Richie-67-485852 Westerns of the 50's are the best and to be missed if not for the fact we can see them again via rentals, DVD's and TCM entertainment. They had the quality movie stars, great plot points, good subject matter, were educational and tugged at all our emotions. Throw in horses, good and bad guys, love interest, dust, posse's and some shootings and we are off! Fonda comes through as a veteran of the time who survived using his abilities, guts, savvy and experience but gets dealt a life blow which he doesn't recover from until this movie. Its a believable story and will pull you in. Then there is the new sheriff who wants to do good and right but doesn't know what that is. That be Perkins. Put him together with Fonda and the story takes hold. The Wild West was unexplored times and territories and there are no end to the stories that came out of it. This be one of them. Good solid entertainment from start to finish with one of the best endings around. Feel good is so thick you can cut it with a knife. That's good directing. Enjoy a nice meal while watching along with a tasty drink too. Saddle up

classicsoncall It's nice every once in a while to run into an underrated, under the radar Western like this one. At about the middle of his screen career, Henry Fonda delivers a solid performance as a former lawman turned bounty hunter who becomes embroiled in a town's troubles when it turns out the untried temporary sheriff seeks his help to become a better lawman himself. I have to say, seeing Anthony Perkins in the role of Sheriff Ben Owens was a little disorienting; his lack of self confidence and relative youth didn't seem to recommend him for the lawman role, though his persistence wound up paying off in the end.The film is rife with racial tension as town bully Bart Bogardus (Neville Brand) displays a bitter hatred against Indians, and to a lesser degree the town's citizens spurn rancher Nona Mayfield (Betsy Palmer) and her half breed son because of her former relationship with an Indian husband. Fonda's Morg Hickman works through an early misunderstanding with Ms. Mayfield by befriending her son, and their own relationship warms up to a somewhat predictable finale.The green sheriff's resolve is tested when the town's beloved doctor (John McIntire) is murdered on the same day they're throwing a major celebration bash for his seventy fifth birthday. Bogardus riles the town's citizens into a fiery mob against a pair of half-Indian brothers (Lee Van Cleef and Peter Baldwin) and remains undaunted in his fury even after Hickman brings the men in to stand trial. In a confrontation with Ben, the sheriff hangs tough and forces Bogardus to back down for a moment, until he's forced to draw fire in a face saving effort that doesn't go well. Owens applies Hickman's sage counsel throughout the story to earn his tin star for good.

Bloodwank One of the last few Anthony Mann westerns and perhaps less noted than his work with James Stewart, The Tin Star is still pretty classy stuff. Its a lively tale of duty, authority and progress, bound by quality performances and a warm hearted feel. Anthony Perkins plays young sheriff Ben, new to the job and somewhat green, who tustles with local tough Bart Bogardis (Neville Brand) and is helped out by travelling bounty hunter Morg Hickman (Henry Fonda). The film is largely about Ben and Morg, opposites coming together and how they change each other. Ben is a young idealist, he seeks to do his job not by dealing death but bringing to justice, he aims for the surly swagger of the elders he aspires to but lacks the understanding or caution and at heart is heading for a new order. Perkins brings an effective eagerness and naiveté to the role, though there's a certain inherent deviousness about his looks that prevents him from fully sinking into the performance, he hooks but doesn't truly transport. Morg is more the older cynic, he's seen it all before and is out only for himself, but having seen it al before knows people, and comes to find purpose again. Henry Fonda does very well here, imparting just the right tough grizzled charm. So its a matter of a young man with a sense of duty, learning what authority really means, and an older man with authority returning to duty. But the world itself is moving too, away from violence and racism, towards a more reasonable, personable territory. This can be seen in the time spent on Morg and his lodging with a lady pariah (sweet turn from Betsy Palmer) and her half breed son, or that given to beloved town doctor "Doc" McCord (John McIntire) and his business. This is a world becoming more concerned with healing and reconciliation than guns, its methods changing. But as methods change the remains of the old inevitably clash in the form of Bart Bogardis. With a mean, sneering turn from Neville Brand he's effectively slimy and a decent villain. It all rises to a decent two punch finale (with a neat appearance for Lee van Cleef) in part reminiscent of Winchester '73 and a pleasing capper. Perhaps not as stirring as it might have been, this one has a bit of a lack of plot focus until the final half hour or so and gets by mostly on charm until then but its still solid entertainment, so 7/10 from me.

ma-cortes ¨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 .