Tall in the Saddle (1944)

I like grumpy old cusses. Hope to live long enough to be one. Tall in the Saddle is directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Michael Hogan, Paul Fix and Gordon Ray Young. It stars John Wayne, Ella Raines, Ward Bond, George 'Gabby' Hayes and Audrey Long. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by Robert De Grasse. Ranch hand Rocklin (Wayne) arrives in town to start his new job but finds his employer has been murdered and the locals are all a bit too shifty for comfort... Hee, the title is rather appropriate given Duke Wayne's stature, and yet it's a title that doesn't really do justice to the pic as a whole. The plot has some nifty complexities, where simmering passions blend with a murder mystery and crooked shenanigans. Marin directs at a clip, never once letting the narrative sink into tedium. The action is fruity, where in spite of some crude era back projection work, fist fights, gun play and chases keep things on the boil. Raines is socko sexy (how nice she's not token fodder either), which acts as a counter point with Long's homely beauty, while Wayne does his thang with iconic rewards. Gorgeous photography seals the deal here, both with the Calif locations frames and the monochrome shadings, for what is ultimately a hugely enjoyable 40s Oater. 7/10