The Tall Target (1951) User Reviews (44)

Lincoln makes a "tall target"

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 21 June 2006]

"The Tall Target," about a plot to kill Lincoln before his inauguration, is a compact little film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Marshall Thompson, and Ruby Dee. Powell plays John Kennedy, a detective and admirer of the future President who finds out about an assassination plot and hopes to stop it, although his written report seems to fall on blind eyes. On board a train, Kennedy finds the person he was to meet is dead, someone is impersonating him, and, from all the political talk, there are lots of suspects who hate Lincoln as the country gets ready for war.

Most of the action takes place on the train and the atmosphere and black and white cinematography neatly capture the period. The performances are all excellent, including that of Will Geer as the train conductor and Ruby Dee as a young slave whose mistress' brother (Thompson) is a prime suspect in the assassination plot. Twenty years earlier, Dick Powell was a boy tenor playing male ingénues opposite Ruby Keeler; in the '40s, he turned to tough detective type roles, and ultimately became a highly successful producer. He's very good in "The Tall Target" but a little too modern in manner and dialogue delivery. It's somewhat noticeable because the period is captured very well by the other actors.

This is a very good movie with a neat ending and based on a true incident. There was, by the way, a John Kennedy who was a former law enforcement officer who served in the Lincoln administration. Whether he was involved in this situation, I don't know. It's a wonderful story nonetheless.

Kennedy Tries to Save Lincoln

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 30 August 2014]

In 1861, New York detective John Kennedy (Dick Powell) is convinced there's a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln but no one seems to believe him. So he resigns from the force and takes the train to Baltimore, determined to prevent the assassination.

In my opinion, this is Dick Powell's last great screen role. He made a few more movies before finishing his career out as a director and doing some minor TV work. He's very good here, as usual. Strong support from Adolphe Menjou, Will Geer, Leif Erickson, and Ruby Dee. It's a gripping period thriller from Anthony Mann that looks like a film noir, thanks to Paul Vogel's fine cinematography. Plus, it's a train movie and those are always fun.

There's a lot in this movie for history buffs to chew on. A guy named John Kennedy trying to prevent a presidential assassination in a film made over a decade before President Kennedy was killed is certainly interesting. The plot is loosely based on the 1861 Baltimore Plot, which resulted in one of Lincoln's earliest public relations nightmares because he was accused of cowardly sneaking into the city for fear of assassins. Times have certainly changed. Anyway you should definitely read up on that as it's pretty fascinating, especially considering what happened to him four years later.

Mann delivers the perfect companion piece to Reign of Terror.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 29 September 2011]

"Ninety years ago a lonely traveller boarded the night train from New York to Washington D.C., and when he reached his destination his passage had become a forgotten chapter in the history of the United States. This motion picture is a dramatisation of that disputed journey."

The Tall Target is directed by Anthony Mann and written by George Worthing Yates, Daniel Mainwaring (as Geoffrey Holmes) and Art Cohn. It stars Dick Powell, Paula Raymond, Adolphe Menjou, Marshall Thompson and Will Geer. As the above opening salvo suggests, story is disputed, it's based around the so called Baltimore Plot, a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln; the tall man of the title who is on the train heading for his inauguration.

Set mostly aboard a train, Mann's The Tall Target is a very tight noirish type period thriller that sees Powell's gruff detective try and protect Abe Lincoln from assassins lurking within the confines of the locomotive hauled express. Although a low budget production, there is some smart period detail to enjoy and the cramped setting of the train interiors allows Mann to infuse the story with paranoia and claustrophobic tints. Major bonus is that the makers excellently capture what must have been a powder keg of political uncertainty in 1861, this is born out by the number of interesting characters with a voice aboard this train. Thus the suspense and mystery elements are not confined to being of the obvious variety.

With Paul Vogel's black and white photography adding some period bite, and putting the noirish sheen to scenes such as the ones involving smoke, it's a shame that the cast are mostly hit and miss. Powell just about carries off the tough-guy persona, with the scenes shared with Menjou good value, and Geer is the stand out as the jobs worth conductor. Raymond is lovely, but hardly puts a stamp on proceedings, while Thompson is badly inadequate when it comes to putting the threat into threatening situations. But they are only minor itches that fail to derail the film from the tracks, because ultimately it's the story that is the star, a story boosted no end by Mann's taut direction. 7.5/10

A Hidden Treasure Don't Miss This Film

[olddiscs · 17 November 2006]

