Themes: Clearing One's Name, Lone Wolves, Righting the Wronged
Main Cast: John Wayne, Ella Raines, Audrey Long, George "Gabby" Hayes, Ward Bond, Elizabeth Risdon
Release Year: 1941
Country: US
Run Time: 79 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
John Wayne stars in this hard-driving oater which was co-written by character actor Paul Fix. Wayne plays Rocklin, a chauvinistic cowboy who arrives at the KC Ranch in Santa Inez to apply for a job as a foreman. But when he finds that the owner has died and that the ranch is now being run by two women -- Clara Cardell (Audrey Long) and her aunt Miss Martin (Elizabeth Risdon) -- he hardheadedly refuses to work for the women. But later on, Clara comes looking for Rocklin, asking his help in obtaining a letter from the town's corrupt judge Garvey (Ward Bond) that proves that Clara is old enough to be the legal owner of the ranch. Rocklin arrives in Garvey's office just after Garvey has burned the letter. The two tangle, with Rocklin sending Garvey crashing through his door. After the fight, Rocklin meets Arly Harolday (Ella Raines), another female ranch owner. Rocklin's views on women enrage Arly so much that she gets her stepfather (Donald Douglas) to hire him to work on her ranch, just so she can fire him. But in spite of Rocklin's primitive attitudes, Arly falls in love with him. Meanwhile, things are heating up as Garvey and other corrupt officials try to get control of the KC ranch. In order to get rid of Rocklin, a murder rap is pinned on him, forcing him to leave town. Hiding out at the KC ranch, he learns that he is the nephew of the ranch's dead owner and the rightful heir. Arly arrives to help Rocklin and to tell him that the murder Rocklin is accused of committing was actually committed by Arly's stepfather, who is working with Garvey and Miss Martin to get the deed to the ranch. With all that information under his cowboy hat, Rocklin cocks his gun and goes out to face the bad guys for a final showdown. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Ralph Berger - Art Director, Albert S. D'Agostino - Art Director, Theron Warth - Associate Producer, Edward Stevenson - Costume Designer, Harry Scott - First Assistant Director, Edwin L. Marin - Director, Philip Martin - Editor, Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score), Constantin Bakaleinikoff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Robert de Grasse - Cinematographer, Robert M. Fellows - Producer, Darrell Silvera - Set Designer, William L. Stevens - Set Designer, Vernon Walker - Special Effects, John E. Tribby - Sound/Sound Designer, Paul Fix - Screenwriter, Michael Hogan - Screenwriter, Gordon Ray Young - Short Story Author
Tall in the Saddle is a 1944 western movie starring John Wayne as a cowboy and Ella Raines as his fierce bullwhip-brandishing love interest. The screenplay was co-written by actor Paul Fix and the film was directed by Edwin L. Marin.
