The Tall Target (1951)

SO many great actors in this story of Lincoln's journey by train to give a speech. Dick Powell is "John Kennedy"..oddly enough. Adolphe Menjou is Colonel Jeffers, and the Amazing Florence Bates (LOVE her !) is Mrs. Alsop. She didn't make a lot of films, but she is outspoken and FUN whenever she pops up. Check out her bio.. her own life story is just as interesting as any of her film roles. and of course, Will Geer as The Conductor. (Grandpaw Walton !) Note that the IMDb cast list has several actors listed as "Zoaves" (uncredited); they were an actual group of uniformed soldiers from Poland... check it out on wikipedia. quite a history. This one is QUITE well done, like a good steak. A good chemistry between the actors. Of course, knowing history, and that A.L. wasn't killed until MUCH later.... we have the luxury of knowing HOW it comes out, but not WHO wants to "dunnit". The first half is kind of an Agatha Christie, not knowing who the murder is. Just about halfway through, we know some of the illicit characters, but clearly we don't know the whole story. Just enough to make it intriguing. Some good ol' north against the south talk as well. It was just before the civil war, after all, with slavery and politics as the hot button issues. This one is a good one. The entire time, we're never sure just who is on which side. Highly recommended. They don't seem to show it often, so catch it if you can!

***SPOILERS**** With the just elected president of the United States Abe Lincoln on his way to Washington D.C to be inaugurated a plot has been hatched by his pro south & slavery opponents to knock him off on his way there when the train he's on stops in Baltimore for him to make a speech. It's now up to NY police sergeant John Kennedy, a possible decedent of future US President John F, Kennedy, played by tough guy and former song & dance man Dick Powell to stop that national tragedy, the assassination of the president, from happening.The rub here is that the persons out to get the just elected Lincoln are on the train planning that his trip to D.C will never get there with him being shot to death in transit!Right from the start Sgt. Kennedy has trouble convincing any one in authority that Lincoln is targeted for assignation and is deemed to be either out of his mind or a publicity hound trying to get attention and make a name, as a kook, for himself.It's later after almost being thrown off the train by not having a ticket that Kenneduy in taken under the wing by US Army Col. Cleb Jeffers, Adolphe Menjou, who seems to feel sorry for the not so stable guy. As it turns out Col. Jeffers is actually involved in the planned assassination of the president in not only being sympathetic to the southern cause but being related to non other then Jerrerson Davis the soon to be installed President of the Southern Confederacy! With time running out and the future president of the United States life on the line Kennedy attempts to have Lincoln switch trains and get to Washington D.C unannounced by a horse and buggy to trick and confused his penitential killers. ***SPOILERS*** In what turned out to be a Three Card Monte like game the President with the help of Sgt. Kennedy have everyone fooled in where he was with his carefully staged disappearance act that has those out to get him left out in the cold in their attempt to assassinate the President. Sgt. Kennedy who protected Abe Lincoln the last time he was in NYC to take in a Broadway show watch the races at Sheepsheadbay Racetrack did the same her, on the train to D.C, preventing then unimaginable to happen. Thios is all fiction anyway but in real life no one was there when Abe needed them to prevent him from getting gunned down from behind at the Ford Theater on the evening of April 14! Not even the fictional Sgt. John Kennedy!

Movies mostly set in trains often work out extremely well. It's an enclosed and restrained environment, that creates a feeling of claustrophobia and tension but also with a lot of pace, since the train is always on the move. Just think about other movie examples set- or partly set on trains such as "North by Northwest", "Murder on the Orient Express", "Shanghai Express" and "From Russia with Love". This is a movie that deserves a spot on this list as well.This is a rather intriguing and original movie concerning plots to assassinate Abraham Lincoln before or during his inauguration as the president. It's based on true fact. There really were several plots being brewed to assassinate Lincoln because of his outspoken opinion against slavery and because he mostly was seen as a friend of the north, among various other reasons. But of course the movie takes lots of liberties with the story, also because nobody really knows what happened really. The story focuses on a New York police man who suspects that there is plot to kill Lincoln. Only problem for him is his superiors don't believe him and won't take him serious, which is reason for him to take matters into his own hands. Aboard the train to Baltimore, where Lincoln would pass through on his way to Washngton D.C. to be inaugurated, there is a lot of political talk aboard between Lincoln 'fans' and 'haters' and other various characters that act very suspicious. It makes this a good and interesting movie on several levels. It gives a good view into the time and minds of American people who lived in the 1860's and at the same time also gives the movie a tense mysterious/thriller story.In 1951, action-movies were still non-existent so to speak but this movie at times show some early premises of the genre. It's mostly notable in its pace and toward the ending of the movie.Interesting detail is that the main character in this movie is named John Kennedy. There always have been a surprising lot of similarities between Abraham Lincoln and the other assassinated US president John F. Kennedy, so the fact that the main character is named John Kennedy in a movie about Abraham Lincoln, 10 years before Kennedy became president is an odd coincidence to say the least. Also one of the plots, as described in this movie, to kill Lincoln in this movie show a surprising amount of similarities to how John F. Kennedy many years later got assassinated.One of those movies that really deserves to be known better and needs to be seen be more.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

I was totally blown away by this film. Dick Powell played a detective by the name of John Kennedy--who tries to stop a plot to assinate President Lincoln. This film was released in 1951--several years before John Kennedy took office. Also, in the film,there is a scene where one of the conspirators is describing to head honcho, Aldolph Menjou, just where the assassin will be ( in a hotel window ) from where he will shoot President Lincoln with a high powered rifle. This sure hearkens back to all the conspiracy vrs. lone gunman theories that surrounded President Kennedy's assassination. I wonder if Lee Harvey Oswald had seen this film!