The Tall Men

Once touted at having the biggest cattle drive ever committed to celluloid, the 1955 western "The Tall Men" is one of director Raoul Walsh's lesser-known films that still deserves a place in the upper echelon of his oeuvre. Available, from what I can gather, on Blu-ray for the first time in the U.S., this Clark Gable and Jane Russell-starrer shot in CinemaScope gets a stunning new HD transfer from the folks at Twilight Time. Once derided by Bosley Crowther of the New York Times for being visually rich and narratively flat, the film deserves to be discovered and looked upon fondly by new viewers, and I hope this new home release will let that happen.

"The Tall Men" follows Col. Ben Allison (Clark Gable) and his brother Clint (Cameron Mitchell), two Confederate soldiers now disgraced after the Civil War, as they join a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. That cattle drive being led by Nathan Stark (Robert Ryan), an opportunistic businessman that may turn on the brothers if it means he gets a bigger cut of the deal. Nella Turner (Jane Russell) is the damsel Ben and Clint save from a gang of Indians and is then swept up in a romantic push-and-pull between Ben and Nathan.

The big hazard of shooting a film using CinemaScope lenses is that many of the wide exterior shots are bound to look crisp and rich, while interior shots can look inflated in ways you don't want them to be. Luckily for the viewer, Walsh and cinematographer Leo Tover know exactly when to shift depth of field so things don't get too jarring. There's a genuine thrill to seeing so much cattle being driven, which helps widen the scope of a story that desperately needed it. Plus, there's a shootout about halfway into the running time that's so quickly cut and fun to watch that it may be worth the price of purchase itself.

All in all, "The Tall Men" is visually sumptuous and has the formal rigor of a master working behind the camera. Walsh, who has 140 directing credits listed in his IMDB profile, was a pioneer during the silent era and moved comfortably into sound and color as his career progressed. Here's to hoping that supposed minor works like this won't be lost to history.

By the way, the new HD transfer of "The Tall Men" on this Blu-ray has such rich black levels and fine grain texture that helps to show off the CinemaScope spectacle of it all. Although there aren't many special features to be found, this is sure to be the definitive home release of the film. Special features include:

� Booklet essay by Mike Finnegan
� Theatrical trailer

"The Tall Men"
Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/tall-men-the-blu-ray/