Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady)

Customer Reviews:

rooster cogburn.......2007-08-05

this is a classic movie with john wayne & katheryn hepburn. had great color. thoroughly enjoyed.

Rooster Cogburn.......2007-07-27

This is a pure John Wayne movie except you know that John was really dieing in real life as in the movie. I love the movie for the story line and just to view him doing his work under such hard conditions.
If you loved or liked John Wayne this is one you need in your collection due to it's revelance.

For any John Wayne Fan out there.......2007-05-06

I have been a Duke fan for a long time and Rooster Cogburn (... and the lady) is one of my favorites. This amazing DVD gives vivid beautiful color and enhanced sound that makes you feel like your there hunting "Hawk" with the one eyed brute himself "Rooster J. Cogburn, U.S. Marshal" I recommend this movie for any John Wayne fan or any western fan cause they just don't make movies like this anymore.

GREAT !!!!!.......2007-01-03

GREAT! JOHN WAYNE AND KATHERINE HEPBURN HAVE GREAT CHEMISTRY. VERY ENJOYABLE SHOW !!

Rooster Cogburn.......2006-11-12

wonderful partnership of talent in this updated version of African Queen.
love the verbal jabs and duels. They do it so well!
definitely a keeper!

Average customer rating:

The Man From Colorado 1948
Very good, early Ford/Holden western
Unconventional Western
In Glenn Ford' s memory!
Great Psychological Western With Ford and Holden

The Man From Colorado
Starring: Glenn Ford , William Holden , Ellen Drew , Ray Collins , and Edgar Buchanan
Director: Henry Levin
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001Z3I0I
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Customer Reviews:

The Man From Colorado 1948.......2007-06-30

Glenn Ford (1916-2006) Delivers a mesmerish performance as Owen Devereux , a sadistic civil war veteran who has deep-rooted psychological damage due to his experience during the war . William Holden (1918-1981) is oustanding as Del Stewart , Devereux's marshal and ex-army pal who tries to restrain the judge's violent nature . When Devereux's psyhotic behaviour force the town's people to take up arms against him , the former friend are pitted against each other in a brutal conflict with fatal consequences . The suspense never falters in acclaimed director Henry Levin (1908-1980) tighly woven tale which delves into devastating psycohological effects of war .

Very good, early Ford/Holden western.......2007-03-28

Moody western set in post Civil War Colorado. Glenn Ford stars as the tightly wound Union colonel who, immediately after the war ends, returns home and is elected judge for his corner of Colorado. Ford's first official action is to appoint best friend William Holden a federal marshal.

THE MAN FROM COLORADO begins a little before these happy ceremonies take place, though. The movie opens with Colonel Ford forming his men into line of battle against a small contingent of whipped confederates. At least we in the audience, and Ford with his field glasses, know they're whipped - we both see them waving the white flag of surrender. Even so, Ford orders the cannons to open fire, and the enemy forces are annihilated. Okay, so Ford ISN'T going to play the hero in this one. The likelier candidate, Ford's aide Holden, finds the white cloth tied to the end of a bayonet after the `battle', puts two and two together, and promptly buries the evidence before anyone else can see it. All this happens in the movie's first five minutes, so these aren't spoilers.

The emotional core of the movie is the Holden/Ford relationship. Holden's friendship with and loyalty to his old commander, and life long friend, is severely tested by Ford's increasingly erratic, and violence prone, behavior. The movie's engine can be found in a secondary plot thread. After mustering out, the enlisted men in Ford's old regiment find their gold claims have been - legally but unethically - taken over by a big mining concern. The mine owners have grown fat and rich while the men were off fighting, and the owners attempt to use the law, through their newly appointed judge, to hold and retain their ill-gotten pelf. There's fodder enough in that situation for two western's worth of violent conflict, and the movie delivers plot-wise.

