The Tall Target 12/24/24

An 1861 plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln is smartly styled as a ‘film noir in costume.’ Southern secessionists want Abe dead, and many in the Union hate him as well; detective Dick Powell races ny train to Baltimore to stem the conspiracy. The tension now feels topical …. only in the Civil War era was the country more divided than it is now. Director Anthony Mann’s stark approach to violence caps a smart screenplay that interweaves fiction with historical fact. Able performances are contributed by Adolphe Menjou, Marshall Thompson, Will Geer and Ruby Dee. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
12/24/24