Out on Blu-ray on April 30, 2024, from Arrow Video
A bounty hunter passing through town assists a newly minted Sherriff in his duty, showing him the ropes as he once was in his shoes.
Written by Dudley Nichols based on a story by Barney Slater and Joel Kane, and directed by Anthony Mann, this Western plays in the old man looking at his end trope, showing themes of legacy, life, what it means to be who you are, and a few other connected items that usually make this type of films what they are. Here, the themes are used and explored judiciously, keeping them on point and giving the characters a bit more to think about and do while the typical gunslinger Western story develops on the sidelines and eventually takes over from time to time. The writing here is decent and the direction is very much of its time, keeping the style of Western from the 1950s and adding the older character who brings a bit more depth to the proceedings.
The cast of The Tin Star is led by Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins, giving the public a double whammy of leading man power. These two work well together, showing respect to each other’s character and work, getting their own scenes that center each of them, and allowing for a good connection with reality for both actors and characters. There is something about how these two work together here that helps make the film more memorable. The film is in great hands here and the performances by Fonda and Perkins. Of course, they are not the only members of the cast here, but their presence and performances tend to overshadow the others. Quick note for horror fans, Betsy Palmer (everyone’s favorite mama slasher) is third billed here as Nona Mayfield and she more than holds her own with the mostly male stars of this film. Also, in this film and somehow fairly lower listed in the credits is Lee Van Cleef who is of course the most Western presence in this film. There is something about him that made him perfect for this genre. The Tin Star has a great cast and one that keeps the viewer interested and involved in the film.
As the film is from 1957, there is an old-timey style to it, something that is quite of its decade. The cinematography by Loyal Griggs is lovely, showing the Wild West in almost a flattering light. There is something in this film and how it’s shot, it keeps the eye on it, keeps the viewer fascinated. The cinematography is rather pretty and works great here.
This may be a film of lesser appeal for most film viewers, but for cinephile, it has more than enough interest points in the story, the writing, the directing, the cast, and the cinematography. This new release by Arrow Video is a beautiful one here, presented in high definition, 1080p, on Blu-ray with the option to use the 2.0 stereo or the 5.1 surround sound. Watched on a decent home system, it both looks and sounds great. The extras here have the usual booklet, new art, double-sided poster, a reversible sleeve, and lobby cards as postcards in the set. The contents of the disc have some of the obvious extras such an image gallery and trailer, then we get the meat-and-potatoes of the set, a brand-new audio commentary provided by a film historian, Toby Roan, as well as a new interview about the score by Peter Bernstein with his son Elmer Bernstein. These are the stars of the extras here.