BY GIACOMO SELLONI

Believe it or not, there was once a time when science was respected, not frowned upon or ridiculed.Today it sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? But in the late 19^th and early 20th centuries science led the way. It was a time of great technological developments and advancement. Illiterate people could still be technologically advanced - due to their learning the intricacies of the new mechanical technologies.

Into this time a young Albert Einstein, who would change the world, arguably, more than any other human before him, achieved his first notoriety. I speak of course of his 1905 paper on The Theory of Special Relativity. The document was panned at the time by most scientists who stuck to Newtonian Physics and Einstein was considered to be a bit of a joke in some circles. It wasn't until 1919 when an Englishman, Stanley Eddington, astronomer, physicist and mathematician, proved the theory through the observance of a solar eclipse down in Sobral, Brazil, thus verifying Einstein's genius. He had been considered one of Germany's best minds within the scientific community for some time but now the public- the world public- accepted his theory.

Einstein opposed the First World War. In fact, at 16 he was a draft dodger. He left Germany and joined his parents, who now lived in Italy, only to return to Germany after the war when the Weimar Republic (Germany's first democratic government) was formed. Many of his friends in science (many of them Jews) signed the Declaration of Militarization and the Occupation of Belgium and went to work for the German war machine. Included was Fritz Haber, who was Jewish. Haber was a physical chemist who invented chemical warfare. We know what implications this would have in the years to come.

Einstein said, "I am not only a pacifist, but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight, to fight for peace." He despised nationalism. "Nationalism is an infantile disease," he said "It is the measles of mankind." A Jew who experienced anti-Semitism as a youngster growing up in southern Germany, a more agrarian existence then the typical urban, militaristic, Prussian upbringing we think of when we think of German culture, he became a crusader who spoke out on issues from women's rights and racism to immigration and nuclear arms control. One of his great regrets was that his work in physics helped lead to the creation of the great weapon of destruction the atom bomb. "I do not know how the Third World War will be fought, but I can tell you what they will use in the Fourth - rocks!"

Director Julia Newman has created an enlightening profile of the man Time Magazine named its Person of the Century. “Albert Einstein: Still a Revolutionary” lives up to its summarization in the First Run Features press release:

"An anti-war firebrand, Einstein also spoke out on issues ranging from women's rights and racism to immigration and nuclear arms control. But today, his image has been neutered into that of a charmingly absent-minded genius. He was, in fact, a powerful force for social change and a model for political activism."

Though Herr Einstein was resistant of fame at the beginning of his career, he eventually embraced it to help deliver his messages of peace and social justice. He was not only a scientist but also a humanitarian and futurist. He could see where the world was heading. It's a sad commentary on humanity's arc that he was correct about its trajectory in so many ways. “Albert Einstein: Still a Revolutionary” is so timely right now - it's scary.

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

The 1969 film version of Woody Allen's Cold War comedy "Don't Drink the Water" comes to Blu-ray through Kino Lorber. If the film is remembered at all, it's usually disparaged by Allen fans who lament his complete lack of involvement in any aspect of the production, probably because he was simultaneously prepping his own directorial and starring role debut in "Take the Money and Run". Allen's comedy had a sensational run on Broadway, with over 500 performances after debuting in 1966. The story centers on the Hollander family, its grumpy patriarch, Walter (Jackie Gleason) and his devoted wife Marion (Estelle Parsons). Walter is a top caterer in Newark, New Jersey and is preparing for a high profile event that will see him earn a good sum of money. First, however, he's being dragged off on a European vacation with Marion and their teenage daughter Susan (Joan Delaney), who is very much into the "mod" scene of the era, much to Walter's disdain. En route to Athens, however, the plane is hijacked and lands in a Soviet satellite country. Although the pilot assures everyone that diplomatic channels will ensure they will take off shortly for their original destination, the Hollanders make the mistake of getting off the plane to take some photos despite the fact that they are surrounded by heavily armed security forces under the direction of fanatical communist intelligence chief Krojack (Michael Constantine), who attempts to arrest them for being spies. Walter spots a nearby limousine belonging to the U.S. consulate and convinces the acting ambassador, Axel Magee (Ted Bessell) to race them to the safety of the embassy in a madcap chase with Krojack and his goons in hot pursuit. Inside the embassy, they learn that Axel is the incompetent son of the esteemed ambassador (Howard St. John), who has just left on a diplomatic mission. It isn't long before Walter turns into the typical "Ugly American" and is barking insults and commands, expecting to be released immediately into U.S. custody. Obviously, things don't go well. The Hollanders find themselves victims of an international incident and are warned to prepare for a prolonged stay at the embassy, as the inept Axel attempts to find a solution and Walter sweats getting back home in time for the catering event.

