Tin Star

Henry Fonda was the most unlikely of tough guys.  With a slight build and soft features, his look was more appropriate for a clumsy romantic suitor or folksy vagabond, both of which he played quite well.  But when his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, Fonda could scare the living bejesus out of just about anyone!  So, his career as a western icon flourished along with his everyman roles and, finally, in The Tin Star (1957) both aspects of his onscreen personality get to shake hands.

Former sheriff turned bounty hunter, Morgan Hickman (Fonda) ambles into town just as the current sheriff, Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins), a wet-behind-the-ears temp, is facing his greatest challenge.  The biggest bully in the county is gunning for the job…and isn’t afraid to use his own guns to secure the position.  After some convincing, Morgan agrees to take the young lawman under his wing, hoping to show him the ropes before he winds up six feet under.

 

Director Anthony Mann, hot off a string of edgy westerns with Jimmy Stewart, takes a softer approach this time around.  The Tin Star leans away from the mythmaking of John Ford to focus on a frontier eager to shrug off its violent past, to make a peace of sorts with the prejudices holding back true progress.  If that sounds an awful lot like The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, released five years later, you win the classic cinema gold star for today.  But Fonda brings a genuine sense of danger and drama to the proceeding that John Wayne just couldn’t muster.

 

As Morg Hickman, the actor hones his 1000-yard stare to perfection.  A cynical survivor, the character is eventually tamed by - what else? - the love of a good woman (Betsy “Mrs. Vorhees” Palmer) and a second chance to make amends.  It’s a tightly structured film with practically no wasted shots or dialogue and one heck of a villain in Neville Brand, whose blowhard bad buy is a dead ringer for “Mad Dog” Tannen in BTTF Part 3.  The only caveat for modern audiences might be the presence of Anthony Perkins, whose quirks and affectations make him hard to imagine as anyone other than Norman Bates.

 

Arrow’s special edition Blu-ray is a beautiful black-and-white affair with zero distracting defects.  This one seriously looks like it was shot yesterday!  Extras include a 30-minute appreciation by historian Neil Sinyard, an interview with composer Elmer Bernstein’s son, new audio commentary from Toby Roan plus a fold-out poster, collector’s booklet and lobby cards.

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