High Noon

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Chris B @Papa13070 Mar 30 Gary Cooper won a Best Actor Oscar for his solid portrayal of a retiring marshal in a tumbleweed town facing down a band of cutthroats all by himself. Confrontation between good and evil still resonates today, cannily filmed in "real time" (with lots of clocks on-screen reporting the upcoming showdown). Edited to precision (which copped another Oscar), stylishly directed and featuring fine supporting performances from Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, Thomas Mitchell, Katy Jurado, Lee Van Cleef and Lon Chaney. Other Oscars: the low-key score and the narrative tune "High Noon ("Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')". A treasure of a movie. See more Gary F @GaryF Feb 22 It is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I had heard that many boys in the 50's were named Gary because of Gary Cooper, so I thought I should see his award winning performance in High Noon. It was hard for me to endure. The script was stilted, the acting was wooden, there was poor character development (I still don't know who some of the characters were supposed to be), the plot was slow and not well explained, and the music was weird and poorly done. See more Logan D @Greynomad38 04/17/2025 When a prisoner is released and seeks revenge on the man (Gary Cooper) who put him there, the town fails to rally and help defend their town. I've yet to be too impressed by Cooper as an actor. He spends half the film impassively dealing with rejection of his pleas for help and the refusal of his new Quaker bride to support his choice. Thankfully he opens up more nearing the end of the film. I was struck how different this is from most Westerns at the time. John Wayne hated it for it's portrayal of the Western spirit. Cooper's character is surrounded by cowards or those too old to help him. The film does have some intriguing dialogue. Like many films of that time, the film features many actors known throughout the movie world: Harry Morgan (MASH); Thomas Mitchell (Gone with the Wind); Katy Jurado; Lloyd Bridges; Grace Kelly; Lee Van Cleef; Sheb Wooley (The Purple People Eater). I really enjoyed seeing Long Chaney Jr in another role in which he shines regardless of it being a small part. I was raised on television and found many of the fade to black transitions as if we were going to commercial. One of the first 25 films to be chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry. Second film role for Grace Kelly See more Oscar B @RT87342541 03/27/2025 I don't understand why people like this movie. It's horrible, the story is very very bad and the pace a pain to endure. See more alan g @agenser 03/09/2025 A great western. Unfortunately Grace is not up to her billing. See more P W @RT70379848 12/15/2024 A retiring marshall hears about a pack of criminals coming back to town. His duty is up, however he feels responsible for the people and commits himself to stand up against the incoming danger. He tries to find people to support him, however everybody leaves him. Everything left to him is his integrity, which shines through as a moral principle, making the marshall a figure of sympathy for the viewer. He is ready to sacrifice it all to save a town, unwilling to help or assist him. A town, not deserving his help, however he realizes his moral obligation and can not face away from the incoming threat. This threat is not seen until the very end of the movie, however this lurking shadow is building up more and more tension in the conversations within the desperate town. The Marshall does his duty, but he has seen the real face of the people and leaves. See more Read all reviews

High Noon

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