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.
Review of The Tall Target