The film was directed by Howard Morris, a veteran character actor and respected director of top sitcoms of the era. Indeed, the film plays out like an extended TV production and its merits largely rest on Gleason's broad shoulders, as he indulges in his characteristic "slow burns" and temper tantrums, especially when he finds a budding romance between Susan and Axel. The embassy houses another refugee, a European priest, Father Drobney (Richard Libertini), who is also wanted by Krojack for subversive activities. Libertini provides some of the few genuine laughs as the lovable priest tries to demonstrate his inept skills as a magician. There are a few yucks scattered throughout and the film doesn't play out as badly as its reputation might indicate, but much of the mayhem feels about as flat as a week-old pancake. This is rather surprising because the screenplay was entrusted to two of the top comedy writers of the time period, Harvey Bullock and R.S. Allen. However, what made audiences howl in live theater proves to be difficult to transfer to the silver screen. Gleason is Gleason, essentially playing his standard character. For those of us weaned on his TV shows, he comes across very well. To the uninitiated, he's probably just an insufferable grouch. Parsons, who was a recent Oscar winner for "Bonnie and Clyde" is stranded in an underwritten role that doesn't do justice to her comedic skills, but Delaney is quite charming and Ted Bessell provides some personality to a bland, one-note role. 

Some of the blame must be assigned to Howard Morris, who probably felt confined by the restraints of the script. Full disclosure: I knew Morris and he was a genuinely hilarious person on screen and off. He specialized in theatre of the absurd and had only recently gravitated to directing feature films. However, the scripts he was offered were generally very conventional. In the final scenes of "Don't Drink the Water" in which Hollanders disguise themselves as an Arab sheik and his harem to affect their escape, Morris gives in to his impulses and goes full-throttle for the absurd angle (even appearing in a cameo role). However, the climax of the film doesn't match with the earlier aspects of the movie, which are grounded somewhat in realism, thus making for a fairly dreadful finale. Nevertheless, "Don't Drink the Water" isn't a terrible film. It has provides a few giggles and some other delights, but overall it's a missed opportunity.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray features a commentary track by film historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson, who are ubiquitous on KL releases. The track is highly engaging because they provide plenty of interesting background on the film (which was shot at a studio in Miami Beach to ensure Gleason wasn't far from is favorite golf course and exteriors were filmed in Quebec.) They also refreshingly staunchly defend the film, pointing out its assets, which include wonderful, mod opening titles and a zesty score by Patrick Williams, who also provides the corny-but-toe-tapping title song. They also argue that the movie is an unappreciated gem, which only proves that comedy can't be debated because you can never force a viewer to laugh at scenes they find inherently unfunny. Nevertheless, one has to respect their defense of a comedy that even Woody Allen so disdained that he felt compelled to remake it for television in the 1990s. The Blu-ray also features an abundance of comedy trailers for KL releases.

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Kino Lorber has launched its new Kino Marquee streaming program that allows movie fans to rent or buy a selection of art house titles that are not available for streaming elsewhere. The purpose of the program is to benefit local independent theaters through revenue from "virtual ticket" sales. These are films that ordinarily would be playing in theaters. Here is an update from Kino Lorber:

Hello movie lovers,

We’re delighted and honored to have so many new people joining us here at Kino Now!

