The Tall Stranger *** (1957, Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo, Barry Kelley) – Classic Movie Review 7274

Little-known director Thomas Carr’s well-crafted 1957 Western The Tall Stranger stars Joel McCrea as ex-Yankee officer Ned Bannon, who is shot half dead by rustlers, but is saved by an intrepid wagon train of former Confederate settlers on their way to California.

He then assists them in battling their way through Colorado in 1865, wins the hand of the lovely, fiery Ellen (Virginia Mayo) on the trail, battles a couple of bad guys and his hostile half-brother, and helps the wagon train settle in a prosperous but lawless valley of cattle rustlers and land grabbers.

The Tall Stranger (1957) with Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo.

The Tall Stranger offers routine, but nifty B-movie Western action, carefully made by the Philadelphia-born second feature and TV director Carr, with sturdy performances, fine visuals shot in impressive CinemaScope and colour by Wilfred M Kline, and a taut screenplay by Christopher Knopf, taken from Louis L’Amour’s 1957 novel.

The Tall Stranger is a very good example of its relatively humble Fifties kind.

Also in the cast are Barry Kelley as Hardy Bishop, Michael Ansara as Zarata, Whit Bissell as Adam Judson, James Dobson as Dud, George N Neise as Mort Harper, Adam Kennedy as Red, Michael Pate as Charley, Leo Gordon as Stark, Ray Teal as Cap, Phil Phillips as Will, Robert Foulk as Pagones, Jennifer Lea as Mary, George J Lewis as Chavez, Guy Prescott as Barrett, Ralph Reed as Murray, Hugo Mauritz, Tom London, Don McGuire, Ann Morrison, Leonard P Geer and Danny Sands.

The Tall Stranger is directed by Thomas Carr, runs 82 minutes, is released by Allied Artists, is written by Christopher Knopf, based on Louis L’Amour’s 1957 novel, is shot in CinemaScope and colour by Wilfred M Kline, is produced by Walter Mirisch and Richard V Heermance, is scored by Hans J Salter and is designed by Dave Milton.

The Tall Stranger book was first published by Gold Medal Books.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7274

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

First edition of Louis L’Amour’s 1957 novel.