You’ve probably seen Daniel Day-Lewis wander through the White House in Spielberg’s Lincoln. Maybe you even caught that weird one where he’s hunting vampires. But honestly, most people have completely missed the most tense, claustrophobic, and arguably smartest film ever made about the 16th President. It’s called The Tall Target. Released in 1951, this isn't some dusty, boring history lesson. It’s a noir thriller that takes place almost entirely on a train.
It’s fast. It’s mean. And it’s surprisingly accurate about how close the United States came to a total collapse before the Civil War even started.
Directed by Anthony Mann—the guy who basically reinvented the Western with James Stewart—this movie tackles the "Baltimore Plot." For those who aren't history nerds, this was the very real conspiracy to kill Abraham Lincoln in 1861 before he could even be inaugurated. Dick Powell plays John Kennedy (no, not that one), a New York police sergeant who quits his job because his bosses won't take the death threats against Lincoln seriously. He boards a train heading from Philadelphia to Baltimore, convinced an assassin is in one of the cars.
The stakes are massive. If Lincoln dies here, the Union probably doesn't survive. But the movie doesn't feel like a grand epic. It feels like a nightmare.
The claustrophobia of The Tall Target makes it work
Most political thrillers try to show you the whole world. They jump from the War Room to the streets. The Tall Target does the opposite. It traps you. By keeping the action confined to the Night Express, Anthony Mann creates this feeling of inescapable dread. You’re stuck in the wood-paneled cars with shadows that look like they were pulled straight from a German Expressionist painting.
Dick Powell is fantastic here. He’s not a superhero. He's a tired, frustrated guy who lost his badge and is now trying to stop a murder with basically zero authority. He spends half the movie getting punched, questioned, or ignored. It’s a gritty performance that feels way more modern than most stuff from 1951. He’s surrounded by a cast of characters who all seem suspicious: a wealthy Southerner, a mysterious woman with a veiled face, and soldiers who might not be who they say they are.
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The cinematography by Paul Vogel is the secret sauce. Because they're on a train, everything is in motion. The flickering lights from the passing stations and the constant chugging rhythm of the engine create a ticking clock you can actually hear. It’s stressful.
Why the Baltimore Plot actually matters
Some people think the movie exaggerates the danger. It doesn't. History tells us that the Baltimore Plot was a legitimate crisis. Allan Pinkerton—the founder of the famous detective agency—really did have to sneak Lincoln through Baltimore in the middle of the night. He had the President-elect wear a soft felt hat and a shawl to disguise his famous silhouette.
In The Tall Target, we see the atmosphere of 1861 perfectly. The country was a powder keg. Half the people on that train probably wanted Lincoln dead. The movie captures that social friction. You have characters openly arguing about secession and slavery in the dining car. It’s uncomfortable. It reminds you that the Civil War wasn't just fought on battlefields; it was fought in every town and every train car in America.
Adolphe Menjou and the cast of suspects
If you're going to watch this, pay attention to Adolphe Menjou. He plays Colonel Caleb Jeffers. Menjou was a massive star in the silent era, usually playing dapper, sophisticated men. Here, he’s perfect as the refined but potentially deadly military man. The way he interacts with Powell is like a chess match.
Then there’s Ruby Dee. She has a relatively small role as Rachel, a servant traveling with a Southern family, but she steals every scene she's in. Through her, the movie briefly but powerfully acknowledges the reality of slavery and the personal stakes of Lincoln's survival. It gives the thriller a moral weight that a lot of 1950s films lacked.
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One of the weirdest things about The Tall Target is that you never actually see Lincoln’s face. He’s a shadow, a figure in the distance, or a man hidden behind a curtain. This was a brilliant choice by Mann. By keeping Lincoln off-camera, he makes him a symbol. He becomes the "target" of the title—an idea that must be protected at all costs. It keeps the focus on the protagonist’s struggle rather than turning it into a biopic.
A Masterclass in Noir pacing
A lot of old movies feel slow to modern audiences. This isn't one of them. It clocks in at about 78 minutes. That’s it. No filler. No unnecessary romantic subplots that go nowhere. It’s a straight shot from Philadelphia to the Baltimore station.
Mann uses the train's mechanics as plot points. A missing ticket, a switched coat, the sound of the whistle—all of it matters. The editing is sharp. When a body disappears or a gun is drawn in a cramped compartment, you feel the physical constraints of the space. It’s essentially "Die Hard on a Victorian Train," forty years before Die Hard existed.
What the movie gets right (and what it tweaks)
While The Tall Target is a fictionalized version of events, it sticks to the "vibe" of history better than most big-budget spectacles.
- The Secret Journey: Lincoln really did have to change his travel plans at the last minute, much to the embarrassment of the press, who later mocked him for "sneaking" into Washington.
- The Detective Work: While Dick Powell’s character is a composite, he represents the very real efforts of the New York Police and the Pinkertons to coordinate security across state lines at a time when there was no FBI or Secret Service.
- The Tension: The threat in Baltimore was so high that Lincoln’s advisors were genuinely terrified he wouldn't make it to his own inauguration.
The movie changes some names and adds a lot of fistfights, obviously. The real John Kennedy was a real New York detective who discovered the plot, but he didn't necessarily spend his night leaping between train cars. But the core truth is there: the 1860s were a terrifying time to be in public service.
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Where to find The Tall Target today
It’s kind of a tragedy that this movie isn't more famous. For years, it was buried in the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) vault. These days, you can usually find it on digital rental platforms or through the Warner Archive. It’s a "B-movie" in terms of its original budget, but its execution is pure "A-list."
If you like Hitchcock, you’ll love this. If you like history, you’ll appreciate the details. If you just like watching a guy try to solve a puzzle while people are trying to kill him, it’s a perfect Friday night watch.
Actionable insights for your next movie night
If you're planning to dive into The Tall Target or the history behind it, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch it as a Double Feature: Pair it with the 2012 Lincoln. Watch The Tall Target first to see how he got to Washington, then Spielberg’s film to see what he did once he arrived. The contrast between the 1950s noir style and the 21st-century prestige drama is fascinating.
- Read about the Baltimore Plot: Check out The Hour of Peril by Daniel Stashower. It’s a non-fiction book that reads like a thriller and covers the exact same events as the movie. It’ll make the film even more impressive when you realize how much of the "crazy" stuff actually happened.
- Look for the Mann Touches: If you’re a film student or just a buff, look at how Anthony Mann uses depth of field. He often puts something very close to the camera and something very far away in the same shot. It’s his signature, and it makes the train cars feel much larger and more dangerous than they really were.
- Pay attention to the sound design: Turn the volume up. The sound of the steam engine isn't just background noise; it's used to hide dialogue and build tension. It’s one of the best uses of diegetic sound in early 50s cinema.
The movie ends with a sense of relief, but also a lingering shadow. We know what happened four years later at Ford's Theatre. Knowing the ending of the "real" story makes the survival of the character on this train feel even more precious and fragile. Don't skip this one. It’s a lean, mean piece of filmmaking that proves you don't need a massive budget to tell a story that feels like the weight of the world is on the line.