The Tall T

"Taut! Torrid! Tremendous! T Is for Terror!"

1957 1h 18m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 155

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Pat Brennan's luck is about to go from bad to worse; after gambling his horse away, he gets a ride from Willard and Doretta Mims. However, their stagecoach is hijacked by a trio of merciless bandits, led by ruthless Frank Usher. As Usher holds the passengers hostage, Brennan falls in love with Doretta and develops a risky plan to free himself and the Mimses, leading to a bloody final standoff.

“Taut! Torrid! Tremendous! T Is for Terror!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Randolph Scott
Pat Brennan
Richard Boone
Frank Usher
Maureen O'Sullivan
Doretta Mims
Arthur Hunnicutt
Ed Rintoon
Skip Homeier
Billy Jack
Henry Silva
Chink
John Hubbard
Willard Mims
Robert Burton
Tenvoorde

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Budd Boetticher
Writers: Elmore Leonard, Burt Kennedy, Elmore Leonard
Languages: English
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

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Ranown Cycle Westerns Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Budd Boetticher, shot by Charles Lawton Jr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Randolph Scott and Richard Boone and Maureen O'Sullivan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Budd Boetticher directs. Charles Lawton Jr. behind the camera. Heinz Roemheld scores. Al Clark cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
269 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Ranown Cycle Westerns Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Budd Boetticher, shot by Charles Lawton Jr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Heinz Roemheld. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Randolph Scott and Richard Boone and Maureen O'Sullivan carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Taut! Torrid! Tremendous! T Is for Terror!".
10IMDB entry: tt0051047 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles Lawton Jr.
Original score: Heinz Roemheld
Editing: Al Clark
Runtime: 78 min · 1h 18m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Tall T (1957)

Part of

The Ranown Cycle Westerns Collection

The six briskly entertaining, vividly performed westerns made by director Budd Boetticher and strapping star Randolph Scott in the second half of the 1950s transcend their B-movie origins to become rich, unexpectedly profound explorations of loyalty, greed, honor, and revenge.

Also by

Budd Boetticher

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-04-30
★ 9/10
This had both an excellent cast and was exciting from start to finish. I was curious about it when I saw it at #55 in my highly recommended copy of 'The Editors of American Cowboy Magazine's The Top 100 Western Movies of All Time'. Before I saw this, I had only seen a few of the Westerns Boetticher made with Randolph Scott; I had no other experience with the director. But this is marvelous--top-tier alongside the similarly great 'Buchanan Rides Alone'. I noticed in the comments section that others noted the short running time, and that there wasn't an ounce of fat on the film. They're right. The vast majority of filmmakers today could easily learn a thing or two from watching these fine collaborations. It was very weird for me, after seeing the gorgeous Maureen O'Sullivan star in the daringly sexually provocative pre-Code 'Tarzan and His Mate' be considered by her co-stars here, 23 years later, a very plain-looking old maid, and it was both bizarre (since when I have seen him in these 50's Westerns, he hasn't really been the romancing type) and awesome seeing Randolph Scott take a shining to her on her wedding night (to another man, lol!). Oh, to be alive and make films in that fine filmmaking era!
John Chard2019-01-10
★ 9/10
T for Taut! Pat Brennan loses his horse in a bet and is forced to hit the trail on foot. Thinking his luck has turned, he manages to hitch a ride on a stagecoach carrying newlyweds, the Mims'. However, his luck is short lived as the stagecoach is held up by three hot headed outlaws who are surprised to find that this isn't the stagecoach they were hoping to rob. Things take a dastardly turn when the thieves learn that Doretta Mims is the daughter of a wealthy copper mine owner, sensing an opportunity for ransom the thieves start to make plans, but do they really think Brennan is going to sit by and watch this happen? And can he outwit three deadly men all on his own? Based on the Elmore Leonard story, The Captive, The Tall T is a smashing and suspenseful Western brought to us by the excellent director/actor team of Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott. Not without humour either, it's however a serious psychological piece that looks at the complexities of the good and bad characters struggling amidst the sprawling Western backdrop. What sticks out here as a real positive is that Brennan is clearly not the stronger man as opposed to his captors, led by the fearsome Usher (a wonderful Richard Boone), the trio of outlaws are leaner and more devil may care, but have they got the wits that Brennan possesses? This is the key issue in this picture, and it certainly begs for more scrutiny. The Tall T has garnered something of a cult following over the years, since Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven reignited interest in "Adult Westerns", it has thankfully been reappraised by critics and Western fans alike, the result is a resounding thumbs up. 8.5/10
Wuchak2021-09-05
★ 8/10
Well done 50’s Western with Randolph Scott, Richard Boone and Maureen O'Sullivan A former ranch ramrod (Randolph Scott) and members of a stagecoach in the Southwest (e.g. Maureen O'Sullivan) are threatened by a trio of ruthless killers (Richard Boone, Henry Silva and Skip Homeier). “The Tall T” (1957) is a quality 50’s Western with likable Randolph Scott in the heroic role. It has achieved a sort of cult status as the prime example of a classic Boetticher-Scott Western. The original story was written by Elmore Leonard, which explains the movie’s similarities to the later “Hombre” (1967), not to mention Boone appears in both as the chief outlaw. There are also parallels to Scott’s “Hangman’s Knot” (1952), which was shot in the same area and shares some story elements. I didn’t recognize Maureen O'Sullivan of Tarzan fame, 23 years after her physical prime in “Tarzan and His Mate” (1934). While the script keeps having the male characters refer to her as a “plain” or “old maid,” she’s obviously fit and still alluring in the second half with her hair down. In truth, most men in the Old West would kill to gain the attentions of such a woman. The film is taut at 1 hour, 18 minutes, and was shot at Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California. GRADE: B+/A-