If it wasn’t for the Warner Archive Collection, I wouldn’t have ever seen or even heard of The Tall Target. After watching it on DVD years ago, I have always felt that Anthony Mann’s The Tall Target is an overlooked classic. It is basically a political crime thriller that mainly takes place on a train. This feature by Mann is loosely based on a historical moment involving the assassination of Abraham Lincoln before his pre-inauguration speech that took place in 1861.
The movie stars the legendary actor Dick Powell (Murder my Sweet, Pitfall) who plays New York City sergeant John Kennedy who is traveling by train between New York and Baltimore. He attempts to foil the assassination plot of President-elect Abraham Lincoln.
Aboard the train include Colonel Caleb Jeffers (silver screen legend Adolphe Menjou, Stage Door, A Bill of Divorcement, Mr. District Attorney ), Lance Beaufort(Marshall Thompson, Mystery Street, First Man into Space, Fiend Without a Face), Ginny Beaufort (Paula Raymond, Adam’s Rib, East Side, West Side) Inspector Tim Reilly(screen legend Regis Toomey, A Strange Adventure, Cry Danger), Rachel (Ruby Dee, Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever) among others who may or may not be part of the assassination plan, which Kennedy has to figure out.
The Tall Target to me is a excellent atmospheric film, with fantastic performances by the actors and fluid direction. A lot of events happy in the short 78-minute run time and Mann keeps it all together. One of my favorite scenes is when Kennedy’s coat and ticket are taken by a mysterious stranger (Leif Erickson, Invaders from Mars, Night Monster) and is nearly killed for trying to get them back during a great fight scene outside of the train and during a thick foggy evening.
There are a couple of titbits about this movie, with some interesting celebrity appearances in this feature. Barbara Billingsly, who was June Cleaver from the Leave It to Beaver television series has an uncredited role, as does John Call, the man who played Santa Claus in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians who plays a clerk!
To my pleasant surprise, The Tall Target has received a Blu-ray release from the Warner Archive Collection, sending my DVD to retirement! The picture quality on this Blu-ray looks marvelous! The feature was given a 4k scan of the best surviving elements, with the results showing more details than ever, with solid black levels and crisp whites. Characters and scenery are much richer on the Blu-ray with strong textures. The cinematography by Paul C. Vogel looks spectacular throughout the presentation. There is film grain present in the movie as well, showing no signs of DNR or other artificial enhancers.
For this Blu-ray, Warner Archive has gone with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack sounds perfectly clear, easy to follow dialogue and action sounds, such as gunshots all coming in perfectly fine. A couple of dialogue scenes had faint hissing that was brief, and it did not distract or ruin the listening experience whatsoever. Optional English SDH subtitles are offered for this Blu-ray.
There are some extras included for The Tall Target Blu-ray as well.
Mr. President is a 1949 radio broadcast starring Edward Arnold focuses on Abraham Lincoln and runs for about a half an hour.
There are pair of restored Tom and Jerry cartoons as part of the supplemental package.
Jerry’s Cousin has Jerry calling in the help of his buff cousin Muscles to help him beat up Tom rather badly in cartoon fashion!
Slicked-Up Pup has Tom having problems from keeping Tyke clean before Spike returns from the butcher with some grub!
A theatrical trailer rounds out the extras.
The Tall Target is another satisfying Blu-ray offering from the Warner Archive Collection. The film with excellent audio and video quality that bests the DVD, and some extras to boot make this another recommended release!
The Tall Target
Director – Anthony Mann
Cast- Dick Powell, Marshall Thompson, Paula Raymond, Adolphe Menjou
Country of Origin-USA
Distributor – Warner Archive/ Warner Home Video
Number of Discs –1
Reviewed by – David Steigman
Date –12/23/24