The Tall Target(1951).

The Tall Target(1951). Thriller. Directed by Anthony Mann. Cast: Dick Powell, Paula Raymond, Adolphe Menjou, Marshall Thompson.

Soon after the Presidential election, John Kennedy, a New York police officer, who also was Abraham Lincoln's bodyguard, believes there will be an assignation attempt, on President Lincoln's life, while he is traveling by train, on his way to his inauguration in Washington, D. C. Simon G. Stroud, his supervisor does not share his belief, so John takes matters into his own hands by boarding the, Night Flyer Express, headed for Baltimore and Washington. Kennedy's friend, Inspector Tim Reilly, was to meet him with his ticket and suitcase, but when Kennedy arrives, only his suitcase is there waiting for him.

When he goes to buy his ticket, Kennedy finds that they have all been sold out. As the train pulls out of the station, Kennedy sneaks on board. It is not long, before Kennedy, finds his friend's body. While searching the train for the killer, Kennedy meets Col. Caleb Jeffers, a Northern officer who, is also traveling to Baltimore.



Kennedy, sees a man wearing his coat and holding his gun. The man tells the conductor that he is Kennedy, the real Kennedy takes the conductor to Caleb's compartment, where Caleb identifies him as the real Kennedy. Soon after, he feels a gun in his back. The man then pushes Kennedy, to the rear of the train and when the train stops, tells him to get off. Kennedy, and the man get into a fight and Kennedy manages to get the gun from him.

As the train is about to leave, Caleb hears the sounds of the fight and shoots the man. After Kennedy and Caleb are back on the train, Caleb hands him a pistol and Kennedy tells him that before dying, the man said that he was to meet someone in car 27.

When they arrive, Kennedy and Caleb find Mrs. Charlotte Alsop, interviewing Rachel, the slave of Lance and Ginny Beaufort. Lance, is a officer in the Confederate Army, who shares his hatred for Lincoln. After the train stops in Philadelphia, Caleb and Kennedy return to their compartment, Caleb tries to shoot him, but Kennedy's gun is empty.

Shocked to find out that the man was Caleb's partner, and that Caleb was aiming at Kennedy, but.. hit his own man instead, Kennedy takes Caleb, into custody and turns him over to the Philadelphia police. Caleb, shows his military credentials and says that Lt. Coutler, at police headquarters, will vouch for him.

Lt. Coulter, arrives with a message from Stroud, saying that Kennedy, is not a member of the police force. After which, Kennedy goes into hiding, as the train starts moving, Rachel motions for Kennedy, to come to her cabin and tells him that Lance, is carrying a rifle with a scope. Ginny overhears them, slaps Rachel and then grabs the gun from Kennedy. After Ginny knocks Kennedy unconscious, he admits that he is one of the assassins plotting to kill Lincoln. Lance, then drags Kennedy to Caleb's compartment, where they tie him up.

When the train stops at Wilmington, a barber boards the train to shave Caleb. The barber, turns out to be an accomplice and explains the details of the assassination plot. As the train arrives in Baltimore, word comes that Lincoln's train has been diverted. Leaving Kennedy in Lance's custody, Caleb soon realizes that Lincoln, is hiding in Mrs. Gibbons' compartment. Caleb, writes "the man is on the train" in the dust of Lance's car window. After reading the message, Lance places Kennedy in Crowley's custody and leaves to find his rifle. Kennedy, overpowers his guard and goes to find Lance. As they struggle, Kennedy pushes Lance off the train . Soon after, Mrs. Gibbons identifies herself as an undercover agent with the War Department and congratulates Kennedy, on saving Lincoln's life.

If you are a Dick Powell fan, I think you will enjoy watching this exciting film, and what a strange coincidence that the policeman investigating a plot to kill Lincoln is named, John Kennedy.

Paula Raymond (November 23, 1924 – December 31, 2003). Earlier in her career, Raymond acted in many film noir thrillers such as, City That Never Sleeps, later in her career she went on to perform mostly in horror films.

In 1952, she performed in the film, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. In the late 1950s and 1960 Raymond appeared in many television shows and low-budget horror movies including: Perry Mason, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, and Blood of Dracula's Castle with Alexander D'Arcy and John Carradine. She turned down the role of saloon keeper Kitty, in the  western classic series Gunsmoke, the role went to Amanda Blake.

It Happened Tomorrow (1944).

It Happened Tomorrow (1944). Fantasy film starring Dick Powell, Linda Darnell and Jack Oakie, Edgar Kennedy and Sig Ruman. Directed by René Clair.

On Larry and Sylvia's golden wedding anniversary, they get into an argument about Larry's wish to publish his story that happened over fifty years ago:

Larry, the obituary writer had just been promoted to reporter and makes a wish to give ten years of his life in exchange for knowing tomorrow's events. The paper's librarian Pop Benson, warns him that it can be dangerous to know the future. After leaving the office, Larry and his drinking buddies sees a poster promoting Oscar Cigolini, the fortune-teller and his niece, Sylvia Smith, and they all decide to see the show, where Larry meets and invites Sylvia on a date, during the performance.

