John Wayne turned down the part of the sheriff in High Noon, saying that the story was ridiculous. The town would have gotten together and blown the crooks away in about 15 seconds. Coop did a good job, but I agree with Duke.
John was probably right about most of the people in that era, but there were more than a few towns that were just like what that movie portrayed - as can be found when reading history.
Unfortunately, John Wayne didn’t realize that the story was not about the old west but about contemporary attitudes. General Douglas MacArthur had just been told that he could not pursue victory in Korea.