Okay this film the Tall Target may not be historically accurate but it is based on a situation that occurred on the Abraham Lincoln Inaugural Train.. It is an excellent movie brilliantly directed by Anthony Mann It is a film that was way ahead of its time.. Dick Powell stars and gives an outstanding performance Differrent than most of his film noir films of that era.. I was watching TCM @1am this morning (insomnia was setting in) when their brilliant host Robert Osborne announced and described this unusual film that most people had never seen or heard of! But he recommended & once again Osborne was correct. Wonderful powerful film made years before Suddenly and a decade or so before The Manchurian Candidate (other films dealing with presidential assassinations)The writers & director took an incident from history and created a fictionalized yet believable and riveting film .Is great definitely worth seeing & seeing a very young Ruby Dee in a small but important role as a loyal but concerned 'slave" also Leif Ericson and Barbara Billingsly (Beavers mom) have minor but important roles..& Adolphe Menjou is outstanding and quite believable a corrupt military official Powell is really good in this film A great surprise Don't Miss, another hidden gem revealed from the TCM film library.Thank you Ted Turner and Robert Osborne

Lincoln is a target and Anthony Mann makes a sharp, gorgeous movie out of it

[secondtake · 7/10 · 9 June 2017]

Tall Target (1951)

The simple idea of Anthony Mann approaching a crime movie about Abraham Lincoln made me seek this out. And it's great stuff, filmed with the lively, dramatic black and white of the time. And in a weird quirk, the leading man (played by Dick Powell) is named John Kennedy. Mann was just beginning his legendary set of eight Westerns with James Stewart.

While not a bit a film noir officially, this is coming from that era, and has the dark, ominous feel of a good noir. Powell (a noir staple) plays a detective with a somewhat modern air (not 1861, when is when the film is set), and he some of that man alone against the world quality. And then, on top of it, this is a "train movie," one of that unnamed genre of films that is primarily or entirely set on a train, up and down the length in various ways (what one character with a drink in his hand calls "the longest bar in the world, New York to Baltimore").

This one starts beautifully at night, and there is some terrific stuff just to look at, as the lights against the night sky are stark and the shadows heavy. The smoke and steam billows gray into the black sky. The plot, proceeding, is remarkably visual, too, with Powell looking for clues as things start to look increasingly ominous.

There are some great side characters here, including Ruby Dee in her young elegance and strength. And then there are some side actors who play their caricatures a little too hard (like the train conductor, briefly, but several times).

The cloak and dagger plot is fairly linear—the story is based on fact loosely, so there might not have been total freedom. But I'm not sure how many times on one train ride Mr. John Kennedy can get himself into a total lethal trap and then fight, trick, or luck his way out of it. But that's part of the fun of it, I suppose.

And there is enough other stuff going on here to make it really interesting and beautiful. A surprise for me.

Excellent suspenseful period piece

[the_old_roman · 10/10 · 29 August 2001]

Dick Powell is excellent as John Kennedy, a policeman who stumbles onto a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln en route to his inauguration. The history is not as muddled as others seem to indicate.

1. Lincoln did travel by train to his inauguration. 2. There were at least two confirmed plots by people who wished to have him assassinated. 3. Abraham Lincoln did have an aide throughout his administrations who was an ex-police officer named John Kennedy (Dick Powell's character in the film).

That is truth enough for backdrop to this impressive thriller. Ruby Dee is very impressive as a slave traveling on the train, and Marshal Thompson is quite good as a Southerner. Adolphe Menjou is terrific as the main bad guy, and Powell gives an earnest portrayal in the lead.

Anthony Mann directs the action very suspensefully, and the movie builds to its climax in interesting fashion.

Finally, the last line is a classic.

I've seen this movie 4 times and would gladly watch it again.

Railroad noir

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 3 November 2002]

Train movies are usually kind of fun. Everything is tick-tocking back and forth while the train is underway, so there is a sense of constant motion, of imminence in each scene. Also, you get to see the scenery flashing by, which you don't see in an airplane or aboard a ship. And the train can make multiple stops, with something new cropping up each time, opportunities and missed opportunities, which is likewise difficult with airplanes and ships. The train, further, encloses spaces with varied characteristics -- there are seats, compartments, sleeping berths with curtains drawn across them, dining cars, an observation platform on the caboose, a baggage car, a locomotive with a greasy engineer. Put these all together, along with the limited expense involved in a mockup of a train, and it's all pretty appealing. This one is a rather typical noir set aboard such a vehicle in 1861. It has political undertones too. Nobody believes the hero. As is so often the case he finds himself pursued by both the police and the would-be assassins.

The villainy shifts shape. There are lots of shadows. Too many shadows in fact, except for the one or two brief outdoor daytime scenes. It always seems to be nightime aboard the train, whatever time it may be outside. The acting is competent, with Will Geer doing quite well in the part of the conductor, and Ruby Dee a beautiful young woman. It ends happily.