In response to nationwide closures of movie theaters due to COVID-19, we launched a new initiative called Kino Marquee that lets independent theaters deliver award-winning films that their audiences can watch in the safety of their own homes while still generating revenue to help them survive these difficult times. We were blown away by the number of people who chose to support their local theaters by buying a “virtual ticket” to one of our films.

Kino Marquee is powered by Kino Now, which brings together our carefully curated library of over 1000 award-winning international, documentary, independent, and classic films for you to rent or purchase. You’re receiving this email because you signed up to receive updates from us when you bought your virtual ticket.

Welcome newcomers! And to our long-time Kino Now customers, welcome back!

We thought we’d celebrate the occasion by adding some of our biggest recent hits to our list of Kino Now Essentials. These films were all released in theaters in the last three years by Kino Lorber and our partners at Zeitgeist Films. Maybe you saw them at your local art house. Maybe you read a review of them in your local paper. Maybe you heard about them from a friend but never got a chance to check them out. Or maybe they are brand new to you!

We also chose these films because we think they make for perfect viewing in these unique and often difficult times we are all living through. They feature stories that entertain, fascinate and uplift. They also show the power of movies to open up new worlds and bring people together. We strongly believe that cinema can be an empowering and restorative force in this time of global crisis.

So without further ado, here are our eight selections for the Kino Now New Essentials. We hope you enjoy!

– The Kino Now Team

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STREAMER'S CHOICE: "NOBODY'S FOOL" 

Because so many of our readers find themselves house-bound during this period of Coronavirus, we'll be providing occasional reviews of films and series currently available on popular streaming services.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Paul Newman gives a delightful, Oscar-nominated late career performance in "Nobody's Fool", a comedy/drama written and directed by Robert Benton. Newman plays Sully Sullivan, a 60 year-old lovable cad who finds himself down on his luck in his boyhood hometown of Bath, in upstate New York. He barely scrapes by doing odd jobs for Carl Roebuck (an inexplicably unbilled Bruce Willlis), the obnoxious owner of a local construction company. The two men are sworn enemies but they maintain a relationship because they mutually benefit. Sully makes his home in the boarding house of the elderly widow, Beryl Peoples (Jessica Tandy), who showers him with maternal love. The feeling is mutual and Sully acts as handyman and confidant to Beryl. Sully enjoys being a local legend because of his spontaneous and often self-destructive actions. He's also a local lady's man who openly flirts with Carl's long-suffering wife Toby (Melanie Griffith), who must endure her husband's drunkenness, gambling and flagrant womanizing. Sully is relegated to living out his final years in Bath, recognizing that his earlier dream of achieving great things aren't likely to happen. His life is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of his estranged son Peter (Dylan Walsh) and his wife and two young sons. Sully had deserted his family when Peter was only a year old. His wife remarried and the divorced couple still reside in Bath, where Sully maintains a civil relationship with her and her second husband. Peter and Sully have a tense reunion and it becomes apparent that Peter is in a failing marriage. His wife soon returns home, leaving Peter to look after their son Will (Alexander Goodwin). It isn't long before old tensions rise between Sully and Peter but father and son try to bury the hatchet, as Peter prepares to live as a divorced man, too.

Nothing overly dramatic happens in "Nobody's Fool", which is precisely why it is so enjoyable. Sully is a big fish in a small pond and we watch him engage in antics that would be more appropriate for a kid in high school. When he isn't gambling away his meager stash of cash, he's drunkenly antagonizing the town's Barney Fife-like deputy, Raymer (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). He also steals Carl's new snowblower multiple times, only to have Carl steal it back. He knows that Toby is as infatuated with him as he is with her, but it's doubtful they will take their relationship to a physical level. Peter begins to ease the tensions with his father, especially when he learns that Sully had a terrible childhood marred by an abusive father. There are heartwarming scenes in which Sully tries to compensate for his own failings as a father by bonding with young Will. Robert Benton's direction captures the look and feel of small town life in a snow-bound period. Here, the population is small enough that even enemies have to socialize because the town only has one bar.

