The Tall Target Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Tall Target Blu-ray Movie Review

Four score and ten years ago...

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 17, 2024

A tightly-wound 1951 political thriller that's exactly 90 years removed from its loosely-based source material, Anthony Mann's The Tall Target zeroes in on the attempted assassination of one Abraham Lincoln days before his inauguration. This lesser-known pocket of American history, nicknamed "The Baltimore Plot" for its particular location, would allegedly occur between that city and Lincoln's Washington D.C. destination via train. Standing in the would-be assassin's way is one John Kennedy (Dick Powell), a former New York police sergeant who caught wind of the plot and quit his job after repeated warnings went unheeded. Now travelling via train to warn Lincoln before his departure for D.C., the hapless Kennedy unexpectedly becomes tangled up in the very same violent plot he's trying to prevent.

Kennedy's luck comes in spurts during The Tall Target, which either seems to find him in the absolute worst possible locations or exactly at the right place and time. Things start off rough when his promised train ticket and its donor, the sympathetic Inspector Reilly, are nowhere to be found. Stodgy conductor Homer Crowley (Will Geer) sends him back to the ticket booth... but with no more available, Kennedy is forced to sneak aboard. After a thorough but secretive search he locates the body of Reilly, but he's further surprised when his intended seat is occupied by an unknown man holding Reilly's ticket and coat. The conductor once again intervenes but this time Kennedy is saved by traveling Colonel Caleb Jeffers (Adolphe Menjou), who vouches for his identity and even offers a spare ticket. Naturally Kennedy later confronts the mystery man and, when a fraction of the mysterious plot is uncovered, it soon expands to include several more passengers hiding in plain sight. Try as he might, though, Kennedy just doesn't know who they are yet.

The Tall Target is hand-built to be solid close-quarters entertainment with more than a few noir flourishes: Mann's steady directorial hand keeps everything moving, the claustrophobic train's interior means there's almost no hope of escape, and the historical foundation of its plot -- never mind the fact that of course we know Lincoln won't be killed yet -- adds a palpable sense of intrigue. The story is certainly sweetened, of course, at least to the point where the real-life officer John Kennedy wasn't an on-the-ground sergeant or even on the scene. Additionally, The Tall Target's pure 1950s sheen works against it at times, from Dick Powell's decidedly non-accurate dresswear to the frankly kind of pandering inclusion of kindly slave Rachel (played by a young Ruby Dee), who provides much-needed assistance during at least one crucial crossroads event. Combine that with a couple of convenient plot coincidences and out-of-character moments, and you've got a film that thrills and entertains... as long as you don't think about it too hard.

Needless to say, I'm not in the camp that considers The Tall Target to be some sort of underappreciated masterpiece... but it's still a pretty enjoyable time at the movies and, if nothing else, feels fairly unique in the way its story unfolds. Performances are at least good to great all around, the cinematography keeps things visually interesting, and even the original score (credited to Bronislau Kaper, who's perhaps most famous for his contributions to Mutiny on the Bounty) brings something to the table. Adding further support is Warner Archive's shiny new Blu-ray, which as usual brings the A/V goods as well as a small but enjoyable set of extras. Without question, fans will enjoy every minute.

The Tall Target Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive's new restoration of The Tall Target and its resulting 1080p/SDR transfer are advertised as being sourced from a new 4K scan of best-available preservation elements. This typically indicates a mixture of the original negative and at least one secondary source... but with no specifics available, it wouldn't be right to speculate. But as evidenced by these direct-from-disc screenshots, the film's noir-tinted cinematography is held together very tightly from start to finish, with the best-looking shots absolutely looking like they were pulled from first-generation nitrate elements treated with care. Fine detail, solid black levels, organic film grain -- all and more are accounted for during the majority of the film's lightweight 78-minute runtime, even difficult material like smoke-heavy shots of the train's exterior (above). Other segments don't look quite as good, from the obvious (the opening credits and station backdrop, which are much smoother due to opticals) to stray "dupey" looking shots and other sporadic dips into softer territory. Luckily the good far outweighs the bad here, which means that this new Blu-ray presentation of The Tall Target far exceeds previous home video editions and, for long-time fans, will be like seeing it for the first time.

The Tall Target Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix doesn't run too far behind, offering a generally clean presentation of its original one-channel source material in a split two-channel container. Age-related wear-and-tear is largely kept in check with small but noticeable amounts of hiss remaining in a few conversations and other exchanges; it's nothing too distracting, of course, and was likely left alone so as not to risk damaging the dynamic range, which seems to be overwhelmingly left intact. Overall, it's solid work and, at its best, never calls attention to itself for the wrong reasons.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature, but not the extras listed below.

The Tall Target Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with attractive poster-themed cover art and a few period-specific extras.

• Mr. President (29:31) - This 1949 radio broadcast starring Edward Arnold is from the same-named ABC radio series that aired from 1947-53; fittingly enough, it concerns Mr. Abraham Lincoln himself.

• Classic Cartoons - A pair of decently restored Tom and Jerry shorts from the MGM vault.

• Jerry's Cousin (6:47) - A personal favorite! This one finds Jerry calling in the help of his buff cousin Muscles, who proceeds to whoop Tom's ass and teach Jerry how to handle business once he finally leaves. Turns out all it takes is a brown bowler hat and a long yellow sweater.
• Slicked-Up Pup (6:24) - It's not the most original T&J short, but this still-fun outing finds Tom struggling to keep little Tyke clean before Spike returns from the butcher's with a couple of chops.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:17) - A rare and appropriately over-the-top promotional piece.

The Tall Target Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anthony Mann attempts big thrills in close quarters during The Tall Target, a politically-charged historical drama that re-enacts a failed assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln only days before his 1861 inauguration. History can't help but spoil the outcome, yet it also leads to a few unfortunate elements that "sweeten" its narrative to appease 1950s audiences which, aside from a few other nitpicks, keeps it from reaching greater heights. It's still decently entertaining and enjoyable in spite of the shortcomings, and Warner Archive's new Blu-ray further smooths things over with a solid A/V presentation and several thoughtful extras. Recommended, but more so for established fans.