Well, it had to end happily, really. How can you make a movie that ends up with Lincoln being assassinated in 1861? Actually, Pinkerton did smuggle Abe into Washington, with a set of whiskers newly grown for the occasion, which he kept for the rest of his life. But Pinkerton also went on to serve as head honcho of intelligence during Lincoln's administration and lord only knows how many lives were lost through his consistent overestimations of Confederate strength. He gave McLellan all the reason he needed to develop a case of "the slows." Abe should have thanked Pinkerton, shaken his hand at Union Station, and wished him well. Then maybe appointed John Kennedy in his place. One wonders, where are today's Lincolns? Some of our modern presidents give the impression that they could barely read the Gettysburg address, never mind write it. What a calculated and beautifully framed set of ideas in those two hundred and forty-some words. Gary Wills has a neat book on the subject.

An interesting slice of American history.

[MIKE-WILSON6 · 9/10 · 11 August 2001]

After reading the comment from Mr Mike Furlong of Roy Utah, I feel I must reply. The Tall Target is a very interesting film. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the story of the famous journey, that Lincoln made from New York to Washington, for his inauguration. Dick Powell plays a detective (John Kennedy) that gets wind of an assassination plot to kill Lincoln, but as no one will believe him, it is left up to him to try and foil the attempt. As to the scene,where Adolphe Menjou uses a small pistol to shoot Powell, through the newspaper, I suggest that if Mr Furlong watches the film again, he will hear Powell explain, that he removed the lead from the cartridge, but left the remainder of the bullet in the chamber. Thus allowing Menjou to give himself away.

Good support from all the cast, but Will Geer, as the train conductor deserves special praise. Looking at this film from an history point of view, there is a number of wonderful scenes, including, one that when the train gets to Baltimore, the engine has to be uncoupled from the train, and horses are used to drag the train through the city centre, much to the annoyance of the engineer. Well worth seeing. 9 out of 10.

"The Tall Target" (1951 MGM) starring Dick Powell and Adolph Menjou Is A Great "Thriller On A Moving Train" Movie!

[DavidAllenUSA · 7/10 · 2 August 2012]

"The Tall Target" (1951 MGM) starring Dick Powell and Adolph Menjou Is A Great "Thriller On A Moving Train" Movie! "Moving train movies" always work, and this is a good example.

Abe Lincoln, elected but not yet in office, tries to sneak into Washington DC and must get past southern sympathetic and very hostile Baltimore Maryland USA on a train......assassins wait to shoot him during a planned Lincoln whistle stop speech from the rear of his train stopping briefly in Baltimore Maryland USA on its way to to Washington DC.

Most of the movie takes place aboard the train, and most scenes show the passing scenery from the train windows.....the movie takes place mostly in the inside of the train's passenger compartments.

Train movies are worth studying and comparing....."The Lady Vanishes" (1937 UK) starring Michael Redgrave, "A Hard Day's Night" (1964 United Artists) starring the Beatles, "North By Northwest" (1959) starring Cary Grant, "The Thirty Nine Steps" (1935 Gaumont) starring Robert Donat.....all great train movies which "move" because they take place in a visibly moving train (airplane movies can't compete with moving train movies, and neither can ocean liner and "ship" movies).

Train movies require very good actors, and "The Tall Target" (1951 MGM) starring Dick Powell, Adolph Menjou, and Will Geer deliver the "good actor goods" in first class style.

Train movies are an excuse for many facial closeups, and prolonged conversation and dialog sequences where two main actors in a small space (a train compartment, most often) talk back and forth, and have to sound interesting, convincing, and at the same time be visually interesting (i.e. the camera must "like" the actors.....put another way, the main actors must have "star quality" in train movies).

Train movies also provide great chances for interesting and unusual character actors.....weird people traveling on the train main characters are stuck with....trains are claustrophobic, part of their charm and and dramatic usefulness in "train movies." Eccentric old ladies, obnoxious yet precocious children, beautiful ladies of various types, entertainers, uniformed soldiers......an excuse to use all the costumes in the famous Western Costume Co. (Hollywood) storage tower on Melrose Ave. located in Hollywood, Calif. USA. An excuse to beef up the monotonous, predictable scenery on trains, especially older ones usually dull and dark and claustrophobic.

"The Tall Target" (1951 MGM) takes place almost completely on board the insides of a moving passenger train, right to the end of the movie....the train is still moving as it enters 1861 Washington DC USA and the final "The End, Made In Hollywood USA, MGM Studios" credit flashes on the screen (BTW, MGM was located in Culver City, California, far away from Hollywood, Caifornia....not even a short automobile drive away....far away!)

It's a good "moving train movie," and is worth seeing and comparing to other movies of its interesting, always successful type.

---------------

Written by Tex Allen, SAG-AFTRA movie actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen for more information about Tex Allen.

Tex Allen's email address is [e-mail].

See Tex Allen Movie Credits, Biography, and 2012 photos at WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen. See other Tex Allen written movie reviews....almost 100 titles.... at: "http://imdb.com/user/ur15279309/comments" (paste this address into your URL Browser)

"Like A Thief In The Night"

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 23 September 2008]

Although the film is a work of fiction, The Tall Target is based in part on an actual incident that involved an attempt to assassinate President- elect Abraham Lincoln on his way to Washington to assume the presidency in early 1861. A planned stop in Baltimore was canceled and Lincoln was spirited into Washington in the wee small hours of the morning with no kind of fanfare or publicity, as he put it, 'like a thief in the night'.

