Customer Reviews

Tall in the Saddle

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My DVD shelf is sagging with all the John Wayne movies on it, but when this was recently released I had to add it to the others.

When this movie was originally released I was going on 1 year of age. With all the westerns I saw growing up in the 1950s, I don't recall ever seeing this one until a decade ago on TNT's ole 4:00 p.m. daily westerns. I immediately went out and bought the VHS and viewed it many times over. As soon as my wife and I got home with the DVD a few days back we immediately viewed it, too. She is not much for westerns, but her comment after viewing TALL IN THE SADDLE for the first time was that it was a very good movie.

I'm partial to some of the earlier John Wayne movies before he became a 'household name', one in particular: BLUE STEEL. And I rate this movie, TALL IN THE SADDLE, just as good. I would give both BLUE STEEL and TALL IN THE SADDLE more than 5-stars if possible.

TALL IN THE SADDLE was made at a time when directors and actors knew how to make westerns, and this movie just has the feel of a very good one. Its excellence approaches STAGECOACH, an earlier John Wayne movie, that just barely surpasses both BLUE STEEL and TALL IN THE SADDLE.

So, if you like John Wayne westerns or just westerns in general, you can do no better than this one.

And George "Gabby" Hayes is at his best here, too. This is the first time I ever saw Ella Raines in a movie, and what an introduction to her. She is sensational as a gun-totin' woman of the range.

Another item not to go unnoticed in this flick is the appearance of Raymond Hatton in the role a drunken friend of Gabby Hayes. If you look up Raymond Hatton you will see that he made more westerns than any other actor, and at one time was a box office draw right along side Bob Steele and Hoot Gibson. Another outstanding item in this movie is that of Paul Fix, long a John Wayne friend; Fix wrote the screen play for TALL IN THE SADDLE, and anyone familiar with the 1950s Rifleman on TV will certainly remember Mr. Paul Fix.

Enough of all this, go watch this sensational western picture from long ago, when they still knew how to make them.

Semper Fi.

This film finally came out on DVD in a John Wayne collection. Yeah! It is a classic in the vein of the Fighting Kentuckian and Dakota alas without Vera Ralston but Ella Raines is great in her own right. Ward Bond is the heavy again and he does it with gusto. Personally, I have always liked this early classic and bought it immediately when it came out on DVD. I grew up on John Wayne and certainly like most of his early movies. If I had my choice between this one and Chisum, I would take this one in a flash. If you liked Angel and the Badman, you will like this one.

I was expecting this early Wayne film to be one of those "cliched and routine" stock westerns, so imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered a well written and well performed, solid and unique little western/mystery. Wayne is great in his role and many of his "iconic" mannerisms are evident in this performance.
Co-star Ella Raines is not only very lovely, but she's very convincing as a "tough as nails" cowgirl. She and Wayne have great chemistry together.
The story in this film is airtight and very believable and was truly well written. There are many snappy and memorable bits of dialog delivered with perfection.
Gabby Hayes and Ward Bond once again demonstrate why they became such popular, co-starring character actors. Both of them really shine in their roles and make this film such an enjoyable experience. A special nod to actress Elisabeth Risdon for playing the bitter, conniving old crone so well, and to Audrey Long for making her "sweet and gentle" character memorable instead of boring. (not an easy task)
If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed western with a great story, then definitely check out "Tall in the Saddle." I now know this is one of the best from it's era, and highly recommend seeing it.

RKO pulled out all the stops on this beautifully filmed western. An attractive cast, which includes John Wayne and Ella Rains, and a well written story with good direction from Edwin L. Marin make this a very entertaining film. It is simply a good old-fashioned western. You don't have to worry about all that John Ford symbolism that makes your head hurt on this one. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Rocklin (John Wayne) has come to town to work for Red Cardell, only to find he has been murdered. The KC Ranch has been inherited by beautiful easterner Clara Cardell (Audrey Long). The sweet Clara is attracted to Wayne and wants him to come work for her, but since her mother is an absolute terror and Rocklin and his new found sidekick, freight driver Dave (Gabby Hays), both have a little "problem" with women, he passes on her job offer.

He gets hired by another prominent outfit, but as it turns out, this one is run by a woman as well. Ella Rains is Arly Harolday, a gorgeous spitfire and cowgirl deluxe. Sparks fly and she falls for Rocklin while he begins to dig a little deeper into the crooked dealings which led to Red Cardell's murder. Rocklin has a secret reason for poking around that won't be revealed until the last moment.

