Review of The Tall Target (1951) by Miguel A — 28 Apr 2014
Very taut and suspenseful thriller from director Anthony Mann and starring one of my favorites, Dick Powell, as a police detective intent on foiling an assassination plot against president-elect Abraham Lincoln.
The entire film takes place on a train en route from New York to Washington and then to further points south. The talk among passengers (headed south) is virulently anti-Lincoln. Powell is on the wrong side of politics in supporting "the tall target" and his superiors won't back his investigation.
So, he goes it alone, tangling with both the plotters and the police who get in his way. Ruby Dee has a good role has a slave who helps Powell (and the film does not shy away from condemning slavery).
Apparently, the film is historically accurate (more or less), as Lincoln really did have to "sneak" into Washington for his inauguration. Who knew?
This review of The Tall Target (1951) was written by Miguel A on 28 Apr 2014.
The Tall Target has generally received positive reviews.
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