Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Can't recommend this movie, although it starts out pleasantly, with some fun horsing around and conversations. Richard Boone does make a forceful, charismatic, if none too smart, leader of his little bandit gang of 3. Arthur Hunnicutt, as usual, does make a charismatic laid back hillbilly, during the brief time he's in the story. But most everyone of the main characters, except Randy(as Brennan) seems incredibly stupid, pathologically murderous and/or weak and cowardly. Even Brennan does a stupid thing in losing his horse in a bet out on the range, thus forcing him to walk many miles home, resulting in his encounters with the remainder of the sorry main characters.The wealthy heiress-to-be newly wed Doretta(Maureen O'Sullivan) is not so plain to my eyes that she need have grabbed the first gold digger who came along in handsome Mims. I don't know how old Doretta was supposed to be, but Maureen was nearly 50, thus we can't expect her to be too fresh faced. However, as Randy was only a decade older, she does make for a more credible possible romantic partner for Randy than the younger women who usually played the leading lady in his prior films.It appears that this is Doretta's first marriage, thus presumably, she has spent her life as big daddy's spoiled daughter: not the most appealing nor spirited damsel for Scott to rescue. Her new husband, Mims, is revealed as an incredibly cowardly dim wit in telling the bandits that his bride's father is very wealthy, hence they might as well demand a big ransom for the bride's release!(hoping this will redeem himself in the eyes of the bandits and thus spare him from their murderous inclination).Why didn't the bandits just hold up the stage in some lonely spot instead of killing the way station manager and his small boy, and throwing their bodies down the well, of all places?! Now, they will be hunted down as brutal murderers, not just highwaymen. The bandits should have demanded that the ransom money be brought to them, or that they, as a group, meet somewhere else to exchange money for hostage. By spitting up between guarding the hostages(Doretta and Brennan) and going for the money, they weakened their strength in both endeavors and risked the suspicion that the one going for the money might run off with it all. Even more unbelievable, Billy Jack, the now lone guardian of the two hostages, is talked into trying to rape Doretta, by an unbound Brennan!! Chink supposedly hears the shot that killed Billy Jack, even though he should have been miles away by then, to check on Frank and the money! And, if Frank had not taken an unexplained liking to Brennan, sparing him as a potential savior of Doretta, we wouldn't have any story at all! Yes, this little murderous bandit gang is even more dim witted than the unrealistically suggestion-prone Hammond brothers, in Randy's last film: "Ride the High Country"I like the several other Boetticher-directed westerns starring Randy I've seen better than this implausible tale. It could also use a more telling title.

Recently saw this movie I think for the first time.In the 1950's Westerns I like to see Lee Van Cleef,Jack Elam,Lee Marvin,Claude Akins and other bad guys.None of them are in this movie but the cast gave good performance's making this film enjoyable.Richard Boone was a good heavy,even when calm I compared him to a volcano that might erupt at any time.Henry Silva's character was deserving of study,sometimes moody his outer person with it's calmness didn't give full indication of his violent ways.When appearing on The Untouchables TV show as "Little Charlie Sebastino" he seemed to be the same character only dressed in a suit.Along with that during this movie he seemed to remind of someone else.Maybe alone in this opinion but I feel Brando's character Rio from "One Eyed Jacks" may have been influenced by Silva's character in this movie at least some.This was a solid good Western all the way.