Anthony Mann directed this 19th century noir type film starring Dick Powell as a New York police sergeant who gets wind of a plot to murder Lincoln in Baltimore. After he confides his suspicions to colleague Regis Toomey, Toomey winds up dead and Powell's more convinced than ever of the rightness of his belief. He boards the train that Lincoln is scheduled to board in Baltimore on to warn him, but Powell's got a lot of people on that train ready to do him in and he doesn't know who to trust.

The Tall Target is very similar to Mann's other classic Winchester 73 in the tautness of the direction and script. There isn't one wasted frame of film in The Tall Target and the suspense is kept throughout, even though history tells us Lincoln dodged a bullet that day. Mann assembled a very strong supporting cast for Powell that includes Adolphe Menjou as a militia colonel called to the colors, Leif Erickson as a Bowery tough, Will Geer as an officious conductor, Marshall Thompson as a southern hothead and resigned West Point cadet and his sister Paula Raymond.

Best performance in the film though is that of young Ruby Dee who plays a slave to Thompson and Raymond traveling with them. She proves to be the only real friend Powell has on the train. It's a quiet understated performance of dignity and strength.

By the way in case any of you are wondering why she doesn't just run away and claim her freedom, a couple of things stops her. The Dred Scott decision for one which obliterated the Missouri Compromise of 1820 with the northern free and southerns slave states and the new Fugitive Slave Law from the 1850 Compromise. However Dee knows that freedom is coming her way and soon.

The Tall Target is one excellent film, one of the best from Dick Powell when he decided to stop making musicals. Catch it absolutely.

Excellent story about an assassination plot against Abe Lincoln

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 6 August 2015]

This is a taut little who-will-do-it (as opposed to a who-dun-it). Based on real history, it's a fictionalized account of a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln on the way to his first inauguration.

Dick Powell plays a New York detective (well, actually a resigned detective) trying to track down a person or persons who are plotting to assassinate Abraham Lincoln on his trip to Washington for his first inauguration. Adolphe Menjou plays a new Colonel in the American Army, who, surprisingly, is part of the plot. Marshall Thompson plays a recent graduate of West Point who is a Southerner at heart, and may be part of the plot, as well. Ruby Dee plays a young slave girl. Leif Erickson is a part of the plot, but is killed early on. Will Geer plays a conductor, and the venerable Florence Bates a gossipy northerner.

Much of the photography is at night, but is excellently done. It's a black and white film, but somehow that seems appropriate.

Dick Powell's performance here is right on target. Powell made only 3 more films after this, although he didn't die (of cancer) for another decade. This is one of the best performances of his that I have seen.

Paula Raymond is quite good as a Southern woman whose husband is involved in the plot. There is also a fine performance by Adolphe Menjou, who on occasion, could be extremely effective. Marshall Thompson is very good here, as well.

If there is a complaint here, it's the ending. It seems to happen so quickly! It doesn't seem like you're at the end of the film, but end it does.

historical train ride movie

[RanchoTuVu · 9/10 · 12 July 2004]

Superbly directed and photographed, and very well acted by Dick Powell, Will Geer, and Adolph Menjou, this movie ranks as one of director Anthony Mann's best achievements. Not one of his trademark noirs, it still has the characteristic tense look and feel, while staking out its own claim to originality, capturing the mood of the country as it is about to explode into a bloodbath. Set on the eve of the Civil War, a New York police detective (Dick Powell) boards a southbound train in New York to foil a conspiracy to assassinate President elect Lincoln. The train setting provides an apt stage in which the passions of the day are played out, with Unionists and Secessionists armed to the teeth. Factually, the details are probably off, but the mood of the time seems to be fairly accurately portrayed.

Tall Target-Aims High ***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 18 November 2006]

Above average thriller about an assassination plot on President-elect Lincoln in 1861. By the end of the film, you will ask where the good guys 4 years later when they were again needed?

Dick Powell plays agent John Kennedy who uncovers the plot. The problem is that it's a hard sell to his fellow agents. Adolph Menjou plays a lieutenant who is up to no good but it's hard to finger him in the plot.

One really good thing about this film is that after a while, you can't distinguish the good guys from the bad ones.

Marshall Thompson plays a southerner and his slave is a very young Ruby Dee. Miss Dee displays lots of guts and emotion here.

The usually reliable Florence Bates is up to par as an abolitionist rider on the train as well.

Interesting but predictable since we all know our history.