I liked THE MAN FROM COLORADO, but I don't think it's a classic, and I'm not going to put it into the heavy rotation, Must Rewatch file. It's probably more than an interesting coincidence that this movie about displaced and cheated Civil War veterans was made and released four short years after the end of World War II. The movie stops just short of endorsing the violent and illegal acts committed by the mis-used vets. Plus there's something brave, or courageous, about a movie from that era that'll set up a plot with a scene of a war crime committed by an officer in the US Army, a crime the officer is never brought to justice for committing. Another of the movie's strength is Holden's character, who moves from wary loyalty to disillusionment and beyond, is well conceived and wholly credible. The weakest link in this movie is also its boldest creation played by, arguably, the movie's best actor. Don't get me wrong, Glenn Ford was very good at playing moody, introspective characters, and he IS very convincing playing someone trying to keep a lid on his explosively violent temper. The problem he is that's ALL he plays. The movie spends no time showing Ford at ease, so it's up to Holden and Ellen Drew (wasted here as Ford's bride and underdeveloped triangle love interest of Holden) - it's up to these two to tell Ford "he's changed" and for us to believe them. Blah - the movie's in the showing, not the telling. As interesting as villains can be, they usually aren't when their kettle's on the boil 24/7. The movie tells us, rather than shows us, that the Ford character went bad and the war done it to him. As fine an actor as Ford was, he can't escape a tediously imagined character. Granted, it's a quibble to complain about Ford's character's one-dimensionality, but with so many other pieces in place it's a frustrating disappointment. Instead of great, THE MAN FROM COLORADO is just very good.

Unconventional Western.......2006-09-11

Henry Levin's post-Civil War western, shot in Techincolor, features real-life best friends Glenn Ford and William Holden (both RIP) as former Union officers who find themselves on opposite sides after Owen Devereaux (Ford) becomes town judge, and who begins to abuse his power to punish anyone who opposes him. Del Stewart (Holden) is made town marshal but he sees that his friend is slipping more and more into insanity (which today would be referred to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), brought on by his experiences during the war. Enemy lines are drawn more strongly as Devereaux marries Carolyn (Ellen Drew), with whom Stewart is also in love. As Owen's mind deteriorates and his madness intensifies, the town is thrown into a uproar and his sadistic, murderous tendencies only grow. Of course, there has to be a showdown that only one man can win.

Ford's son has referred to this film as "an oddball production", perhaps because it was a rarity of the time, a psychological western. As Ford served in WW2, he had many of his own experiences to draw from; as offbeat of a role this is for him (similar to his Don Jose in "The Loves Of Carmen" of the same year, he sports the same longer hairstyle, but the gray on his temples here doesn't quite give the distinguished effect that was intended), he portrays a tortured, jealous man quite well, never more evident in the scenes paranoia sets in, thinking that his wife loves Del and not him. Ellen Drew is effective in her role, although I find her much easier to believe as Holden's love interest, but after seeing Ford with Rita Hayworth, the chemistry would be hard to compare. Different but compellingly watchable, and interesting to see these lifelong friends on screen together for the second and last time (they previously costarred in "Texas", in 1941), in another worthy addition to the Columbia Classics collection. With the recent passing of Glenn Ford, this is another film that adds richness and variety to his legacy.

In Glenn Ford' s memory!.......2006-09-03

With the sensible departure of Glenn Ford, also has extinguished the last exponent of an actors' generation gifted of the interpretative versatility per excellence.

Glenn Ford will be always reminded due his kaleidoscopic histrionic skills, to feature since the everlasting loser-winner in Gilda, the brutal appointed Federal judge who will take on the territory a dictatorial domain, or the most irreverent of the detectives in one of the most chilling films of the Noir Film genre as Big Heat was, and also as one of the most representative actors in the genre of the easy going genre of the light comedy.

Supported by a well elaborated script and the firm dir4ection of Henry Levin, a talented director who loved the Westerns.

In memoriam.

Great Psychological Western With Ford and Holden.......2006-05-05

The late forties saw an interesting subgenre of the Western appear-the psychological Western, which emphasized characters' thoughts and emotions as much, if not more, than action.

The Man From Colorado is one such psychological Western, and is a very good film made even better by its two stars, Glenn Ford and William Holden. Ford and Holden play men who soldier together during the Civil War, and come back to a home town struggling with lawlessness. Holden becomes a marshal, but Ford becomes the town judge. Unfortunately, Ford is suffering from what would now be called post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition gaining attention during the time that this film was made due to the prevalence of World War II soldiers who were diagnosed with this condition. Ford, who had been losing his grip on reality toward the end of the war, now loses it fully under the weight of his responsibilities, putting him on a collision course with his former friend Holden.