Newman was 69 years old at the time he starred in "Nobody's Fool", but he's handsome and spry enough to credibly play a character who is a decade younger. He gives a marvelous performance as a typical Newman character: the somewhat shady rogue with a twinkle in his eye. The supporting cast is equally impressive with an Bruce Willis very good indeed as Sully's antagonist and Jessica Tandy especially moving in what would be her final screen performance. Dylan Walsh registers strongly as Peter and Alexander Goodwin manages gives a highly disciplined performance for someone so young. The film is peppered with some terrific character actors including Philip Bosco as a cynical judge and Gene Saks, especially funny as Sully's perpetually inept lawyer who is prone to gambling his artificial leg in poker games. Pruitt Taylor Vince also registers strongly as Rub, a simple-minded man who Sully considers to be his best friend.

Although "Nobody's Fool" is a sentimental tale, it never becomes drippy or corny. The movie was well-received by critics and the public in 1994 and if you haven't had the opportunity to enjoy it, we recommend you do so.

"Nobody's Fool" is currently streaming on Amazon Prime (USA)

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BY DOUG OSWALD

Michael Caine plays a British Petroleum engineer on loan to the army during WWII and assigned to British controlled North Africa. He’s drafted to lead a group of disparate men on a mission behind enemy lines to destroy a German coastal fuel depot in “Play Dirty” available on Blu-ray by Twilight Time. Playing chess while supervising the transfer of fuel from British ships to coastal fuel storage tanks, Captain Douglas (Caine) is ordered to report to Colonel Homerton (Bernard Archard) who transfers him to the special services unit commanded by Brigadier General Blore (Harry Andrews). He’s to lead a group of men under the command of Colonel Masters (Nigel Green) including Captain Cyril Leech (Nigel Davenport), a former prisoner who uses other criminals in his missions against the Germans. When Douglas reminds the general he’s on loan from British petroleum for costal duties only, the general reminds him he’s wearing a British uniform. Leech doesn’t want him either, but Masters promises him a bonus payment of 2,000 British pounds if he brings back Captain Douglas alive.

Leech and his motley crew of a half dozen criminal soldiers for hire with crimes ranging the gamut from drug smuggling to rape and murder were released by Colonel Masters from an Egyptian prison. They include a Tunisian named Sadok, the demolition man; Kostos Manov, the armorer; Boudesh, communications; a Cypriot named Kafarides, transport and supplies; Sinusi Arab guides, Hassan and Assine for whom it is overtly hinted they are homosexual. Leech, a self described “black sheep of an admirable family from County Dublin,” was the captain of a tramp steamer in the Black Sea. Leech sunk it for the insurance money off Djibouti with all hands on board. Colonel Masters ends the introduction with, “War is a criminal enterprise. I fight it with criminals.”

The mission is to destroy a German fuel depot at Leptis Magna in western Libya. They have to travel in a horseshoe route south around the German lines through desert which resembles a moonscape of craggy rocks, sand and land mines which they travel off road disguised as Italians in German trucks. The road is bumpy and they go through their supply of tires as they blow out one by one. In one nail-biting scene, the group has to use cable and pulleys to haul their trucks to the top of a cliff. Soon a group of Germans arrive and they wait to ambush a British patrol. Leech prevents Douglas from alerting the British and the Germans kill the British patrol and depart. “You play dirty Captain Leech,” says Douglas. Leach replies, “The way to survive here is to watch, listen and say nothing. I play safe.” This doesn’t sit well with Captain Douglas who orders the men to bury the dead British soldiers at gunpoint. Later, Captain Douglas asks, “Tell me, how did the other English officer’s die?” Captain Leech replies without pause, “Unexpectedly!”