Conspiracy

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 27 September 2016]

In 1861, New York Police Sergeant John Kennedy (Dick Powell) finds a plan to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. His chief Superintendent Simon G. Stroud does not believe in his report and Kennedy resigns to hunt the conspirators alone. He informs to Stroud that he had sent his report to the Secretary of War and requests a meeting with Lincoln in Baltimore. He boards the train to Baltimore and does not find his friend Inspector Reilly with his train ticket that was waiting for him, but finds his wallet. Kennedy seeks out Reilly and finds body on a platform; however the corpse falls off the train. When he returns to his seat, there is an impostor posing to be Kennedy but he brings the conductor to the cabin of his acquaintance Colonel Caleb Jeffers that confirms his identity. Kennedy looks for a gun to arrest the impostor but the criminal subdues him with his gun. They leave the train at the next stop but Kennedy fight with the impostor and Colonel Jeffers shoots and kills the man. Kennedy returns to the train and soon he discovers several conspirators in the train. Will he be capable to save Abraham Lincoln?

"The Tall Target" is a fictitious story about a claimed conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Fictitious story of celebrities may be attractive to fans but better off the use of fictitious characters. The screenplay is intriguing and is a suspenseful especially when John Kennedy finds the web of conspirators in the train. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Conspiração" ("Conspiracy")

The First Plot Against Abe.

[theowinthrop · 7 April 2004]

The various Presidential assassinations have generated few first rate films. The best of the lot is Oliver Stone's JFK, but it is also quite controvertial as Stone takes for granted the conspiracy theory of A.D.A. Garrison of New Orleans (which was generally discredited). But Stone's movie does resurrect the real atmosphere of confusion and doubt that political murder retains to this date. So, for all it's defects, it does make its point.

There is no film about Garfield's assassination, and only one old film (THIS IS MY AFFAIR with Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, and Victor MacLaughlin) touched on McKinley's murder. With Lincoln you have no definitive film, a la JFK, but several movies that show the killing or deal with the events or personalitie around it. These include the two sequences in Griffith's BIRTH OF A NATION and ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the film biography of Edwin Booth (PRINCE OF PLAYERS - with Richard Burton as Edwin, Raymond Massey as Junius Brutus Booth Sr., and John Derek as John Wilkes Booth), and the story of Dr. Samuel Mudd, THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND (directed by John Ford, and starring Warner Baxter as the unfortunate Doctor - this may be the best of the Lincoln Assassination films due to Ford's excellent directing). And there is this nice little film directed by Anthony Mann, and starring Dick Powell and Adolphe Menjou. Historically, it is more accurate than some of the reviewers here would believe. An Italian barber named Fernandina was behind the plot (originated in Baltimore) in which a Pinkerton operative infiltrated the scheme to cause a disturbance while Lincoln was delivering a speech in Baltimore, and in the confusion give one of a dozen selected plotters a chance to kill the President-elect. Pinkerton tipped off Old Abe, and his stop in Baltimore was cancelled. Also, he boarded the train in Philadelphia in a disguise (a tam-a shanter and cape were suggested in the press). Lincoln was lampooned for being a silly coward by his opponents, but it was probably true - during the initial weeks of the Civil War Baltimore got more military treatment (including a massacre of a mob of citizens by Massachusetts soldiers) than any other Northern trouble-spot. Fernandina disappeared in the next few months (his eventual fate remains unknown). Pinkerton (who had worked with Lincoln in Illinois, dealing with the Illinois Central Railroad - which also brought him into contact with General McClellan) went on to create the Secret Service. If he overestimated Southern strength, it was unfortunate - but he was a great detective. For all the fictional aspects of the film's script, the movie does capture the urgency of the situation, and the uncertainty of the early days of the Civil War.

Murder on the Baltimore Express - The Tall Target

[arthur_tafero · 7/10 · 28 March 2023]

This is an interesting piece of noir from the 19th Century. One does not ordinarily see many noir films from this period, but this one fits the bill. It has all the suspense and tension of films like Murder on the Orient Express, Shanghai Express, and Night Train to Munich, as well as The Lady Vanishes. There is only one inherent weakness in this film about a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln before his inauguration; and that is the leading man; Dick Powell, Powell is not a 20th century man; he smacks of the 21st Century from his first to last shot on the screen. His casting was a terrific mistake. However, the direction of Anthony Mann is so skillful, that it overcomes this miscasting, through careful scene by scene manipulation. A real masterpiece of noir. Adolph Menjou gives his finest performance since Casablanca. A better choice for the ironically named John Kennedy might have been Gregory Peck or Ray Milland, but Powell probably cost a lot less than either of those actors. Don't miss it.

Tense thriller with historical content

[bandw · 8/10 · 5 May 2012]

This story takes place in February, 1861. It is a story built around a plot to assassinate president-elect Lincoln during his twelve-day inaugural train trip from Springfield, Missouri to Washington, D.C. Dick Powell plays police detective John Kennedy who is aware of the plot and meets indifference from his superiors when he tries to take action. Kennedy takes it on himself to try to foil the plot single-handedly and most of the story takes place on trains where Kennedy gets in tight situations in trying to unravel the conspiracy. That part of the movie plays out as a classic crime drama, but there is much more here than a crime drama.

