Review: The Tall T (1957)
1957's The Tall T is one of my all-time favorite westerns for many reasons. It's part of the highly-regarded Ranown Cycle of films that were directed by Budd Boetticher, produced by Harry Joe Brown, and starring Randolph Scott. It's based on the 1955 story " The Captives" by Elmore Leonard, one of my favorite writers whose work continues to be adapted for film and television ( 3:10 to Yuma, Jackie Brown, Out of Sight , Justified , etc). It's also a study in economy, with every line of dialogue and every scene in service of the whole. There is no fat on this lean--and often mean--B-picture from Columbia. The picture is essentially a hostage story that unfolds almost in real time. Randolph Scott plays Pat Brennan, a kind-hearted loner who lives a solitary life in the hills. When we first meet him, he's visiting a stagecoach way station in the middle of the desert on his way into town. His friendly interactions with the attendant and his young son inform us...