Very good Western about a rough confrontation with strong characterization. Compelling tale of a cowboy , Randolph Scott , and his nemesis, Richard Boone, and hoodlums , Skip Homeier and Henry Silva . In the Old west there are always the men who live breathe violence and the women who hold their breath . Having lost his horse in a wager , a hard-bitten man named Brennan (Scott) takes a stagecoach driven by his friend Ed (Arthur Hunnicutt) . Ed is carrying newlyweds , Willard (John Hubbard) and Doretta (Maureen O'Sullivan). At the next station the stagecoach and its passengers are kidnapped by a trio of gunfighters ( Homeier , Silva) led by a villain named Usher (Richard Boone). When Usher aware that Doretta is the daughter of a rich copper-mine owner, he decides to obtain a ransom but the events get worse.This is a tremendously exciting story of a drifter who helps newlyweds and falls in love with the recent wife . It begins as a sluggish , slow-moving Western but follows to surprise us with dark , complex characters and solid plot . The simple tale is almost rudimentary though full of clichés, a good guy come to free newlyweds just in time to get the woman . Suspense and tension builds over the time in which the outlaws and the starring await a response to their demands . The action is brutishly cruel as when the nasties shoot without remission. The highlights of the film are the facing off between Scott and his enemies and the climatic showdown on the ending . Phenomenal and great role for Randolph Scott as tough guy , he's the whole show. He play perfectly as stoic, craggy, and uncompromising figure .Vivid and atmospheric musical score by Heinz Roemhelz and colorful cinematography reflecting marvelously the rocky,stony scenarios by Charles Lawton Jr . Watchable results for this offbeat Western.The motion picture is stunningly directed by Budd Boetticher in bleak style . Boetticher formed a production company called ¨Ranown¨ along with Harry Joe Brown and Randolph Scott and as usual writer Burt Kennedy. The first Harrry Brown-Boetticher-Scott movie was 1956's " Seven men from now" , following ¨Decision at sundown(57)¨, ¨Buchanan rides alone(58)¨,¨Westbound(59)¨ ,¨Ride lonesome(59) ,in the decades since, they have produced and directed one Western ¨Comanche Station(60)¨ . Boetticher was a great expert on Western genre and also on the bullfighting world as ¨Bullfighter and the lady¨, ¨The magnificent matador¨ and ¨Arruza¨ . Rating : Above average. Well worth watching .

Columbia Picture's THE TALL T is one of the great westerns of the fifties! It is also one of the best westerns Randolph Scott would appear in under the banner of "Ranown" his jointly owned production company which he headed with his partner Harry Joe Brown. Not only that but it is arguably the best of Scott's westerns to be directed by his favourite director and friend Budd Boetticher. Beautifully photographed in Technicolor by the great Charles Lawton Jr. it boasts a superb screenplay by Burt Kennedy which derived from a story by Elmore Leonard. This, together with Boetticher's masterful direction and the cast's adroit performances turned it into a taut and suspenseful drama located in a remote and engaging western setting.Scott is Pat Brennan making his way home to his ranch when the stagecoach he is on is held up by three desperate killers. A newly married woman on the coach (Maureen O'Sullivan) is taken hostage and held for a ransom from her affluent father. Her squeamish and cowardly new husband (John Hubbard) is killed along with the stage driver and Brennan and the woman are held until the ransom is paid and delivered. Eventually the opportunity comes about where Brennan sees the chance to thwart the gang's intentions and take them on in what is a well executed and action packed finale.The cast couldn't be better! Scott, of course, is his usual granite-faced self. With that terrific voice, easy going manner and a way at delivering a line with a wry smile that is altogether appealing. Richard Boone who always excelled as a baddie doesn't disappoint here. As Frank Usher the leader of the errant trio he is unsmiling, cool and calculating. He must have kept his part here in mind when ten years later he would play a similar type role in Paul Newman's "Hombre" as the gang leader with the cracker of a name... Cicero Grimes. Playing his partners in crime here are Skip Homeier as Billy Jack the childish, naive and gullible gunman and the brilliant Henry Silva as Chink the hardened killer with a creepy effeminate demeanor ("hey Frank I've never killed myself a woman yet - have I?"). Usher has little time for them both and even less respect as he confides in Brennan "I don't like them - the way they are, always talking the same words about women, drinkin' and such". Accusingly Brennan retorts "You run with them!". As the only female in the picture Maureen O'Sullivan gives a fine performance as the unattractive and somewhat drab hostage and Arthur Hunnicutt is splendid as Rintoon the ill-fated stage driver. Underlining this thriller of a western is the fine atmospheric score by Heinz Roemheld. Born 1n 1901 Roemheld had a voluminous output that would almost put Max Steiner to shame. During his lengthy career he either composed, conducted or arranged the music for almost 300 films. It is a wonder he was not better known. But he is remembered for his fine score in 1952 for the Kirk Douglas Warner picture "The Big Trees". Randolph Scott seemed to like his work as he had him score all of his Boetticher/Columbia films of which "Commanche Station" (1960) stands out. Heinz Roemheld died in 1985.THE TALL T is a fondly remembered western and new generations have discovered it. It had a great star in Randolph Scott who remains an enduring icon of the Hollywood western alongside Gary Cooper, Joel McCrea, James Stewart and of course John Wayne.