The Tin Star (1957)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Joel Kane (story)
Dudley Nichols
(more)

Release Date:

31 January 1958 (Finland)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A cynical ex-sheriff turned bounty hunter helps a young, recently appointed acting sheriff with his advice, his experience, and his gun.

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Bounty Hunter | Bounty | Saloon | Mixed Race Child

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Morgan 'Morg' Hickman
Anthony Perkins	...	Sheriff Ben Owens
Betsy Palmer	...	Nona Mayfield
Michel Ray	...	Kip Mayfield
Neville Brand	...	Bart Bogardus
John McIntire	...	Dr. Joseph Jefferson 'Doc' McCord
Mary Webster	...	Millie Parker
Peter Baldwin	...	Zeke McGaffey
Richard Shannon	...	Buck Henderson
Lee Van Cleef	...	Ed McGaffey
James Bell	...	Judge Thatcher
Howard Petrie	...	Mayor Harvey King
Russell Simpson	...	Clem Hall
Hal K. Dawson	...	Andy Miller
Jack Kenney	...	Sam Hodges
Mickey Finn	...	McCall
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chet Brandenburg	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Frank Cady	...	Abe Pickett (uncredited)
Frank Cordell	...	Posse Member (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	(uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Duke Fishman	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Allen Gettel	...	Sloan (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Bob Kenaston	...	Hardman (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	...	Jim Clark, Stagecoach Driver (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Townsman / Barfly (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Cap Somers	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Townsman / Barfly (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Townsman / Barfly (uncredited)
Tim Sullivan	...	Virgil Hough (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Mann

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joel Kane		story
Dudley Nichols
Barney Slater		story

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer
George Seaton	....	producer
Gordon Cornell Layne	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Loyal Griggs

Film Editing by
Alma Macrorie

Art Direction by
J. McMillan Johnson		(as J. MacMillan Johnson)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Frank R. McKelvy		(as Frank McKelvy)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair styles supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound recordist (as Winston Leverett)

Stunts
Frank Cordell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Martha Crawford	....	stunt double: Betsy Palmer (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Ric Hardman	....	assistant to producers

Production Companies

• Perlsea Company (as Perlberg-Seaton Productions)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1958) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Miramar Films (2009) (Spain) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Norway:12 (1958) | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (PCA #18468) | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Perlsea Company

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Morg climbs up to the cave chasing the McGaffey brothers, there's a full camera shadow across him.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sheriff Ben Owens:Uh, ju-just getting the feel of these guns.
Morg Hickman:Where's the sheriff?

One of Fonda's Best Westerns...

...and that's saying a lot when you consider that he was in Fort Apache, My Darling Clementine, and The Ox-Box Incident. But this western, directed by the always dependable Anthony Mann, is a good example of a good story told without a lot of smoke and mirrors. The acting is dead-on, enough to convey character and emotion, but not too much to cheapen or overwhelm the story.

Great performances by Fonda as the grizzled veteran lawman/bounty hunter, Tony Perkins as the green, inexperienced town sheriff, John McIntyre as the town's doctor, and Neville Brand as the town bully. It is thoughtful and powerful, and displays a sense of right and wrong that is strong and uncompromising.