The Tin Star

No need to recap the plot. I have to agree with Doug Balch's perceptive review—there're too many flaws in this Mann western to rate with his best. In the pivotal tenderfoot role, Perkins is callow enough but lacks the inner mettle to make his transition to tough guy believable. On the other hand, Fonda's total self-assurance does get tiresome. Jimmy Stewart as Morg, I think, would have conveyed some needed inner life. The movie manages to touch all the expected bases, apart from a racial subtext that reflects America's growing civil rights movement. And as Balch points out, the serial showdown with the McGaffeys is both implausible and poorly staged. Too bad, also, that Paramount couldn't pop for more than an obvious studio town and LA area locations. These familiar settings have cheap TV production written all over them. Perhaps this is why Mann directs in an unusually impersonal manner. On the other hand, Mann manages to soften rough spots with smooth pacing, though I don't spot many of his stylings, especially the reality of violence. I also agree that McIntire delivers the movie's best performance as the frontier doctor. He's quite vivid and believable. Also, the doc's demise and aftermath is almost inspired and amounts to the movie's highpoint. All in all, there's good reason, I think, why this oater is not generally included among Mann's best. After all, it's results and not reputations that should count. (In passing—the movie came along at a time when the boyish Perkins was being promoted as a bobbysox idol. Fortunately, Hitchcock saw through the mirage, thus qualifying the actor for movie immortality.)

The "Tin Star" includes elements from "High Noon". The black and white photography and the town have the same look as the 1953 Academy Award winner. There is also an emphasis on the script rather than the non-stop action that the genre so often offers. In both films the marshal must stand alone at the end against the bad guys. Although there are many similarities, the script and plot here are quite different. Henry Fonda plays a bounty hunter and Anthony Perkins plays the acting sheriff who'd like the job permanently. The two of them become an unlikely team as bounty hunter Morgan Hickman waits on his reward for bringing in a killer. Hickman is more than a little cynical. He was once a sheriff, but gave it up to pursue criminals in his own way. He gets little respect from the townspeople. "Our officers of the law bring their prisoners in alive", says the mayor. "Your officer of the law never brought in Jamison at all", Hickman replies. Perkins as the Marshal is more than a little green. When he drops his gun while twirling it in the opening sequence it is apparent he needs to work on his skills. He quickly realizes he needs help when the local bad guy Bart Bogardus (played by Neville Brand) is released with a mere fine after killing an Indian. "He had witnesses", he tells Hickman. He asks for Hickman's help in learning how to be a sheriff. Ultimately, both of them realize that the sheriff will have to confront Bogardus. The film follows Fonda and Perkins as the latter learns what he must do. "Learn how to study men", Fonda tells him in one scene. In another he chides him for shooting too quickly. "I'd be dead if I didn't", Perkins demurs. "Be quick up here", Fonda replies pointing at his head, "but take that extra split second." The sheriff's problem, he says, is that he lacks confidence. As it turns out, there is much for both of them to learn. Perkins gains confidence and is able to stand up to Bogardus and a lynch mob. Fonda appreciates once again the rewards of being a sheriff. This is a serious film. The script has little or no humor. There is an undercurrent of racism here. When Bogardus shoots the Indian outside the saloon he tells Perkins that "no White Man is going to arrest me for shooting a mangy Indian". As a bounty hunter Fonda is not welcome in town. He can't even stable his horse in town. The only place he can find to stay is in a house at the edge of town. Nona Mayfield (played by Betsy Palmer) has been banished to this house, because she married an Indian. She is widowed now and living there with her young son, who takes a liking to Fonda. The feeling is mutual, but there are some tense moments initially when Nona Mayfield accuses Fonda of being a bigot. He isn't and quickly proves it to her. The direction by Anthony Mann is first rate. I liked the attention to little details. There is a window in the sheriff's office that showcases the normal life of the town. In one scene a man nonchalantly pushes a wagon wheel down the street as the scene in the sheriff's office unfolds. Located just outside the window is a conspicuous hanging tree. This is a thoroughly enjoyable film with sturdy performances by Fonda and Perkins. The film spawned a television program entitled "The Deputy", which featured Fonda as a United States Marshal and Perkins as his deputy. Enjoy it.