This variation on the “men on an impossible mission” movie trope is quite possibly the most nihilistic war movie ever made. I’ll not provide spoilers, but those who have seen “Play Dirty” know what I mean. I first watched this movie on broadcast TV in the 1970s on the ABC Friday night movie. This was on late night television after prime time and was drawn to it after seeing the TV promo. After that initial broadcast, the movie was hard to find on television. I was able to read about this elusive movie which grew in stature in my mind with its relentless themes of hopelessness and betrayal. These were the days before cable TV and home video was a few years away. DVD, Blu-ray, Netflix & Amazon Prime were decades away. I finally caught up with this movie in its DVD release by MGM in 2007. That was at least a 30 year wait. I upgraded to “The War Collection” UK Blu-ray release by MGM in 2014.

Directed by Andre De Toth, “Play Dirty” was his final official screen credit as director. He was the uncredited director on the 1987 horror film “Terror Night.” The one-eyed De Toth is probably best known as the director of the 3-D classic “House of Wax” in 1953. An irony lost on very few. He was known for directing gritty westerns and thrillers as well as episodes of several popular TV shows in the 50s and 60s. De Toth replaced Rene Clement who walked after Richard Harris was fired, allegedly for refusing a military style haircut. The movie was filmed on location in Spain, standing in for North Africa. Cinematographer Edward Scaife was the director of photography on “The Dirty Dozen,” the original prisoners-turned-soldiers on an impossible mission movie.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

By the year 1972, the esteemed Billy Wilder was licking his wounds over the boxoffice debacle that was "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes". Wilder's revisionist depiction of the legendary sleuth is precisely what Holmes fan clamor for today, but to a generation that defined the depiction of Holmes and Watson by the low-budget film series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, there was little enthusiasm to see an all-too human Holmes with all-too-human failings. Wilder blamed the poor reception for the film on the fact that the studio had overridden his objections and made major cuts to the movie. Years ago, some of the missing footage was discovered and the altered film was accepted favorably by reviewers and retro movie lovers. Still, at the time, Wilder was not used to suffering the humiliation of public rejection of one of his movies. After all, he had given us classics such as "Some Like It Hot", "The Apartment", "Sabrina", "Double Indemnity" and "Stalag 17". Wilder was eager to return to his comedic roots and for his next film, "Avanti!" and he enlisted long-time collaborator Jack Lemmon to star and his esteemed writing partner I.A.L. Diamond to co-author the script with him. The stars seemed be aligned for another Wilder comedy hit, but it didn't work out that way, to put it mildly. "Avanti!" was another critical and commercial failure and this time it really hurt. Henceforth, the few films Wilder would direct would all be bombs, marking an inglorious end to an otherwise glorious career. Yet, "Avanti!" deserved a better fate. It's certainly Wilder in an inspired mode even if the inspiration came from a flop Broadway comedy production that he and Diamond kept the basic plot premise of but otherwise rewrote.

Wilder and Lemmon had enjoyed such audience-pleasing hits as "Some Like It Hot", "The Apartment", "Irma La Douce" and "The Fortune Cookie". Lemmon is well-cast as Wendell Armbruster, Jr., the son of a titan of American industry who has just died in an automobile accident in Italy where he went every year for a month-long personal sabbatical to cleanse his body and soul. Wendell is already in a state of nervous panic when we first see him on board the flight to Italy. He has just a few days to arrange to bring his father's body back to Washington, D.C. where a high profile televised funeral will take place with the President and other world dignitaries in attendance. (It's never explained why the Armbruster family self-imposed such a tight deadline for retrieving the body and staging the funeral.) Wendell idolized his father as the symbol of American family values and conservative political doctrine; a robust Republican who socialized with Henry Kissinger and who was devoted to Wendell's mother. Upon arrival in the quaint coastal town where his father died at his favorite small hotel, Wendell is greeted by the manager, Carlo Carlucci (Clive Revill), an unflappable local "Mr. Fix-It" with a penchant for reassuring words and an ability to move mountains to carry out impossible tasks. However, Wendell is in for a shock when he meets Pamela Piggott (Juliet Mills), a working class girl from London whose mother also died in the same car crash as Wendell Sr. Turns out the two were lovers who met for the past ten years at the hotel, where they were adored local legends. Thus begins a madcap farce in which Wendell has to deal with the emotional revelation that his father was an adulterer while at the same time keeping family members and the public in the dark about the scandal. Pamela has a different attitude. Unlike Wendell, she knew of the affair long ago and assures Wendell that the two were madly in love and could fulfill their fantasies through their annual reunion. Wendell also learns that his ultra conservative father would join his lover for daily nude swim.

