Customer Reviews

The Tin Star [VHS]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In THE TIN STAR director Anthony Mann creates a western variation of the Grizzled Old Vet Teaching the Raw Rookie. This kind of film has built within it a pre-existing allure for the audience who will want to know if the rookie can learn what his mentor has to teach before crunch time. Henry Fonda is the veteran who used to be a sheriff before he turned to bounty hunting. Anthony Perkins is the green as grass newly appointed sheriff of a small western town who wants only to be good enough to be considered a permanent choice. In strolls Fonda looking for a bounty and what begins as a confrontation between established law and mercenary law soon morphs into a buddy movie. Each sees in the other either what he could be or what he once was. For a gunfighter movie, there is surprisingly little gunfighting. Most of the time, the audience gets a crash course in the finer points of being a peace officer. By the film's midpoint, Perkins wants to know why the Fonda character made the switch from a sanctioned badge to a hired gun. Fonda, as bounty hunter, tells a riveting tale of how a sheriff whom he once knew well (himself) needed money and had to catch a wanted man for the bounty only to find that when he was paid the money it was too late for the reward to be of any use.

The charm of THE TIN STAR is that it shows a character-driven western, a type that was not used again until Clint Eastwood revived the genre in his pre-DIRTY HARRY days. Fonda and Perkins bounce off each other in all the right ways. In supporting roles, Lee Van Cleef, Neville Brand, John McIntyre, and Betsy Palmer add their distinctive style to a beloved genre of the western. In the extended conversations between veteran and rookie, both learn that a badge has a value unconnected to its metallic composition. A true lawman will comport himself just as if the badge were pure gold. THE TIN STAR is a movie of pure gold.

Anthony Mann was known for the great hardbitten Westerns he made with frequent collaborator James Stewart, such as The Naked Spur, Winchester '73, The Man From Laramie, and others. But he did make one Western with Stewart's best friend and another Western movie stalwart, the great Henry Fonda.

Fonda comes into a small town with an outlaw dead over a saddle. He's a bounty hunter, formerly a lawman who has become cynical with life and justice, and prefers the pay and independence of bounty hunting to being a town marshal. The town has a young and very inexperienced sheriff, played by Anthony Perkins, who is struggling to hold the town together as a bigoted bully played by Neville Brand tries to force his way into the sheriff's office. Fonda takes a liking to Perkins, and tries to show him the tricks of the trade. When two half-breed brothers kill the town doctor, events spiral out of control.

The Tin Star is full of wonderful performances, from Fonda who sees in the idealistic Perkins the younger man he used to be and learns to love again thanks to Betsy Palmer, who plays a widow who has a half-breed son; to Perkins, who hits the right notes as someone who'll make a fine lawman if his dumb mistakes don't kill him first, and Brand as a menacing, hateful brute who runs over as many people as he can. John McIntire (another frequent Mann collaborator) is also great as the town doctor.

This is an all-time classic. Don't miss it.

THE TIN STAR seems to go against Anthony Mann's own formula, not so much for its plot, but in its casting of the principal actor Henry Fonda as the catalyst that motivates young sheriff Anthony Perkins (and the film) to live up to the demands of the position. Fonda's casting and presence as the hero seems to make the role static and less complex when compared to what James Stewart could have brought to the role (Stewart was Mann's usual choice for the leading man in his Westerns). Fonda's character is one of a bounty hunter / ex-sheriff who appears to have no moral ambiguities, thus the apprenticeship of Perkins under Fonda's moral stalwartness brings a very straightforward relationship to these main characters. Visually the film also seems to be limited to the town rather than on the wide unclosed vistas of the open range. This claustrophobic effect seems to repress elements of this otherwise interesting screenplay. However, these are only observed peculiarities to Anthony Mann's usual style. This is still a tightly scripted and enticing Western. The showdown between Perkins and Neville Brand is excellently played out. Elmer Bernstein's early Western score is very absorbing and insightful to the film's narrative. I particularly like Henry Fonda's role and his performance in this film. This is a good Western.

Ex-sheriff turned bounty hunter Henry Fonda teaches the lawman trade to rookie peace officer Anthony Perkins in an excellent, intelligent western. High marks go to both cast and direction. Fonda plays to perfection one of his trademark type of roles, the weary, reluctant hero. A fine film by any measure. Highly recommended.

The contribution made by Henry Fonda to classic Westerns is incredible : he made his point early with "The Oxbow Incident," his potent presence in "Drums Along the Mohawk"... He was excellent as Wyatt Earp in "My Darling Clementine," even better as the stubborn, mistaken lieutenant-colonel in "Fort Apache " a legendary gunman in "Warlock" and the hardened gunfighter-tutor in Anthony Mann's "The Tin Star."

Fonda plays a solitary-bounty hunter ("I'm not the law. I work inside it for money!") who had once been a sheriff, and who had given up the badge in disgust of the shameful way he had been treated by the citizens in a decisive tragic moment of his life--for which he lost his wife and son...