Directed by Anthony Mann, The Tin Star is quite a remarkable Western that revisits a classic pattern of the genre though deviating from it a bit by introducing some new models. It features superb performance from Henry Fonda as an experienced ex-sheriff Morg Hickman who recently lost his wife and only child and travels to a small town where the newly appointed young and ambitious sheriff Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins) faces quite a strong opposition from much older and tougher Bogardus who has a shot at occupying his post. The two of them soon become friends and Morg starts to give a valuable help to the young man passing him his vast experience in practicing sheriff's job. Meanwhile Morg finds a place to live at home of a widow Nora Mayfield (Betsy Palmer) who lives with her young son and is treated like outcast among the town's population, especially Bogardus and his gang because of her previous marriage to an Indian. Promptly they develop quite a deep attachment for each other primarily based on their similar nature of being quite different from the other people surrounding them and the bonding fact that both of them suffered a deep personal loses of husband in Nora's case and wife and son in Morg's. The confrontation between the two parties ensues when one of the town folks is attacked and killed by a couple of unknown men and the next day the same fate riches the most respectable and loved Dr. McCord (John McIntire) whose entering the town on a carriage at the day of his birthday scene is probably one of the most remarkable in the Western's history. The town's people join Bogardus and form the party to find and lynch the murderers while young sheriff Ben wants to capture bandits alive and give them a fair trial and is joined in this undertaking by Morg. The Tin Star is undoubtedly a very important Western featuring some of the most memorable and heart-warming moments of the genre's history and a wonderful performance from Henry Fonda. 8/10.

source: The Tin Star

Unlike the Stewart/Mann Westerns, this one doesn't seem to have much of a critical fan base. I can understand why, although it's not bad at all. Here's what I liked: Henry Fonda makes a super cowboy. A shame he didn't make more Westerns. A juicy part here as a retired, all-knowing "super-sheriff" who has turned bitter bounty hunter after losing a wife and child in the line of duty. (Randolph Scott played a very similar character in Budd Boetticher's "Ride Lonesome" a couple of years later. Lee Van Cleef also played the heavy in that film). Excellent acting by the always reliable John McEntire, once again exhibiting his remarkable range by playing a man 25 years older than himself - and nailing it. Nice job by Neville Brand as an Indian hating heavy. Interesting that I had just watched Brand play an Indian character in a comic relief buddy role with John Wayne in "Cahill, U.S. Marshall". Morg's romantic interest isn't gratuitous. Women and son are key to the theme of Morg's redemption from "dead only" bounty hunter/loner to family man, with a real job and responsibility. Very effective scene where the dead body of Doc McCord is carried into the middle of his 75th birthday celebration by his buggy. This is Anthony Mann at his macabre best. Here's what kept the movie from being better: The plot dragged. I got bored watching this. Dual climaxes of shootout with McGaffeys and confrontation with Bogardus was awkward. Parts of the plot seemed blatantly derivative from a couple of very successful movies released a few years before this i.e. Morg's relationship with the little boy ("Shane") and the sheriff being left to fend for himself by the town elders ("High Noon"). Theme of virtues of "dead or alive" law enforcement didn't interest me and didn't seem relevant to anything. Yet another uncomfortable age issue in romantic subplot. Fonda's over 20 years older than his female costar and looks every year of it. As usual in Mann's movies, minimal comic relief. Black and white "town" Western, mostly filmed in the Burbank back lot with occasional field trips to San Fernando valley. At least everybody got to sleep in their own bed every night. Anthony Perkins seems miscast and looks very out of place in the Old West. His character was annoying and implausibly naive. Lee Van Cleef underused again. Thank you for coming along, Sergio Leone! Civil rights racism theme seems tacked on. A myriad of typical Anthony Mann plot holes, including: How does a single mom invite a complete stranger into her house to share a bedroom with her young son? She knows nothing about Morg when he rides up, except that he's followed her son home. Is she comforted later when she finds out he's considered a vicious bounty hunter? I know she's an outcast in the town too, but she seems a very normal protective mother. Why do the McGaffey brothers abandon their ranch and hide in the canyon? They couldn't have known Doc's journal would incriminate them, or they would have destroyed it. Without the journal there is no reason anyone would suspect them of killing him. Assuming that for some unexplained reason they found out the posse was coming for them, what are they accomplishing hiding up in a cave anyway? How long can they last up there? Maybe they have food, but what about water? One brother was just seriously wounded. Morg has been a smart guy from the beginning, always playing the odds right. Yet he decides to go up against two guys with rifles who have the high ground and know he's coming. The fact that he vanquishes the dug in McGaffeys with ease - even takes them alive - is almost as implausible as when James Stewart takes out Robert Ryan in the climax of "The Naked Spur". How could Anthony Perkins be so stupid to think the McCaffeys won't shoot him if he tries to walk up and arrest them. They're guilty! They're going to hang! Why possible motive could they have to turn themselves in? I could go on, but watching this guy's movies exhausts me.

