Tall in the Saddle

"WAYNE PACKS A WALLOP...In Action...In Love!"

1944 1h 27m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 76

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Rocklin arrives in a western town he finds that the rancher who hired him as a foreman has been murdered. He is out to solve the murder and thwart the scheming to take the ranch from its rightful owner.

“WAYNE PACKS A WALLOP...In Action...In Love!”

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Cast

John Wayne
Rocklin
Ella Raines
Arleta 'Arly' Harolday
Ward Bond
'Judge' Robert Garvey
George 'Gabby' Hayes
Dave
Audrey Long
Clara Cardell
Elisabeth Risdon
Miss Elizabeth Martin
Donald Douglas
Harolday
Paul Fix
Bob Clews

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Edwin L. Marin
Writers: Gordon Ray Young, Michael Hogan, Paul Fix
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

82 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Edwin L. Marin, shot by Robert De Grasse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Philip Martin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Wayne and Ella Raines and Ward Bond carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "WAYNE PACKS A WALLOP...In Action...In Love!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Edwin L. Marin directs. Robert De Grasse behind the camera. Roy Webb scores. Philip Martin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
282 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
4Directed by Edwin L. Marin, shot by Robert De Grasse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Roy Webb. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Philip Martin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7John Wayne and Ella Raines and Ward Bond carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "WAYNE PACKS A WALLOP...In Action...In Love!".
9IMDB entry: tt0037343 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 76 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "sheriff", "saloon", "poker", "ranch".

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert De Grasse
Original score: Roy Webb
Editing: Philip Martin
Sound: James G. Stewart
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Tall in the Saddle (1944)

Also by

Edwin L. Marin

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-03-21
★ 7/10
I like grumpy old cusses. Hope to live long enough to be one. Tall in the Saddle is directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Michael Hogan, Paul Fix and Gordon Ray Young. It stars John Wayne, Ella Raines, Ward Bond, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Audrey Long. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Robert De Grasse. Ranch hand Rocklin (Wayne) arrives in town to start his new job but finds his employer has been murdered and the locals are all a bit too shifty for comfort... Hee, the title is rather appropriate given Duke Wayne's stature, and yet it's a title that doesn't really do justice to the pic as a whole. The plot has some nifty complexities, where simmering passions blend with a murder mystery and crooked shenanigans. Marin directs at a clip, never once letting the narrative sink into tedium. The action is fruity, where in spite of some crude era back projection work, fist fights, gun play and chases keep things on the boil. Raines is socko sexy (how nice she's not token fodder either), which acts as a counter point with Long's homely beauty, while Wayne does his thang with iconic rewards. Gorgeous photography seals the deal here, both with the Calif locations frames and the monochrome shadings, for what is ultimately a hugely enjoyable 40s Oater. 7/10
drystyx2023-04-10
★ 8/10
This is an ideal Western. John Wayne is tall in the saddle. He travels East to wild West, and is not backing down from trouble. What really makes this film is Ella Raines as a super hot love interest. I may be spoiling that, because another woman enters first, quietly and very lady like, while Ella enters like a wildcat, but a beautiful wildcat that any man would want. A lot of emotion, mostly from Ella, with the Duke being sort of a straight man with mostly calmness, his character a bit shocked by all the emotion and danger, but never backing down.