Gary Cooper - A Great American

https://freedom-demokrasi-and-civilised-humanity.com/ ^ | 13th May, 2023, American time | Ozguy1945

[Ozguy1945]

Gary Cooper died relatively young at sixty years of age, six days after his birthday, on the 13th May, in 1961.

This was nine years after a sensational understated starring performance in High Noon, the immortal anthem to individual moral courage in the face of criminal danger.

When Frank Miller, a criminal who had vowed to kill Kane, is headed back to town on the midday train on Kane's wedding day, Kane tries and fails to rally the support of the terrified towns people. Marshall Kane tells his predecessor:

"I'm having trouble getting deputies."

Former Marshall Martin Howe explains in response:

"People got to talk themselves into law and order before they do anything about it. Maybe cos down deep they don't care. They just don't care."

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

Under the tyranny of modern political correctness, that is more true than ever.

[Spok]

When I was an under graduate, I had a business law professor who spent an entire class talking about “High Noon” and the lessons we should learn from it. Where are these kinds of professors now? (FYI- it was in the 70’s at the University of Utah.)

[LouAvul]

That movie was a protest against Hollywood's purging of communists. Gary Cooper symbolized the lone patriot fighting the forces of fascism.

Rio Bravo was made in response to High Noon. Rio Bravo symbolized three brave patriots fighting against communism.

[caddie]

Of course the movie is excellent, how it shows how few people can really be counted on to be brave in the face of overwhelming corruption and evil. How lonely and scared they are. How so many others head for the tall grass.

But once I was watching High Noon and hearing the haunting background music and it occurred to me.

In Blazing Saddles Mel Brooks borrows the recurrent minor scale musical theme of High Noon and alters it a bit, weaving it into various scenes in the saga of Rock Ridge.

Totally brilliant device, one of many. Hilarious.

Probably I am the last person to notice this, but that's OK, it was so funny when it dawned on me.

[dfwgator]

And yet Solidarity in Poland, used this as their poster. I have that poster in my office.

[alternatives?]

I think they are equating Gary Cooper with the role he played in a movie. It was just a movie.

[stinkerpot65]

Yep. High Noon was written by communist Carl Foreman.

[Bonemaker]

I'm more of a "Big Jake" kind of guy. No more screwing around...too old.

[Glad2bnuts]

I liked the movie, never saw Gary Cooper as much of an actor. His delivery was deadpan, and the same in every role. Many better actors and stars than him. He made Duke Wayne look like the best ever.

[Glad2bnuts]

The last line in the meme was wrong. It should be “I’m gonna blow your head clean off”.

[NTHockey]

Actually, Richard Boone (the bad guy) said it first in the movie.

[moovova]

Pet wiki..."In 1951, while making High Noon, Cooper befriended the film's screenwriter, Carl Foreman, who had been a member of the Communist Party. When Foreman was subpoenaed by the HUAC, Cooper put his career on the line to defend Foreman. When John Wayne and others threatened Cooper with blacklisting himself and the loss of his passport if he did not walk off the film, Cooper gave a statement to the press in support of Foreman, calling him "the finest kind of American". When producer Stanley Kramer removed Foreman's name as screenwriter, Cooper and director Fred Zinnemann threatened to walk off the film if Foreman's name were not restored. Foreman later said that of all his friends and allies and colleagues in Hollywood, "Cooper was the only big one who tried to help. The only one."[367] Cooper even offered to testify in Foreman's behalf before the committee, but character witnesses were not allowed. Foreman always sent future scripts to Cooper for first refusal, including The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Key, and The Guns of Navarone. Cooper had to turn them down because of his age.[368]"