This is a fairly basic Western. The story line here is the veteran helping the young lawman learn to be a lawman who lives long enough to do a good job. Fonda is the veteran, and Perkins is the young lawman. Neville Brand is the bully, of course, who wants to be in charge. A couple of subplot romances. It's what Mann does with an ordinary script that makes this a triumph. The story is well paced, and exciting, and ends with a showdown scene that has got to be on any serious top ten of all time list. The camera angles and the dialog would make even modern "in your face" directors envious. It is a showcase demonstration that should be in every "Film Director" class.

I'm really not trying to be recalcitrant, but this was the worst big name western I've ever seen. A blatant "Shane" knockoff, with 2 male stars, Fonda and Perkins, who basically "phoned-in" their lines. They both looked like they'd had rather been anywhere but on that set. The action was tepid to non-existent, the acting TV-like and bland, with the exception of John McIntyre as "Doc"--he seemed fully engaged. Also, the excellent Lee Van Cleef, perpetually undercast, was locked in well to the bad-guy role. Neville Brand was given a terrible bully character to play, and seemed to be coasting. Strangely, they gave Brand a beautiful white horse to ride, while everybody else rode the usual TV-Land gaggle of stunt-ponies and quarter horses. The climactic scene was awkward, almost comical, and "anti"-climactic. The only interesting scene was the Doc riding home from fixing up somebody, in the dead of the night, using his old faithful buggy-horse as a precursor to cruise control...

A gem of a film. If made today it would be called a 'buddy film'. Perkins is the amateur sheriff being coached by the experienced Fonda (who doesn't really want to coach him). Their friendship grows with Perkins confidence until Perkins finally is able to carry the final confrontation with Brand by himself. If you're looking for a rootin' tootin' western with plenty of chases and fast gunplay, this isn't the one for you. This is a low key effort with a solid story line and excellent character development.

¨This is the story of the ex-sheriff who'd worn it -till he'd faced one gun too many...the young , novice sheriff he had to teach to wear it- or watch to die and the boy who lived only to wear one of his own ! .. and 40 dollars a month -that's what they gave you for protecting people who ran like rabbits when the going got roguish ! ¨ . The picture deals with a beginner young marshal ( Anthony Perkins ) who persuades veteran bounty hunter (Henry Fonda) to help him to rid a little town of bandits . Meanhile the old gunslinger falls in love with a widow (sensitive acting by Betsy Palmer) who has a half-breed son (agreeable Michael Ray) . This excellent , meaty Western contains interesting plot , a love story , shootouts and is quite entertaining . This outstanding Mann Western balances action , suspense and drama . It's a classic recounting about teaching an unexperienced marshal in charge of an older veteran ex-sheriff . The highlights of the film are the climatic showdowns , the educating scenes between master and pupil along the river and when the medic's carriage- very well performed by John McIntire- rattles back into little town while the citizens are waiting his arrival . Top-notch Henry Fonda as embittered gunfighter and magnificent Perkins as green lawman . The traditional story and exciting screenplay by Dudley Nichols won Academy Award nominations . Wonderful cinematography in black-and-white is superbly caught by cameraman Loyal Griggs . Atmospheric and lively musical score by the classic Elmer Berstein . This is another superbly powerful triumph from Perberg and George Seaton , producers of ¨The country girl¨ and ¨The proud and profane ¨. The motion picture is masterfully directed by Anthony Mann who realized various Western masterpieces such as ¨The furies , Devil's doorway and Man of the West ¨ and several with his habitual star, James Stewart, as ¨Winchester 73 , Bend the river , The far country , Man of the West ¨. Rating : Above average ; in spite of absence his ordinary star , Stewart, being perfectly replaced by Fonda , ¨Tin star ¨ is probably one of the best Western in the fifties and sixties . Well worth watching and it will appeal to Anthony Perkins and Henry Fonda fans .

Quality western with some good moments and themes, but it's full of melodrama and cliches: "Juanito" style cross-breed kid, widow on the range, Fonda as an ex-sheriff, etc. Fonda is very good and I like how Mann has him photographed in the face, especially in the early parts introducing the various facets of his character's personality. Perkins is, as always, unconvincing except in the elements that fit his typically nerdy persona. Solid, but with no real punch.