Many scenes establish the mood of the country at the time. With the beginning of the Civil War only a couple of months away, the tensions leading to that war were in strong evidence on the train. In an early conversation between two women one of them says, "We must take a firm stand against slavery once and for all, don't you agree?" to which the other responds, "As far as I am concerned madame, the new president is Jefferson Davis of Mississippi." Another passenger remarks, "If someone puts a bullet into Abe Lincoln, I'll be the first to shake his hand. That man is heading us straight into war." From the distance of a hundred and fifty years it is interesting to understand that Lincoln, who has become the most admired U.S. president, was so detested at the time by so many.

Another topic broached is the relation between Rachel, a young slave (Ruby Dee) and her owners, the Beauforts. When challenged by Kennedy about her slave ownership, Ginny Beaufort turns to Rachel and says, "I never thought to ask for your freedom and I never thought of giving it to you," to which Rachel responds, "It's not a thing you should have been able to give me. Freedom is something I should have been born with." Certainly this comment resonated with the nascent Civil Rights Movement in the early 1950s.

The black and white photography is well done; the portrayal of the inaugural train seems to be historically accurate.

After seeing this I was left wondering just what the truth was and I was provoked to do a little research. From "Life of Lincoln" by John Caroll Power, H.W. Rokker publisher, 1889, p.51, in referring to a detective who had been hired (behind Lincoln's back) to ferret out the possibility of an assassination attempt planned for when Lincoln passed through Baltimore, the author says, "He (the detective) found out beyond a doubt that a plot was formed for a party of conspirators to crowd around him (Lincoln) in the guise of friends , and at a given signal Mr. Lincoln was to be shot and stabbed." From "The Time Life History of the United States," vol. 5, p.97, 1963, referring to president Lincoln, "Leaving Harrisburg secretly by train on February 22, he transferred at Philadelphia to a sleeper, taking a berth reserved by a female Pinkerton operator for her invalid brother. The party passed safely through Baltimore at 3:30 in the morning and reached Washington at 6 a.m. on the 23rd. The elated Pinkerton sent a code to Harrisburg: Plums Delivered Nuts Safely." Obviously a lot of liberties were taken with history in coming up with this film to turn it into a noir thriller, but there is at least enough of a kernel of truth behind it so it can be enjoyed for the fictionalized version it is without thinking that history has been totally savaged. I thought it was a particularly nice touch to reference a three-cent piece, in circulation at the time.

Gunning for the Big Man

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 24 November 2013]

***SPOILERS**** With the just elected president of the United States Abe Lincoln on his way to Washington D.C to be inaugurated a plot has been hatched by his pro south & slavery opponents to knock him off on his way there when the train he's on stops in Baltimore for him to make a speech. It's now up to NY police sergeant John Kennedy, a possible decedent of future US President John F, Kennedy, played by tough guy and former song & dance man Dick Powell to stop that national tragedy, the assassination of the president, from happening.The rub here is that the persons out to get the just elected Lincoln are on the train planning that his trip to D.C will never get there with him being shot to death in transit!

Right from the start Sgt. Kennedy has trouble convincing any one in authority that Lincoln is targeted for assignation and is deemed to be either out of his mind or a publicity hound trying to get attention and make a name, as a kook, for himself.It's later after almost being thrown off the train by not having a ticket that Kenneduy in taken under the wing by US Army Col. Cleb Jeffers, Adolphe Menjou, who seems to feel sorry for the not so stable guy. As it turns out Col. Jeffers is actually involved in the planned assassination of the president in not only being sympathetic to the southern cause but being related to non other then Jerrerson Davis the soon to be installed President of the Southern Confederacy! With time running out and the future president of the United States life on the line Kennedy attempts to have Lincoln switch trains and get to Washington D.C unannounced by a horse and buggy to trick and confused his penitential killers.

***SPOILERS*** In what turned out to be a Three Card Monte like game the President with the help of Sgt. Kennedy have everyone fooled in where he was with his carefully staged disappearance act that has those out to get him left out in the cold in their attempt to assassinate the President. Sgt. Kennedy who protected Abe Lincoln the last time he was in NYC to take in a Broadway show watch the races at Sheepsheadbay Racetrack did the same her, on the train to D.C, preventing then unimaginable to happen. Thios is all fiction anyway but in real life no one was there when Abe needed them to prevent him from getting gunned down from behind at the Ford Theater on the evening of April 14! Not even the fictional Sgt. John Kennedy!

A dramatic portrayal of a true story of a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln during his inauguration.