BY LEE PFFEIFFER

Hollywood screenwriters have long rewritten historical events and figures under the premise of using "artistic license". Generally, this works well when considering aspects of the distant past. Thus, you can have Tony Curtis play a Viking and John Wayne portray Genghis Khan. What is unusual is finding a great cinematic historical distortion pertaining to a relatively recent event, for the obvious reason that the entire world is well aware of the deception. Such is the case with "Hitler's Madman", a 1943 "Poverty Row" production that had the distinction of being picked up for distribution by MGM. The film was made by German ex-pats in America who despised what the Nazi regime had done to their country. The movie is primarily distinguished by the fact that it represents the American directorial debut of Douglas Sirk, who would go on to considerable acclaim helming "A list" productions. The story concerns the reign of terror instituted by Reinhard Heydrich, the "Reich Protector" who oversaw running the government of Czecholslovakia, which had been annexed by Germany as part of the infamous agreement at Munich that saw Britain and France attempt to prevent war by appeasing Hitler. Even by Nazi standards, Heydrich was considered to be inhumane. Hitler himself derided him as the "man with the iron heart". As portrayed by John Carradine (with short, dyed blonde hair), the actor does bear a considerable resemblance to his historical counterpart.

The rather rambling story line for the movie is centered in a small Czech village where we see Karel Vavra (Alan Curtis), a local man who has been living in exile in England, parachute back into his home country. Making his way to the village he grew up in, he meets his sweetheart, Jarmilla Hanka (Patricia Morison) and explains that he's on a secret mission to organize a resistance movement among the local townspeople, who are being terrorized by the local puppet government under a feckless Nazi loyalist mayor. Karel finds the men understandably reluctant to patriotic entreaties, as they know the Nazis will ensure a dire fate for them if they are found out. Meanwhile, a parallel story line centers on Heydrich's activities in Prague, where he delights in demonizing "intellectuals" and politicizing the university educational programs. In the film's most daring scene, Heydrich orders female students to line up for inspection. If their looks pass muster, they are to be forcibly sterilized and sent to the Russian Front as sex slaves for German soldiers. This is pure hokum inserted into the film in order to justify the marketing campaign that showed Heydrich leering at frightened young women. Certainly women in occupied countries were forced or coerced to serve in brothels but the scene depicted in "Hitler's Madman" is there for reasons of pure sexploitation.

As Heydrich's cruel tactics begin to affect the rural population, Karel finds success in recruiting some men to form a partisan unit. The news that Heydrich is scheduled to drive through the village leads to an assassination attempt on a country road by Karel, Jarmilla and her father. The act is presented as though it's a spontaneous action, when, in fact, the entire scene is pure hooey. There was an assassination attempt on Heydrich while he was in his motorcar, but it took place in central Prague and had been carefully planned by two partisans who had been parachuted in from England to carry out the mission. The attempt almost failed when a machine gun jammed but Heydrich was injured by a grenade. Severely wounded, he refused to be treated by local non-German doctors and ended up dying from an infection. What is rather bizarre is that this event was major news around the world, so any movie goer would have been well aware of the historical distortion.The film does somewhat accurately present the fallout from Heydrich's assassination which resulted in the entire village of Lidice being razed to the ground, all males over 15 years old executed and all females sent to concentration camps. Most of the children were ultimately gassed to death,though this fact is not mentioned in the film. It was one of the most notorious war crimes in a conflict characterized by notorious war crimes.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