Fonda is quiet, sure, polite, sincere and appealing... Teaching Michael Ray, it was clear that he knew not only his guns but human nature... He is human, kind, anxious, worry and tender with the young boy...

Anthony Perkins is attractive in his doubts about taking action or decision... He is naïve and innocent, also incompetent for the job of an officer responsible for law and order... He always looks to Fonda for leadership, but he is eager to be a firm sheriff...

The conversation between Fonda and Perkins are the heart of the movie, which deals more with character than Gunplay: "You got to keep cool and have absolute confidence. You lack confidence." "A decent man does not want to kill. But if you're gonna shoot, you shoot to kill." "Study men. A gun is only a tool. You can master a gun if you got the knack. Harder to learn man."

The film had racism: When Bogardus kills the Indian, in the back, outside the saloon, he says: "No sheriff will disarm a white man for shooting a mingy Indian.You, an Injun lover?"

Betsy Palmer plays Nona Mayfield, a woman compelled to live outside the town because she married an Indian: "I'm just so used to everybody hating Indians."

The film had also intuition and humor:

- Kip Mayfield to Fonda: "Don't I look like a sheriff?" And Fonda replying: "You look more like a sheriff than the sheriff does."

Abbe Pickett, after being a father for eleven girls and now to a boy, asks: "You sure it ain't another girl?" and the doc replies: "Well, I hope I'm not too old to know the difference."

John McIntire is fine as the old doc whose big dream was: "I wish you two to get together."

Neville Brand enjoys oppressing, intimidating and persecuting...

Anthony Mann's "The Tin Star" is strong on location work, tense, realistic, technically competent... The film had dusty action, and a picturesque old town with its bank, hotel, saloon, jail, hanging tree and all the cowardly citizens turned out to watch...

With elements of "Shane," and "High Noon," the film is a very good Western, 'as classic as you can get.'

Henry Fonda was one of the greatest movie actors ever -- sometimes I think that he was THE greatest. Somehow Fonda managed to BE whomever he was playing, with no hint that he was acting, despite the wide variety of roles he played over his long career.

In The Tin Star Fonda is superb as an embittered ex-sheriff turned bounty hunter who scoffs at naive but dedicated Anthony Perkins, the newly-appointed sheriff in a town to which Fonda has come to collect the reward for an outlaw he has killed. While waiting in town for his reward money to arrive, Fonda reluctantly mentors Perkins in the art of being an effective sheriff and staying alive while doing it. There is a subplot involving Fonda's developing relationship with a widow (played by Betsy Palmer) and her half-Indian son. Although there is action in The Tin Star, the movie is primarily about the relationships among the principal characters and how they change each other. This is a very good western -- indeed a very good movie -- in every respect. But Fonda's role makes it outstanding. Please don't pass up this under-appreciated classic now that it's available on DVD.

When you think of westerns you usually think of movies that have cowboys and indians fighting with the good side winning in the end. Well this movie is quite different in that it does not have indians. Where it lacks in this feature, it reminds you that learning to be a good sheriff was an important thing back in the past. This movie is about Henry Fonda,once a sheriff himself. teaching a new sheriff,Anthony Perkins, how to be an law officer. The bond between teacher and student is emphasized here as Henry teaches Anthony to become a good sheriff. It is handled in a superb manner. Watch for excellent acting from another actor Neville Brand, a star from the TV show Laredo. Watch for good acting from Betsy Palmer, Fonda's girlfriend. Watch for good acting from the town doctor John McIntyre with his good sound advice. And,of course watch for good acting from Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins. Everyone plays their characters well here. Just a fine movie that you should see. An A++++++++++/5 stars

Henry Fonda's career was never the same after "The Tin Star." Shedding the every man good guy persona that had made him so likeable on screen for so long, on this occasion Fonda's pretty cold, aloof and forboding as a lawman turned bounty hunter. Director, Anthony Mann's in-depth character study of the old west is made even more compelling by a startling performance from Anthony Perkins, as the too gentle for gunsmoke sheriff, to whom Fonda undertakes a shaping-up of.
THE TRANSFER: The VistaVision black-and-white picture elements are in reasonably good shape. Contrast and black levels are nicely balanced. Age related artifacts are present but do not distract. Digital anomalies are also present, but again, do not distract. The audio is mono but nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: Not on this disc!
BOTTOM LINE: "The Tin Star" is an above average western from a time when westerns were a dime a dozen. It's thoughtful and thought-provoking and well worth a second look on DVD!