[twhitaker54 · 8/10 · 28 January 2009]

This is my first submittal to this site. As someone who enjoys old movies, being 54 I have seen thousands in my lifetime, I was delighted to see this film for the first time this morning, in Switzerland of all places. The talented actors with their dramatic portrayal of a true story makes this my favorite Abraham Lincoln assassination plot movie. Though obviously a mid-budget film, the sets and acting were superb for this screenplay. Dick Powell (as John Kennedy), Adolphe Menjou, Will Geer, a young Ruby Dee, Paula Raymond and Marshall Thompson were cast well in their respective roles. It was refreshing to see a movie released in 1951 dealing with the subject of slavery and freedom with the fine black actress, Ruby Dee, being given such a prominent role in the film. All around this is a delight to watch, especially for those who, like me, are history and old movie buffs. The film does need some restoration work but I would change little else in this fine film.

Unique Entry in Noir Canon

[evanston_dad · 6/10 · 13 April 2020]

"The Tall Target" isn't a great noir, if it even is a noir, but it's a unique one in that it's one of the few I can think of that isn't set in contemporary times. Set instead in 1860s United States, it tells the story of an NY detective (Dick Powell) who has information that will help him thwart an assassination attempt on incoming president Abraham Lincoln. The majority of the action is set on a train carrying Powell and Lincoln's would-be assassin to an inaugural address. Anthony Mann provides uncharacteristically sluggish direction, and Powell is never quite convincing as a 19th century police officer. But the historical setting gives the film the opportunity to address racial issues of 1951 (the year of the film's release) in context of slavery of the 1860s, even if those issues are treated as a bit of an aside to the main action. The film's murder mystery-ish train setting evokes something by Agatha Christie as well as earlier films -- Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" comes immediately to mind, though this film is nowhere nearly as fun -- and satisfies the viewer looking for something cozy to pop in on a rainy day.

Grade: B

Almost perfect.

[alan-trevennor · 10/10 · 10 November 2007]

Having collected an off-air recording of this film I now make sure to watch it at least once per year. Why? It's almost perfect.

A New York police detective stumbles upon a plot to kill President elect Abraham Lincoln en route to Washington for his inauguration. The plotters plan for multiple gunmen to assassinate Abe whilst he is speechifying in Baltimore.

Having failed to convince his superiors that the plot is real, the cop hands in his badge and takes "The Flyer" - an overnight train from New York to Baltimore. The bulk of the film concerns his efforts to find out more details of the plot, and figure out which of his fellow passengers are part of it. Having done so, he must stop them from bumping him off or getting him locked up until it's all over. It's a great plot, extrapolated to some unknown degree, from real events.

For me, the film has a quality that should put it right up there with other film noir classics such as "The Big Sleep". You actually feel the cop's physical desperation that he must stop the conspirators, and you feel their fanaticism to succeed. Dick Powell as the cop (Ironically called John Kennedy) carries the film superbly. Will Geer (he eventually played the Grandfather in "The Waltons") is completely believable as the harassed train conductor. The more minor characters (such as the driver/engineer and some of the non-principal passengers) are given depth and motivation to a degree that is quite unusual.

The settings feel like a train, rather than a set being rocked gently by a set of burly teamsters. The external train shots are mostly real, not the usual laughable model shots you get in many train films of this vintage. In fact, overall, the technical competence of the whole production is top notch. The photography, lighting, sound, visual effects and sets are of a very high calibre indeed.

Even if you are not usually given to watching movies as old as this one, I urge you to track this one down - it's well worthwhile.

Alan T.

Who Killed Abe Lincoln?

[boblipton · 6/10 · 12 February 2024]

Dick Powell is a sergeant in New York's police force. He has caught wind of a plot to assassinate President-Elect Abraham Lincoln as he makes his way to Washington D. C. for his inauguration. No one on the force will believe him, so he resigns and gets on the train to protect the great man.

It's a bizarre movie that in some ways predicts the better remembered SUDDENLY. This being an MGM production, great care was taken in casting and in making sure that the railroad stations and trains looked right. Even so, an old railroad buff will complain because in 1861, no single company ran trains from New York to Washington.

Anthony Mann has directed a taut, tense film noir. Once Powell is aboard the train, everyone becomes an object of suspicion, every prop and bit of set dressing an infuriating obstacle to seeing what is going on. Who is the assassin? Is there more than one on board? Is it genial militia Colonel Adolphe Menjou? Southern belle Paula Raymond or her brother Marshall Thompson? Conductor Will Geer or Boston authoress Florence Bates? Could everyone be in on it, offering an elaborate charade to confuse any bystanders?

Cameraman Paul Vogel delights in shooting a very dark movie, just right for film noir. Although it never quite succeeds in drawing the audience into the paranoid idea that Lincoln might be shot and killed, it still succeeds in making you wonder how this ever-growing conspiracy will be thwarted.

