The Tall Texan

I'm a big fan of B movie westerns, but this one just put me to sleep. I tried it again the next day, with not much better results. The acting is fine, but there's little action until the last 20 minutes or so. The tension does build up towards the end & it gets pretty good at that point, but not enough to make up for the slowness of the rest of the movie. There are some interesting turns in the story, but too much camera time is spent watching the characters slowly ride from one place to another, then slowly walk from one place to another, then slowly unmount their horses, then talk, then slowly move on to something else. I guess the word I'm looking for is "pacing." And to sum up the pacing of this movie in a word: slow! The interpersonal conflicts are not enough to keep my interest. I rate it only 5/10, & the 5 is for the acting & the character development, nothing for plot or "pacing."

That's a pretty good little western, pulled by a prestigious editor and producer, Elmo Williams. I like this little flick, mainly because of a cast very surprising in such a B picture: Lloyd Bridges, Lee J Cobb, Marie Windsor.... I really enjoyed it, thanks to some good action scenes and an adequate characters study, again not that foreseeable for such a little budget film. I don't remember having seen it before. I guess it is not widely known among western buffs and it's a bit shame because I think it deserves better. Try it if you have the opportunity to. The plot, though, has nothing special to offer.

The Tall Texan succeeds because of a fortuitous combination of elements-setting, background music, romance, suspense, and characterization. Although termed low budget, the photography amidst impressive rock formations successfully creates the illusion of taking place on the edge of sacred Indian burial grounds somewhere northwest of El Paso in New Mexico's City of Rocks. The background music has the flavor of Aaron Copland as motifs for the Sea Captain (Lee J. Cobb) ,the crooked peddler Tinnen (Luther Adler) and Ben Trask,the Tall Texan (Lloyd Bridges) recur throughout the drama.The Tympani throbs create tension near the close as Ben Trask fights for his life. An intriguing romance develops between a free spirited woman (Laura Thompson-Marie Windsor) and a prisoner accused of a crime he didn't commit (Ben Trask- Lloyd Bridges). A rapid metamorphosis of contempt to admiration to affection develops as Laura discerns Ben's honest unassuming character. Ben Trask's rival, a hot tempered former sea captain wins the hearts of the audience by developing latent altruistic characteristics. Robert Lippert and Elmo Williams have masterfully and tastefully combined these elements into a well-made drama.

Considering that this movie is almost 50 years old, it holds up quite well. Bridges, Adler and Cobb give striking performances in a tale set amongst a group of barren rocks in the Southwest. The plot moves slowly, building to an exciting climax. One of the best western movies of the 50s with a great musical score.

The Tall Texan casts Lloyd Bridges as a prisoner by sheriff Samuel Herrick to trial. To save time they are cutting across Indian country in a covered wagon driven by Syd Saylor along with other passengers Dean Train and wife Marie Windsor and beached sea captain Lee J. Cobb. They pick up a wounded Indian and no good deed goes unpunished in the west as his tribe who had wounded him in the first place wants him back to finish the job.

During the attack Train is killed and the Indians are driven off. In gratitude the Indian gives them some gold nuggets and shows them where there is a lot more. Problem being that the mother lode is in an Indian burial ground. The Indians take the groups guns from them and say they can pan for gold, but not to go beyond a marker they've set down.

They're all just ordinary folks, no cowboy heroes in this bunch. But the worst of them is a bottom feeding peddler they've picked up played by Luther Adler. He's the serpent in their golden garden and he's the real cause of their downfall.

Had this film been done at a major studio it might have proved as much a classic as that other film about gold fever, Lust For Gold which Columbia did a few years earlier. Still coming from Lippert Pictures it must be counted as a miracle that it turned out as well as it did.

A nice ensemble cast gives some great performances and the nice location shooting sure helps.

Try and catch this one if it's broadcast.