THE TALL MEN
US, 1955, 122 minutes, Colour.
Clark Gable, Jane Russel, Cameron Mitchell, Robert Ryan.
Directed by Raoul Walsh.
The Tall Men is a big, lavish western. It was one of the first made in Cinemascope. This is evident in the use of wide screen techniques, the Montana and Texas locations, the long sequences of the cattle drive in all its detail. The film was written by veterans Sydney Boehm and Frank Nugent. However, the film is an uneasy blend of a talkative western with the spectgcle of the cattle drive. Clark Gable is sturdy as the central character, Robert Ryan is his usual self - a mixture of charm and menace, Jane Russell is her down to earth screen self. The supporting cast is led by Cameron Mitchell. Raoul Walsh directed many westerns - and while the ingredients are there in this film, the screenplay is predictable, the interaction of characters also predictable, long stretches of talk and of cattle moving across the screen. Entertaining in its way, but disappointing given its creditials.
1. Interesting and entertaining western? Post civil war period? The opening up of the west and Montana? Texas and cattle?
2. Big screen production, Montana and Texas locations, the range of seasons? The cattle drive and the spectacular scenes with the animals? Action sequences, the Jay Hawkers, the Indians? Musical Score? Song?
3. The title, the focus on the men of the west?
4. The Civil War, the affect on Union and Confederate men? Clashes? Confederate officers trying to get work? Clint and Ben, riding the mountains of Montana, looking at the saloon, the decigion to rob stark, their carrying out the robbery and taking him with them?
5. Stark's shrewdness, his bargain with them about the cattle, their agreement? Their travelling to Texas? The encounter with the travelling gjroup? the siege and the deaths The meeting with Nella, Ben and Nella and friendship, clashes? The arrival in Texas, Nella and Ben falling out? Clint and his immaturity? Stark and his business-like ways? Nella teaming up with Stark?
6. The cattle drove, the many thousand head, the picturesque views of the cattle moving through the terrain, across rivers, stampeding the Indians? The impact of this kind of cattle trek? On the men, the leaders, the Mexicans?
7. Clark Gable as Hero, after the war, the robbery, the deal with Stark, trying to bring up Clint, Clint's immaturity, taunting Nella, taunting Stark? His drinking, going off, return? Wanting to reform? Killed by the Indians? The Affect on Ben? The clashes with Stark, the clashes with Nella and her taunting him? The confrontation of the Jay Hawkers and the fight? Stampeding the cattle for the Indians? Ben's integrity, Stark's double dealing - but Ben having the group with the guns? Taking a small amount of money, his small dreams, Nella's return to him?
8. Stark, the businessman, robbed, the deal, surviving, the cattle, on the trek? Relationship with Nella? Handing Ben over to the vigilante group, his backing down?
9. Nella, tough woman of the west, on the trek, clashes with Ben, friendship with Stark, the dangers of the journey, her taunting Ben, her going back to him?
10. The portrait of the men on the trek, hardwork? Opening up the west?
11. The picture of the Indians, their attack on the cattle men? Being stampeded? The Jay Hawkers in Kansas, wanting to tax the rebels, the fights to the death? A picture of the old west?
