The Tall Target (1951)

In the midst of the tumultuous year of 1861, John Kennedy, a dedicated New York police sergeant, stumbles upon a chilling plot to assassinate President-Elect Abraham Lincoln. With the nation already fractured by states seceding from the union, this revelation sends a wave of icy fear coursing through Kennedy's veins. Despite the gravity of his findings, his superior, Superintendent Simon G. Stroud, dismisses his claims, prompting Kennedy to embark on a solitary mission to thwart the conspiracy. Boarding the last train to Washington, DC, Kennedy navigates a maze of deception and danger. His expected ally, Inspector Reilly, is mysteriously absent, replaced by a sinister impostor. As the iron wheels of the locomotive thunder through the heart of slave-state Maryland, Kennedy must rely on his sharp intellect and unyielding courage to unmask the hidden conspirators among the train's unsuspecting passengers. With every clattering mile that brings them closer to Baltimore, the planned site of the assassination, the stakes rise. Kennedy engages in a deadly game of cat and mouse, foiled at times but undeterred, as he races against time to protect the future President. The train's confines become a pressure cooker of suspense, each carriage echoing with the sombre drumbeat of impending doom. Fusing historical fact with riveting fiction, "The Tall Target" offers an engrossing blend of political intrigue and relentless suspense. Amid the atmospheric backdrop of a nation on the brink of civil war, Dick Powell delivers a standout performance as the tenacious Kennedy, the lone sentinel standing between Lincoln and his would-be assassins. A fascinating exploration of a little-known episode from American history, "The Tall Target" is a compelling cinematic journey that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first frame to the last.

The Tall Target is a history movie featuring Dick Powell.

The Tall Target is currently streaming on DIRECTV.