There's a good deal of talent involved with the 1955 Western "The Tall Men", which has been released as a region-free Blu-ray by Twilight Time. The legendary Raoul Walsh directs Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Robert Ryan and Cameron Mitchell in a film that should have amounted to more than expectations might have anticipated. That isn't to say "The Tall Man" isn't good. It's a reasonably entertaining film but it doesn't come close to matching the impressive content of so many truly great Westerns that were produced during the mid-to-late 1950s. The story opens in Texas in 1866 with brothers Ben (Clark Gable) and Clint (Cameron Mitchell) Allison drifting aimlessly and licking their wounds from being on the losing side of the Civil War. Both served with the infamous Quantrill's Raiders, notorious for their bloody raid on Lawrence, Kansas, though the incident is never addressed in the film. Apparently, the very fact that the brothers rode with Quantrill was deemed enough to alert the audience that these were tough men. Indeed, when we first meet them, they are on the wrong side of the law, an unusual place to find a character portrayed by Clark Gable. They end up kidnapping local cattle baron Nathan Stark (Robert Ryan) with the intention of robbing him but Stark is a cool cookie and talks them out of it by offering them jobs on his ambitious cattle drive to take Texas steers 1500 miles to beef-starved Montana. He also promises to split the considerable profits with his kidnappers if Ben agrees to serve as trail boss. Soon the antagonists are business partners.

En route to San Antonio to arrange the drive, they encounter some pilgrims stranded in a blizzard. Among them is Nella Turner (Jane Russell), a courageous and free-spirited young woman who Ben and Stark immediately find themselves smitten by. The men slaughter a horse and make sure the pilgrims are fed and safe before traveling on. However, the next day with Sioux activity in the area, Ben rides back to check on the group only to find them under siege. Nella is conveniently the only survivor and she and Ben bunk down and hide in an abandoned cabin in the midst of a blizzard. Sparks immediately fly and the two share a romantic night (at least by the self-imposed studio censorship of the day.) The next morning, they start planning a life together but immediately hit a brick wall. Ben wants a low-key life as a rancher while Nella has only bad memories of her hardscrabble childhood on a ranch. She wants to tour the world and live a lavish lifestyle. The two feud even as Ben delivers her safely to San Antonio, where the opportunistic Stark woos her with his bankroll and promises of a grand life. Making matters more uncomfortable for Ben, Nella is invited by Stark to accompany the cattle drive to Montana, thus setting in motion predictable sexual tensions. 

The first half of the leisurely-paced 2 hours and 2 minute running time is devoted to a lot character exposition and squabbles between Ben and Nella, who are still clearly still enamoured by each other, probably because they look a lot like Clark Gable and Jane Russell. There are also plenty of exploitation scenes that find Nella in water, thus showing off a wet blouse. We also see her improbably taking a bathtub on the journey so we can indulge in her singing and soaping up. The second half of the film, when the cattle drive finally begins, picks up steam and cinematographer Leo Tover captures the grandeur of the action in CinemaScope. The big set piece finds the cattle drivers having to make their way through an Indian death trap inside a narrow canyon. The resulting battle is exciting and well-staged, leading to a climax with a double cross that has a clever outcome due to a fine twist by screenwriters Boehm and Nugent. 

For all intents and purposes, "The Tall Men" is a run-of-the-mill Western of the period, distinguished by a fine cast who are all in good form and the impressive visuals of the enormous cattle herd. The film was shot mostly in Mexico with interiors shot at Fox Studios in Hollywood. The snow scenes were filmed in Idaho but they are marred by the obvious fact that Gable's double is used in every one of them. Although "The Tall Men" doesn't rate as a classic, it's good, solid entertainment. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray boasts an excellent transfer. There is an isolated track for Dimitri Tiomkin's score, an original trailer and a collector's book with informative liner notes by Mike Finnegan.

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