was murdered. He sets about finding out who and why. Audrey Long plays the newly appointed owner of the ranch, and grand-niece of the deceased, arriving in town with her hateful Aunt (Elisabeth Risdon), who takes a dislike to Rocklin just as Long takes a liking to him. Emory Parnell and Paul Fix play the corrupt local sheriff and deputy, whilst Ward Bond is a local lawyer inexplicably named Judge Garvey. George ‘Gabby’ Hayes plays the resident drunk stagecoach driver and Rocklin’s only friend in town, whilst Ella Raines plays the tough, gun-toting sister to nervy gunslinger and card cheat Russell Wade.

 

Watchable 1944 vehicle for The Duke from director Edwin L. Marin (“Johnny Angel”, “Colt .45”) that perhaps takes just a bit too long to get going anywhere for my liking. It contains one of the better roles for Wayne regular Ward Bond, who has a lot of presence. He and the inimitable ‘Gabby’ Hayes are what really make this one fairly diverting. On the downside, Elisabeth Risdon and a glowering Ella Raines compete for the most annoying person in the film. Risdon is irritatingly cranky from start to finish, and Raines’ wannabe Calamity Jane act is corny and almost silent movie villain hammy. In the end, Risdon wins the race to the bottom, so much so that I’ll go on record to say that her character is the single most irritating and unlikeable screen character in cinematic history. Yes, even less likeable than any screen villain. Yes, even more annoying than John Leguizamo in “The Pest”. I’m not making the claim lightly or without considerable thought. Meanwhile, Emory Parnell overdoes it a tad in a film that already has ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Elisabeth Risdon, and Ella Raines. As for The Duke, he’s solid, if a bit lanky and goofy at the start for some reason. He sure has a helluva lot of presence, though, which can’t be matched. I mean, all this guy has to do in this film to get someone to back off is simply strap on a gun. That’s a helluva intimidating man right there.

 

If you like John Wayne being macho as fuck, he’s macho as fuck in this. It’s not a bad film, but The Duke would go on to better things than this. He does, however break Fix’s hand at one point. No, it’s nothing special, I just wanted to use break and Fix in the same sentence. I’m a small man. The screenplay is by Michael Hogan (Hitchcock’s overrated “Rebecca”) and co-star Paul Fix (who had a hand in two other, less notable films), from a novel by Gordon Ray Young.

 

Rating: C+

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