Tall In The Saddle [1945]

A great little western which thunders along at breakneck speed and has a nice twisty plot and some great playing by pretty much everyone and, sorry to parade my sentiments publicly, stars the stupendous Ella Raines - the most fascinating 'now-little-known' leading lady of the 40s. Duke isn't a great kisser, it has to be said, as he's more comfortable, like his character, when doing his homely misogynist thing, but his twinkling little expressions suggest he was having a great time and Ella does sulky-puss and glorious-smile with great conviction. A Fordian style from the journeyman Edward L.Marin (note:investigate further): music, amusing 'chorus' of hicks and yokels, not-too-scary villains and a who-doggone-and-dunnit structure all contribute to a nearly great little film. Well done all round.

Rocklin (John Wayne) arrives in town to find that his employer has been shot. He is now a free agent. Who should he work for - Arly (Ella Raines) or Clara (Audrey Long) and her aunt Elizabeth (Elisabeth Risden)? He makes his choice and is caught up in the affairs of the town that sees another murder for which he is blamed. Can he prove his innocence?The film is played out at a good pace and quite a complicated story unfolds by the end so keep watching. The only drawback is in using George 'Gabby' Hayes as "Dave" to move the plot along through his dialogue. He's sometimes hard to understand. He is also one of these annoying comedy characters that are just never funny. Apart from him, the cast are good with Ella Raines and John Wayne stealing the show. Emory Parnell as the sheriff looks like 'Bingo' from the "Banana Splits". I'm not really interested in westerns but this film is an exception with the women integral to the story. Who will John Wayne end up with - Arly or Clara?

A fast-moving western shot in 1944, with a young John Wayne involved in a plot that has plenty of twists before the conclusion - not necessarily foreseen by the viewer - is reached. There's plenty of talent amongst the other stars too, notably Ella Raines (many of whose other fine films are sadly hard to get, at least in the UK), George "Gabby" Hayes and Ward Bond. Every so often, I had to pause the film in order to discuss how the story was unfolding, for - and this is my one criticism - it can be hard to follow at times, in part because of the large number of players involved.

One of John Wayne's best films. It has heart, humor, and the themes of moral and social justice typified by many of Wayne's films run deep through this one. And just as an aside, I am now head over heals with Ella Raines. In my humble opinion, in terms of pure unabashed physical beauty, only Kate Beckinsale comes close.

"I never feel sorry for anything that happens to a woman.",This line said by John Wayne at the beginning of the film must have helped a lot to portraitise the actor as it was the first John Wayne's film shown on television. There is never a dull moment in this western with a zest of shakespearian drama. Just enjoy.

Good

Like John wayne

GREAT FILM