It's surprising to me to see The Tin Star (1957), directed by Anthony Mann, released on DVD before some of his other, better westerns like The Naked Spur (1953), The Man from Laramie (1955), or Man of the West (1958) but then I know not of all the ins and outs of the processes that go into getting films released on DVDs. I do know studios often set schedules well in advance, dealing with all kinds of legal rigmarole, securing rights or what have you and all that...but I digress...directed by Anthony Mann, the film stars Henry Fonda (Mister Roberts, 12 Angry Men) and Anthony Perkins (Psycho). Also appearing is Betsy Palmer (horror fans may know her as Mrs. Vorhess from the Friday the 13th series), Neville Brand (D.O.A., Stalag 17), John McIntire (The Asphalt Jungle, Winchester '73), and Lee Van Cleef (The Quiet Gun, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral).

Fonda plays ex-lawman/bounty hunter Morgan `Morg' Hickman. As the film begins, we see Morg riding into town with another fellow who seems to have gone the way of the Dodo...that being extinct...seems the recently deceased was a wanted man, and is now being brought into town for the bounty. The town is less than hospitable towards Morg's type, offering none of the pleasantries one would normally afford to a visitor, but that matters little, as Morg's just interested in getting paid. He does make friends with a local outcast named Nona (Palmer) and her half-breed son, and they allow Morg to stay until authorization for his payment comes through. Soon after Morg's arrival, the local sheriff, named Ben Owens (Perkins) request help in the form of advice on, well, how to be a sheriff. You see, Ben, a complete greenhorn if you ever saw one, is substituting after the death (by lead poisoning, if you get my drift) of the last sheriff, who also happened to be Ben's girlfriends father...which brings up a whole subplot about how she won't marry Ben until he gives up being sheriff, but Ben is young and idealistic, and refuses to turn his back on his accepted responsibility, despite the complete lack of support from the town elders (they are truly a bunch of jackholes, scurrying at the first sign of trouble). Ben needs sheriffin' lessons bad, as not only does he have to deal with the towns hotheaded, racist a-hole instigator Bogardus (Brand), but the trouble soon to follow. Morg's recommendation to Ben is to quit, but seeing that's not going to happen he does agree to give Ben a few pointers, but will it be enough to keep the young, inexperienced lawman alive (given the formulaic nature of the story, I would guess yes, but you'll just have to watch and see)?

While I did enjoy this film, the weakest part for me was the conventional and often predictable nature of the story, which was actually nominated for an Oscar. How many clichés can one fit into a film? The disillusioned ex-lawman, the young, inexperienced, surely to be killed sheriff and his girlfriend who won't marry him because she thinks his profession too dangerous, the crotchety country doctor, the town bully threatening the new sheriff for control, the widowed woman raising her son, ostracized by the community because of his lineage, etc. That being said, the strengths lie in the strong performances of the main actors and the extremely capable direction of Mann. You can't help but like Fonda's character of the disillusioned ex-lawman, telling the younger Perkins to forgo the life he's chosen, but willing to assist as he sees in Ben what he once was, an idealist in a harsh and unforgiving reality (or, to put it another way, young, dumb, and full of...well, you know), fostering a psuedo father/son relationship. Despite his lack of confidence in the young man, he offers his limited assistance willingly, as deep down he feels a kinship with the character, a spark of innocence he thought long extinguished within himself. Have you ever seen a bad Henry Fonda performance? He's just fun to watch, and always makes it look easy. Perkins plays his role very well, not going overboard, but staying in the boundaries of a realistic character. The other actors provide strong support, despite the stereotypical characters. I think my favorite part was when Fonda's character was giving the young sheriff tips on shooting, and just the study of a situation in general, especially aspects dealing with confronting criminals. This is also a common element in a number of westerns, but Fonda pulls it off so well, setting the cliché, rather than following it. Also, there's a decent and capable musical score by the legendary composer Elmer Bernstein (not his best, but then again a good effort by Bernstein is still better than most). I thought the racial theme, with regards to the scene where Betsy Palmer's character reveals her sons heritage to Fonda's character, a little heavy handed, and perhaps a more subtle approach would have worked better, but either way, the point is made. I found the slightly misogynistic undertones funny, but not unrealistic, especially in the scene where the town doctor (McIntire) is trying to convince Ben's girlfriend her duty is to get married, keep quiet, and start making with the babies. And that brings me to the ending...break out the pancakes because there's no shortage of maple syrupy sappiness here...I don't have a problem with happy endings, but to see everything tied up so neatly seemed like the easy out...or maybe I'm too cynical for my own good...if only things in real life worked out so well.

The wide screen anamorphic print on this DVD is very sharp and clear, and the audio excellent in restored mono, Dolby Digital 5.1, and Dolby Surround. There are English subtitles, but nothing else in the way of special features. All in all, a very solid, often predictable westerner that takes very few chances, but does entertain, worthy of 3 ½ stars.

Cookieman108

It has so long since I saw this great western. Lost to TV for many years I was delighted to see it re mastered and put out on DVD. It did not disappoint. Great story . Great acting and the quality is first rate. A must for collectors of classic westerns.