The Man From Colorado is a very good film with a subject that still resonates today - how does one learn to put wartime experiences in perspective and lead a normal life?

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Pure nostalgia
The Real Thing
2/3 of perhaps the best and funniest Roy Rogers movie
The Best Roy Rogers Video
Comments on Don't Fence Me In

Don't Fence Me In
Starring: Roy Rogers , Trigger , George 'Gabby' Hayes , Dale Evans , and Robert Livingston
Director: John English
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00022LIC0
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Customer Reviews:

Pure nostalgia.......2007-03-08

Just brings back memories of childhood. Get this one rather than the 'Roy Rogers Theatre' version. No idle chat or cuts. Lovely!

The Real Thing.......2006-09-10

The children of the 1940's loved Roy Rogers. He was the leading box-office cowboy for 10 years. However times were slower then. "The Little Rascals / Our Gang" series of the 1930's is a wonderful series, loved by children and adults of the time; but also made when times were slower. Children and adults today, may not have the patience and appreciation for the charm of "Roy Rogers" and the old "Little Rascals".

Roy Rogers was everything in real life that he plays in the movies. You like Roy Rogers films; if you like Roy. The stories are pleasant, and hold your attention; but not as exciting compared to today's special effects. Many of his films have similar plot style. Some of his stories, like the sheriff being crooked, with a gang of deputies that robs every gold shipment from the mines, with the town helpless, except for the arrival of the hero, seemed far-fetched. However, I later read a historical biography that told this same true story. It was true. Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction.

Roy was the best, in real life and on film, he was the best singer, always some good songs, the best yodeler,(he yodels in his songs in a couple films), he had true close, life-long, friendships with many of his on-screen friends, he was a great shot, and a real hunter, best outfits, his horse, which he owned in real life, did lots of tricks, his hard to win love, Dale Evans, took some effort for him to win in real life, but became a true and romantic love, and his wife. Roy was quite the athlete, he could walk for an hour on his hands. Roy was a good guy in real life, visiting children's hospitals throughout all the States.

Reading about Roy and Dale's off-screen lives, in their great book, "Happy Trails", makes their films endearing. The book tells how Dale was not at first interested in the real, cowboy, Roy; because she wanted to be a glamorous, city, singer, (it is best to read it) however, in summary, Roy does save her in a real life, adventure, incident, sweeping her off her feet. Their romance on-screen plays so interesting; because of their true romance off-screen.

I like the "Happy Trails Theatre" versions best. (This is such a version). A before and after segment, made many years later, is hosted by Roy and Dale, in their later years. They always have a guest.

The "Dont Fence Me In" song in this film is a good song.

I have seen 40 Roy Rogers films, and liked them all. Roy and Dale were good people, of an era gone by, the era of Walt Disney and Shirley Temple. Roy's films, not found here, can be found on RoyRogers dot commmmmm. "The Television Collection Vol.2" of Roy's has excellent songs, with guests, and is a pleasant surprise.

2/3 of perhaps the best and funniest Roy Rogers movie.......2004-07-24

Don't Fence Me is a 5-star Roy Rogers-Dale Evans movie which runs 71 minutes (B&W). This Happy Trails Theatre version cuts out about 19 minutes from the original movie. (An introduction and closing remarks with Roy and Dale done for TV in the 1980's adds about 12 minutes, but the film itself runs about 49 minutes in this eviscerated Happy Trails incarnation.)

The original version of Don't Fence Me In became available in 1998 on Republic VHS AIBN B00000EZWW. The audio on the Happy Trails DVD reviewed here is cleaner, raising hopes for an authentic DVD restoration of the whole film at some point. The 2 stars for this DVD are for better-than-nothing and the audio improvement. However, since songs such as Along the Navajo Trail have been edited out, along with much of the comedy--a 13 minute continuous segement is missing-- much of the benefit of better audio is lost. Get the Republic (not the Happy Trails) VHS instead for a delightful 1945 matinee classic.

