''The Tall Men'' is a 1955 American

Western film The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Calif ...

, directed by

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent cinema actor George Walsh. He wa ...

, and starring

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, model, and singer. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s and starred in more than 20 films throughout her career. R ...

, and

Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

. The

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

DeLuxe Color film was produced by William A. Bacher and William B. Hawks.

Sydney Boehm Sydney Boehm (April 4, 1908 – June 25, 1990) was an American screenwriter and producer. Boehm began his writing career as a newswriter for wire services and newspapers before moving on to screenwriting. His films include '' High Wall'' (1947) ...

and

Frank S. Nugent Frank Stanley Nugent (May 27, 1908 – December 29, 1965) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and film reviewer. He wrote 21 film scripts, 11 for director John Ford. He wrote almost a thousand reviews for ''The New York Times'' before lea ...

wrote the screenplay, based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Heck Allen (as Clay Fisher). Filming took place in

Sierra de Órganos National Park Sierra de Órganos National Park (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Parque Nacional Sierra de Órganos'') is a national park in Mexico, located in the northwest corner of the municipality of Sombrerete in the state of Zacatecas, near the border with ...

in the town of

Sombrerete Sombrerete () is a town and Municipalities of Zacatecas, municipality located in the northwest region of the Mexico, Mexican state of Zacatecas. It was founded in 1555 by Spanish conquistador Juan de Tolosa as a mining center. Due to the wealth th ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Plot

Brothers Ben and Clint Allison are on their way to the goldfields of Montana after serving with the

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Army's

Quantrill's Raiders Quantrill's Raiders were the best-known of the pro- Confederate partisan guerrillas (also known as " bushwhackers") who fought in the American Civil War. Their leader was William Quantrill and they included Jesse James and his brother Frank. ...

. In need of money, they decide to rob wealthy businessman, Nathan Stark. At gunpoint, they force him to go with them to a hideout, where they tell him he will be allowed to leave the next day, minus his money. Stark talks them into becoming partners with him on a

cattle drive Droving is the practice of walking livestock over long distances. It is a type of herding, often associated with cattle, in which case it is a cattle drive (particularly in the US). Droving stock to market—usually on foot and often with the ...

from Texas to Montana using Stark's money and the Allisons' expertise. While the three are on their way to buy the cattle, their pack horse loaded with supplies falls in an icy river. They come upon a party of starving settlers, who give them shelter from a blizzard. Among them is Nella Turner, whom both Ben and Stark find intriguing. The next day, the Allisons and Stark continue on their way, but discover

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...

Indians are likely to attack the settlers. Ben heads back to help, while Clint and Nathan head to an army post from where they can embark to San Antonio. All the settlers, except Nella, have been killed; she goes with Ben, and they find a cabin where they wait out the storm. They begin to fall in love, but become estranged when they discover that their dreams for life do not match; Nell had a hellish childhood on a farm, and now wants more than that narrow world; Ben merely wants his own ranch. Once the storm subsides, a rescue party of soldiers arrives. Ben learns that his brother and Stark have taken the stagecoach to San Antonio. Nella wants to go to California, but she is told that due to the weather, the only road open is the one to San Antonio. Once they arrive in San Antonio, Ben and Nella go their separate ways, after sniping at each other as they disembark from the stagecoach. As Nella is checking in at the hotel, Stark comes down the stairs and is delighted to see her. He romances her with a fancy meal and champagne; afterwards, she shows up where Ben is staying, tipsily picks a fight with him, and behaves jealously toward a Mexican woman, whom she thinks is talking about her and trying to take Ben somewhere, though she is really looking for help to find Clint. Ben recruits a gang of loyal ''

vaquero The ''vaquero'' (; , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in what what is today Mexico (then New Spain) and Spanish Florida from a method brought to the Americ ...

s'' for the rugged 1,500-mile (2,414 km) trek to Montana. On the journey, Nella demonstrates a romantic interest in Stark; he has the bigger dreams she prefers, but she flirts with Ben. They harp and snap at each other so much, though, that Stark has the impression that the two truly dislike each other. Nella occasionally sings "The Tall Men", but varies the lyrics, depending on her mood. When she sings, she always makes sure that Ben is listening. Along the trail, the cattle drive is confronted by a gang of

jayhawker Jayhawker and red leg are terms that came to prominence in Kansas Territory during the Bleeding Kansas period of the 1850s; they were adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause during the American Civil War. These gangs were ...

s, demanding $5,000 for permission to cross into Kansas; Ben refuses, and a gunfight ensues. Many Jayhawkers are killed. After several instances of losing his cool with Stark and general volatility, Clint asks Ben to let him scout the route ahead, in case of attack by the Sioux. One day, Clint's horse returns without him, and he is found tied to a tree, with about half a dozen Sioux arrows in his chest. For days, Ben scouts the movements of the Sioux, then returns to present a strategy of using the cattle and horses in a stampede against the Indians. After the ensuing battle, only about 100 to 150 head of cattle are lost. When they arrive in Mineral City, Montana, Stark is paid $170,000 for the herd. Ben goes to Stark's office, in the rear of the saloon, to receive his portion and the bonus for the drovers. Stark gets a dig in at Ben, telling him that he is in a hurry to get to the hotel where Nella and he will be celebrating. Then, he announces that he has another reason, beyond the money, that he has been waiting for "this day", and that is to exact revenge on a man who shoved a gun in his belly. Stark calls in members of the "vigilante committee", who are set to hang Ben; Ben, however, having deduced that something like this might happen, has had his men hold everyone in the saloon at gunpoint and be ready to act against Stark. Stark changes his mind. Ben magnanimously only takes $16,000 for his men, $10,000 for himself, and $100 which he gives to the saloonkeeper toward a bottle of champagne for Stark and Nella's wedding. Stark remarks to his henchmen that he is not certain he would have let them hang Ben. He is the only man he has ever respected – "He's what every boy thinks he's going to be when he grows up, and wishes he had been when he's an old man." Ben returns to his camp, and as he unwraps his sleeping bag, Nella begins singing her song from inside his wagon. This time, her words reflect her love for him – "The only one for me".

Cast

as Colonel Ben Allison *

as Nella Turner *

as Nathan Stark * Cameron Mitchell as Clint Allison * Juan García as Luis, Allison's head

* Harry Shannon as Sam, cattleman robbed by jayhawkers *

Emile Meyer Emile Meyer (August 18, 1910 – March 19, 1987) was an American actor, usually known for tough, aggressive, authoritative characters in Hollywood films from the 1950s era, mostly in Westerns or thrillers. Career Meyer had an uncredited ...

as Chickasaw Charlie *

Steve Darrell Steve Darrell (born Darrell Eugene Horsfall, November 19, 1904 – August 14, 1970) was an American actor, also known as Stevan Darrell or Steven Darrell.Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). Silent Film Necrology'. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. ...

as Colonel Norris, U.S. Cavalry (credited as Stevan Darrell)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tall Men, The 20th Century Fox films 1950s English-language films 1955 films Films scored by Victor Young Films directed by Raoul Walsh 1955 Western (genre) films Films based on American novels Films based on Western (genre) novels Films based on works by Henry Wilson Allen Films set in Montana Films set in San Antonio Films shot in Mexico CinemaScope films American Western (genre) films 1950s American films Quantrill's Raiders English-language Western (genre) films Sioux in popular culture