This one is a lot of fun to watch, and when you are in the mood for an old-fashioned western with a good story and some nice scenery, this is the one you want, right here.

He's rough. He's tough. He's pleasantly intimidating to anyone wishing a confrontation. Big John is coming.
"Stagecoach" may have made him a star but this one personified the walk, the talk, and the legend.
Finally, on DVD, restored beautifully in mint black and white with sound to match.
This is Mr. Wayne in his prime with a terrific supporting cast. Gabby Hayes and Raymond Hatton, the original oldtimers and sidekicks are hilarious. Paul Fix, veteran actor best known from "The Rifleman", as the roustabout bad guy. Ward Bond in one of many appearances in Wayne films. The lovely Ella Raines who fits her tomboy role like a glove. And after 50 years it holds up. No question about it.
If you're a John Wayne fan this is a must see.
The really great thing about this film is that Wayne, while whipping the bad guys and getting the girl, never shoots his gun. It's all in the "strut and stare".
Magnificent.

I love the chemistry between the Duke and George "Gabby" Hayes. I noticed it while watching the "B" westerns of The Duke's early movie career. Paul Fix wrote the screen play and is also credited for giving John Wayne his famous walk. In this movie, The Duke is a Man's man. He had that great charisma that is lacking in so many "stars" today. The story is simple and yet, it's a good one. the classic format of good vs. evil and no one could pull it off better than John Wayne! I also enjoyed watching Ward Bond play the corrupt judge. In my opinion; He is one of the greatest character actors in movie history. He and John wayne played so well off of each other. Even though the movie isn't considered a classic, It is well worth watching and it is also very much worth owning. Trust me; this is one for your collection!

John Waynes best full-length performance. George 'Gabby' Hayes best performace - and that's saying a lot. Ella Raines is a fantastic, fiery beauty. Supporting characters a Who's Who of westerns.

I'm not a connoisseur of Westerns, but I've seen quite a few, including the artful and hallowed ones, such as Broken Arrow, The Searchers, High Noon, Shane, etc. Tall in the Saddle is light fare, with a lot of snappy banter and winks at the audience. My dad (in his 90s) was watching this and I sat down for a few minutes but watched it to the end. A good flick's a good flick!

One of my favorite westerns. I own a copy. The plot is complex enough to be worthy of Cecil DeMille, though directed by Edwin Marin. Some have categorized this as a glorified "B" western, but I see nothing "B" about the cast of main characters nor the story line. Of course, we soon figure out that Wayne and Ella Raines' character were made for each other, but the "right" woman doesn't quite always end up with the hero, as for example in "The Far Country". We are kept in suspense through most of the film as to who killed Red Cardell and why, and who has been trying to ambush Wayne and why. We also wonder what Wayne's real motive is for sticking around after discovering that Red Cardell, whom he presumably never met, is deceased. It's always a treat to have Gabby Hayes back in a Wayne western. Ward Bond, another fixture in Wayne movies of the 1940s and 1950s, does well as a prime suspect for being responsible for the plot shenanigans and in piecing things together at the end. Audrey Long is perfect as the prim naive beauty from the East, as is Elizabeth Risdon, as her scheming arrogant old battle-ax of an aunt. Wouldn't the latter and Gabby make a lovely couple! Ella's character may have been a more exciting lover and companion than Audrey's; but, if I were Wayne, I'd be extremely careful about getting into a relationship with such a hot-headed jealous tomboy who thinks nothing of using me for target practice with her pistol and knife! There are a few seemingly incongruous details to the plot. Why does Ella's bodyguard hold off telling who killed Ella's brother? Does he want Wayne to take the blame? Jealous? Maybe he doesn't think anyone would believe him or doesn't believe the legal system will do justice. Or, perhaps he did tell the real reason to Ella. As is true of westerns in general, vigilante justice seems to be condoned by the main characters as the most just and efficient way to rid societies of evil people or those who have done you personally wrong....As a side note, this film should not be confused with the later Clark Gable western with the somewhat similar title "The Tall Men"

I love this movie, and not just because I was born in central Texas in 1941 and my older, cowgirl sister looked like Ella Raines.

Sure, some folks consider it a Gabby Hayes movie, but not me. Gabby was 56 at the time and looked about John's age, and he had more lines, but what the hey? You all can believe me, Big John was the star.

Heck, I'd never reveal the ending, so you're going to have to just go out and buy it, the perfect old/new western -- a thinker but without those songs from nowhere. Or catch it at a movie house in the nearest town to you with less than 75 inhabitants.

That's All Folks!!!