The Best Roy Rogers Video.......2004-01-08

This video is probibly the best Roy Rogers video there is. Dale Evans is an Eastern reporter/photographer who goes west to find the true story of the long dead Wild Cat Kelly. She meets Roy and Gabby and messes things up for them, but in the end everything works out. Roy and Dale have some funny scenes together and Gabby does a wonderful job. Some of the great songs include Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Along the Navajo Trial and the title song by Cole Porter .

Comments on Don't Fence Me In.......2000-02-10

The quality of this video is very good from both visual and sound aspects. In addition this is a full length version with a running time of over 70 minutes as opposed to the 54 minute TV version found in some earlier video releases. This is one of the very best Roy Rogers films. An outstanding performance as the retired outlaw Wildcat Kelly by "Gabby" Hayes adds considerably to the value of this film. This is a must for Roy Rogers' fans

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Taming Andrew
Taming Andrew is awesome entertainment and information.
TV movie on dvd
Family Abduction

Taming Andrew
Starring: Park Overall , Jason Beghe , Seth Adkins , Lynne Deragon , and Craig Eldridge
Director: Artie Mandelberg
Manufacturer: Starlight Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000B1OEK
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Description

Park Overall (TV's "Empty Nest", "Reba") plays a mother whose son is abducted by her ex-husband who keeps the boy hidden for five years. The boy (Hairy Tale, TV's "Geppetto") is finally returned, but he is intellectually and emotionally stunted and lacks all social skills. His adjustment to a normal life meets with failure. His mother must now make the decision of whether to give up her new husband, family and career to help her son become a normal boy again, or send her son to an institution and lose him forever. Drama. 91 Minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Taming Andrew.......2007-04-25

This movie is wonderful yet heartbreaking. Park Overall,(Empty Nest), portrays Gail Carlson, a devoted and loving mother. Seth Adkins (First Do No Harm, Funky Monkey), portrays Andrew Carlson.

Gail lets her ex-husband, Ted and teenage girlfriend have Andrew for the weekend. Ted doesn't return the child as promised that evening. Agonized and stressed out, Gail and her new husband, Eddie await Andrew's arrival. However, he doesn't get back until 5 years later.

Andrew is not the same child he was. He has severe emotional problems brought on by the abuse at the hands of his real father. Gail goes to a child psychologist to get help.
Social Services is called in and and the representative wants Andrew put into a special on-campus school for disturbed and handicapped children. Gail refuses to go along with this. She does not want to lose her son again. Gail takes Andrew out of regular school where he is teased and ignored by the other kids.
She teaches Andrew at home and on her brother Jack's farm. At the farm, Andrew loves the animals but is bored with having to do homework. At the end of the movie, Andrew finally reveals to Gail the bad things his father and girlfriend did to him.

Gripping and very emotional performances. Seth Adkins is great here. A talented young actor has done even more feature films and TV shows.
You'll need a box of kleenex while watching this sad but overwhelmingly thought-provoking movie.

Taming Andrew is awesome entertainment and information........2006-12-14

Taming Andrew is a must see for anyone interested in child development and the consequences of the lack of guidance by a loving and responsive parent/guardian. The plot acurately portrays what took place in real life when andrew is kidnapped by his criminal father at an early age and returned about age eight. Andrew has had neither love or parenting during his captivity. It is now up to mother, who loves him very much, to make up for the lost socialization and bonding processes that are essential in those early years. Highly Recommended, without any reservation!!!

TV movie on dvd.......2005-08-11

The sole reason for watching this film is an incredible acting performance from 10-year-old Seth Adkins. If it weren't for his abilities as an actor, this film would be a complete waste of time.

The adult roles in this film, particularily that of Park Overall, were a complete disappointment. When she tells her toddler that he's a "silly boy", I could almost hear her reading the script out loud. The same occurs when she asks her child's doctor if he can help her..... after countless visits. Perhaps this can be blamed to poor screenwriting, but the actress performing in this role did not improve in the film's weaknesses.

Moreover, the teleplay includes dialogue from Andrew at age 3 or 4, saying words and phrases that no child that age would ever say.