Later that evening, as Larry passes the Evening News office, Pop, hands Larry a copy of tomorrows paper and then quickly disappears.

Later Larry, is taken by surprise when he reads the story about a robbery at the opera house that afternoon, and realizes that the paper he is holding in his hands, is forecasting the day's events. He then asks, his editor, to allow him to cover the concert. Larry, invites Sylvia to join him. As they listen to the performance, the box office is robbed and Larry goes to the paper with his story. Gordon, at first does not believe Larry, until Inspector Mulrooney, confirms the theft.

Soon Mulrooney, becomes suspicious of Larry's knowledge of the robbery and arrests him. Sylvia, tells him that it was she that predicted the crime. Mulrooney, decides to take Sylvia back to the theater and asks her to make another prediction during her performance. This brings more problems than fortune...

Video: In this scene after Sylvia jumps in the water,(because of one of her predictions ).. and Larry takes her to his apartment, where he lends her dry clothes.



This is a fun film, with an interesting story and wonderful characters, showing what happens when you know what happens in the future.. which influences the characters.. Dick Powell and Linda Darnell work well together and Jack Oakie, plays the uncle of Darnell's character and he also has some good scenes.

Please click here to learn more about Linda Darnell.

Jack Oakie (November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978). Oakie, performed in musicals and comedies on Broadway from 1923 to 1927. Oakie performed in five silent films during 1927 and 1928. As the age of the "talkies" began, he signed with Paramount Pictures, making his first talking film, The Dummy (1929).

In the film, Too Much Harmony (1933), the part of Oakie's on-screen mother was played by his real mother Mary Evelyn Offield. During the 1930s he was known as "The World's Oldest Freshman", because of his many performances in films with a collegiate theme. He was also known for refusing to wear screen make-up of any kind, and the frequent use of double-take in his comedy.

Oakie is best known for his performance in, Charlie Chaplin's, The Great Dictator (1940), for which he received an Oscar nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Award.

Page Miss Glory (1935).

Page Miss Glory (1935). Romantic comedy. Cast: Marion Davies, Pat O'Brien, Mary Astor and Dick Powell. It was based on the play of the same name by Joseph Schrank and Phillip Dunning.

Small town girl Loretta Dalrymple, arrives in New York City and finds a job as a chambermaid in a luxurious hotel. Also, staying at the hotel is con man Wiley and his photographer partner Ed Olsen, who are three weeks behind on their hotel bill. Click and Ed, come up with a plan, to put together a picture of a beautiful woman, by combining the best features of several Hollywood beauties and enter the picture as "Dawn Glory" in a nationwide beauty contest for the $2500 prize. Which they win.

Bingo Nelson a pilot, immediately falls in love when he sees her picture. After flying a serum to Alaska through a blizzard, he proposes to Dawn on national radio. As a result, reporters want to interview Miss Glory, putting Click in a tough spot. Slattery of the Express digs up Click's checkered past to try to blackmail him into giving him an interview. Ed's girlfriend Gladys Russell finds Loretta trying on a dress delivered for Dawn. Earlier in the day, Loretta had her hair styled in the new hairdo called, "Dawn's bobb". Gladys and Ed think that she looks a lot like the "picture" and decide to pass off Loretta as Dawn. Soon, advertising endorsements and royalties come rolling in, making Click and Ed rich.

Meanwhile, Loretta has fallen in love with a newspaper picture of Bingo. Now, that she is famous she hopes she will meet Russell and when she does.. the troubles begin.

Marion Davies, shines in this fun film from beginning to end. Dick Powell, Mary Astor and Patsy Kelly, are all wonderful. This one of Davies' last pictures and she was pushing 40, but.. she is brave to play half the film as the dowdy country girl. Davies was a star for 20 years and made the switch to talkies.

Patsy Kelly (January 12, 1910 – September 24, 1981). Kelly, like many New York actors, made her screen debut in a Vitaphone short subject filmed there. Producer Hal Roach hired Kelly to co-star with Thelma Todd in a series of short-subject comedies. The Todd-Kelly shorts created Patsy Kelly's image: a brash, wisecracking woman. Later, in the series showcased Kelly's dancing skills. Thelma Todd died in 1935, and Kelly finished out the series.

Patsy Kelly then moved into feature films, often playing working-class character roles in comedies and musicals. One of her memorable roles was as Etta, the cook, in the five Academy Awards-nominated comedy, Merrily We Live(1938).

On television she performed in shows: The Man from U.N.C.L.E, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Wild Wild West, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She also made a memorable performance as Laura-Louise in the film, Rosemary's Baby (1968).

Kelly performed as the housekeeper Mrs. Schmauss in the film, Freaky Friday(1976). Her final movie performance was in the Disney comedy, The North Avenue Irregulars(1979).

Patsy Kelly movies I have seen:
1935 Page Miss Glory.
1938 There Goes My Heart.
1938 The Cowboy and the Lady.
1941 Topper Returns.
1960 Please Don't Eat the Daisies.
1968 Rosemary's Baby.