Hello!?? You call these "tall" men!!?? Ha! They seemed awfully small and petty to me.From my perspective, Ben and Clint Allison (the story's 2 main characters) were nothing but a pair of common criminals and equally worthless saddle-tramps. The only thing noticeably "tall" about these 2 scoundrels was the height of their over-inflated egos, especially that of Ben (played by, none other than, Clark Gable).Set in the year 1866, this second-rate, 1955 Western (that shied away from close-ups) seemed more concerned, than anything else, about focusing in on the mega-stupid and totally predictable romance that transpired between Ben and that gold-digger, Nella (played by the buxom, but talentless, Jane Russell). There was really no attempt made here to develop a worthwhile story about the great, old west.Yes. This Western did contain its fair share of gun-play, as well as feature a predictable cattle-drive, a laughable ambush and an inevitable Indian uprising (thrown in for good measure) - But, in the long run, the only thing worth any mention about The Tall Men was its nicely shot scenes in the wide, open country of Montana and Texas.And, unfortunately, when it came to the likes of big-name actor, Clark Gable - At a tired-looking 55 he was completely unconvincing as Ben Allison, the rugged, cowboy stud-muffin. Gable's laughable performance as this character easily brought this film's rating down by a few serious notches.

The Tall Men is directed by Raoul Walsh and stars Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Cameron Mitchell and Robert Ryan. Produced out of 20th Century Fox by William A. Bacher and William B. Hawks, it's adapted for the screen by Frank S. Nugent & Sydney Boehm from a novel written by Heck Allen (as Clay Fisher). Filmed out of Durango, the cinematography is by Leo Tover in a CinemaScope/DeLuxe production and Victor Young provides the score.Montana Territory 1866"They came from the South, headed for the gold-fields….Ben & Clint Allison, lonely, desperate men. Riding away from a heartbreak memory of Gettysburg. Looking for a new life. A story of tall men-and long shadows."The Tall Men has professionalism written all over it, from the tight direction by Walsh to the on the money writing, it's a Western that has no pretencions. The panoramic vistas are beautifully realised by the makers and in spite of Russell's flat style of acting, the cast put credibility into the cattle drive and romantic aspects of the story. Tho action sequences are few and far between, the film succeeds because of the well written characters and the landscapes that frame them. There's even much comedy to enjoy as well, a department where Russell does earn her corn in the movie (there's also a bath moment to get us boys hot under the collar too). Most notably the comedy works for her when playing off of Gable who seems to be enjoying himself as the rough, tough and cheeky Ben Allison. Very talky to be sure, there are for instance many extended scenes of our lead protagonists swapping dialogue, but it all serves a purpose and in the capable hands of Walsh the sequences serve to drive the narrative forward.Solid enjoyable stuff if ultimately a touch too long. 6.5/10

One thing the auteur theorists seemed to overlook when analysing the classic and archetypal Westerns, is the fact that all those post-war greats directed by John Ford, from Fort Apache (1948) to Two Rode Together (1961), were written by the same person – Frank Nugent. However with The Tall Men, we have a Frank Nugent Western directed by Raoul Walsh, and lo and behold it features many of those themes often mistakenly described as Fordian, such as respect accorded to an aging gunfighter, and a hostile yet dignified portrayal of Indians. Still, not everyone directs alike, so this doesn't mean it will turn out exactly like one of the Ford horse operas.Of all Hollywood directors, probably no-one had quite the same affection for the West as Walsh did. Walsh always emphasised the openness and freedom of the plains in his achingly beautiful landscape shots. He contrasts these with a very confined and stripped-down look for his indoor or town-based scenes. He even creates a kind of artificial indoors, for example when Clark Gable and co. settle down after the first day of the cattle drive, with elements as simple as a sloping bank, a tree and a wagon, so as to give all that more impact when we return to the trail. Appropriately for the title of this one, he has his heroes stand tall against the landscape. Although Ford does many similar things (such as contrasting wide-open outdoors with cramped interiors) Ford's landscape scenes often have a slightly desperate, dangerous look to them, with the characters small and vulnerable against the vastness of the scenery, while his homesteads have a safe cosy feel. Walsh on the other hand makes the outdoors look inviting despite its dangers, whereas civilization is dull and restrictive. It's differences like this that bring the diverging characters to the two men's work.But why, you might ask, if Walsh is so good and he's got a Nugent script, is The Tall Man not a timeless classic like so many of the Ford post-war Westerns were? Well you have to remember Ford was a respected, award-winning director, whereas Walsh was these days a potboiler-man. Ford had access to better casts, better crews, bigger budgets, more flexible shooting-schedules, not to mention being more likely to get Nugent's finer scripts, and to be honest the Tall Men is far from Nugent's best. There's also the fact that Walsh is not on top form because he was not well-suited to the Cinemascope aspect ratio (something Ford managed to avoid for all his late Westerns). Walsh liked to compose in depth – landscape shots that emphasise distance, action moving towards the camera, dollying in for emphasis – and the extra width is fairly useless to him. He tends to frame the action towards the middle of the screen as if still using academy ratio, and as such his actors look a little overwhelmed, detracting from the impact they have on screen and sapping the romantic scenes of any intensity.Still, there is much to like about The Tall Men. Clark Gable may have been getting on a bit in years, but he has lost none of his rugged screen presence. Jane Russell is no great actress but she's a tough girl who looks like she belongs out on the trail by Gable's side. Walsh's depiction of the cattle drive sweeping across the plains is among the most breathtaking ever committed to celluloid, and the Victor Young score underpins the imagery with an appropriately sentimental theme. There are some superbly rousing actions scenes too, with a real emphasis on making the audience feel in the thick of it. And despite its not being the most thought-provoking thing Frank Nugent ever wrote, like all his Westerns it paints a convincing picture of larger-than-life heroes, and is imbued with all the roughness and nostalgia that has come to define the genre.

Salty, surly star-driven western about a cattle drive from Texas to Montana, with would-be rancher Clark Gable vying with banker Robert Ryan for the hand of wisecrackin' Jane Russell. Good-looking, exceptional entertainment from director Raoul Walsh. Screenwriters Frank Nugent and Sidney Boehm adapted their script from a novel (credited either to Heck Allen or to Clay Fisher), smoothly intermingling jovial exchanges between the characters, Indian clashes, Mexican stand-offs, and Russell singin' in the wash-tub. Enjoyable of its type, nicely photographed by Leo Tover, with Gable giving a solid star-performance. **1/2 from ****