Intriguing and original movie about a plot(s) to assassinate Lincoln.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 23 March 2008]

Movies mostly set in trains often work out extremely well. It's an enclosed and restrained environment, that creates a feeling of claustrophobia and tension but also with a lot of pace, since the train is always on the move. Just think about other movie examples set- or partly set on trains such as "North by Northwest", "Murder on the Orient Express", "Shanghai Express" and "From Russia with Love". This is a movie that deserves a spot on this list as well.

This is a rather intriguing and original movie concerning plots to assassinate Abraham Lincoln before or during his inauguration as the president. It's based on true fact. There really were several plots being brewed to assassinate Lincoln because of his outspoken opinion against slavery and because he mostly was seen as a friend of the north, among various other reasons. But of course the movie takes lots of liberties with the story, also because nobody really knows what happened really.

The story focuses on a New York police man who suspects that there is plot to kill Lincoln. Only problem for him is his superiors don't believe him and won't take him serious, which is reason for him to take matters into his own hands. Aboard the train to Baltimore, where Lincoln would pass through on his way to Washngton D.C. to be inaugurated, there is a lot of political talk aboard between Lincoln 'fans' and 'haters' and other various characters that act very suspicious. It makes this a good and interesting movie on several levels. It gives a good view into the time and minds of American people who lived in the 1860's and at the same time also gives the movie a tense mysterious/thriller story.

In 1951, action-movies were still non-existent so to speak but this movie at times show some early premises of the genre. It's mostly notable in its pace and toward the ending of the movie.

Interesting detail is that the main character in this movie is named John Kennedy. There always have been a surprising lot of similarities between Abraham Lincoln and the other assassinated US president John F. Kennedy, so the fact that the main character is named John Kennedy in a movie about Abraham Lincoln, 10 years before Kennedy became president is an odd coincidence to say the least. Also one of the plots, as described in this movie, to kill Lincoln in this movie show a surprising amount of similarities to how John F. Kennedy many years later got assassinated.

One of those movies that really deserves to be known better and needs to be seen be more.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Not for Those Who Appreciate Historical Accuracy

[michaeljordan-86767 · 6/10 · 25 April 2021]

Anthony Mann was a good director, and Dick Powell was a very talented actor (in both musicals and film noirs); unfortunately, this isn't a bright spot for either of them. The film is based on the "Baltimore Plot," which was an alleged plot to kill the newly elected Lincoln on his way to Washington DC. This so-called plot was in all likelihood never seriously planned, and was simply based on empty threats made a secessionist barber in Baltimore (he was never even arrested). Nevertheless, Allan Pinkerton (head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency) took the "plot" seriously and made elaborate plans to get Lincoln to Washington safely.

Although not a technically bad film, a lot of unnecessary changes were made. Instead of portraying Pinkerton who was actually on the train with Lincoln, Powell plays a New York police officer who was never anywhere near the vicinity. Also, a good deal of time is spent attempting to explain why Republicans would try to kill their own recently elected Republican president. The explanation given in the film is that the Republicans wanted to assassinate Lincoln in order to make him a martyr, so Republicans could get elected for the next two decades out of sympathy. That is, of course, crazy and would be like Democrats plotting to assassinate Biden right after he's elected in an effort to repeatedly get Democrats elected for years to come (it literally makes no sense).

Finally, even though most of the characters are in period dress from 1861, Powell is wearing a mostly contemporary suit from 1950. In 1861, men wore ties that were very thick with huge Windsor knots, but Powell is wearing a super thin tie with a small knot. Every time Powell is onscreen with others, it looks he's a time traveler from 1950.

Anyway, most of my issues with the film are related to its accuracy rather than the quality of the story, direction, and acting. It's not a terrible film, but it's hard to appreciate it given the fact that 90% of the film isn't based on historical fact. Those not concerned with historical accuracy may very well enjoy it.

Great Premise-Poor Moviemaking

[bolsen · 30 October 2000]

Well, allegedly Abraham Lincoln DID have to cancel his inaugurational speech due to a plot to assassinate him, but not quite the way it's planned in this fictionalized movie. Dick Powell stars as a policeman who (doing his best to pretend he wants to be in this movie) somehow gets involved in this secret plot to kill Lincoln. It's never explained why the man ends up dead on the caboose of the train (did he come across the plot himself, or just maybe could he have had a heart attack?), the person in car 27, connected to the death, is SO OBVIOUS, you'd have to be an infant not to guess it. HINT--a gunshot in a smoke-filled scene gives it away. Anyways, after about halfway through, the plot thickens from paper-thin to cardboard thin when Powell is suspected of being an imposter and must not only escape from the clutches of the law just in time to catch the train, save the president, and clear his name of all wrong doing, but has to pay a little kid to keep silent. That I thought was demeaning, but not so ridiculous as the bullet that makes a hole in a newspaper covering a man's face, but not into the skull of the man's head. Overall, and I know it seems like it's the worst film I've seen, it keeps you interested, but you must wade through cliches and unexplained activity to get there. ** out of **** C grade.