The first twenty minutes or so of this tv-production is filled with horrendous acting.... yet the amazing performance by young Seth Adkins in the latter portion of this film does indeed salvage the movie to a "viewable" standard.

I hope this young actor is successful in his career, and can make the difficult transition to an adult actor.

It is a made-for-television movie, so perhaps my expectations are a bit high. I'd recommend this film for a one-time viewing, but would never wish to own the film as a part of my dvd collection.

Family Abduction.......2004-10-01

This movie is a start for those wanting to know how serious family abduction can be for a child and also for the family. Dismissed as not a serious crime, this movie should be seen for the devastating consequences for the child and left behind parent/family. Only wish the film was longer and covered more, but it was sufficient in its story.

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A terrific performance by Walter Brennan makes The Westerner a keeper. Now where is the DVD?
comedic western with sober undertow
Well-done western about Judge Roy Bean
"Every man gets a fair trial before we hang 'em!" - Judge Roy Bean
A marvelous and strikingly unique Western

The Westerner
Starring: Gary Cooper , Walter Brennan , Doris Davenport , Fred Stone , and Forrest Tucker
Director: William Wyler
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305082367
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Amazon.com essential video

Having created an instant classic the previous year with their superlative production of Wuthering Heights, producer Samuel Goldwyn, director William Wyler, and cinematographer Gregg Toland reunited for this classic Western from 1940, which earned Walter Brennan his record-setting third Academy Award. Gary Cooper reportedly hesitated to take his role, knowing that Brennan would likely steal the show with his splendid portrayal of "hanging" lawman Judge Roy Bean, but Wyler persisted and Cooper signed on as the drifter who faces Judge Bean under the false accusation of stealing a horse. Cooper smooth-talks his way out of his hanging by claiming to be a close friend of stage star Lily Langtry, with whom the judge is unabashedly smitten, but tensions rise when Cooper comes to the defense of a group of struggling homesteaders that Brennan is trying to drive away. This leads, of course, to a classic showdown in true Western tradition, and under Wyler's able direction The Westerner takes its place among the finest examples of the genre. And while Brennan does indeed steal the show, Cooper needn't have worried--he's every bit the hero in a battle with one of the silver screen's most memorable villains. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A terrific performance by Walter Brennan makes The Westerner a keeper. Now where is the DVD?.......2007-08-22

Gary Cooper may be the star, but it's Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean, "the law west of the Pecos," who drives The Westerner and makes the movie interesting. William Wyler, such a superb director, has somehow given us two movies. The first one is about, you guessed it, sodbusters, regular folks like you and me who, according to Hollywood, just want to put down roots, raise their families and build decent lives. The husbands are always pulling out tree stumps and the wives are always whomping up pies. Against them ride the cattlemen, and every cliche in the book is thrown into this part of The Westerner's story.

The second movie, however, is a sly, sometimes funny and somewhat vicious story of Judge Bean, his dictatorial character and his obsession with Lily Langtry, a beautiful singer from over the seas and a woman the Judge has idealized for years. The two stories come together when Cole Hardin (Gary Cooper) drifts into the dusty collection of ramshackle buildings close to the Mexican border where the Judge runs things. Before Hardin can wet his whistle in the Judge's bar and courtroom, he's accused of being a horse thief. It takes only a few minutes for the "jury" to find him guilty and the Judge to pronounce sentence...hanging, and right now. Hardin has enough wits to notice all the pictures of the Jersey Lily the Judge has nailed to the walls, so he makes up a story about how he knows her; he even has a memento of her hair. That's enough for the Judge to postpone the hanging. Before long Hardin and the Judge are downing whiskey together ("Don't spill none of that liquor, son. It eats right into the bar.") while the Judge listens with open mouth to the stories Hardin tells about Lily Langtry.

While all this is going on those homesteaders are building fences. The Judge doesn't take kindly to this. He's going to run them off by any means it takes. While Hardin is trying to find a middle way, he just happens to fall for the daughter of one of the sodbusters. Soon he's taking their side while trying to keep the Judge from doing anything murderous. It doesn't work. The fields and homes are burned and Hardin decides that the Judge himself needs a little justice. When the Judge hears that Miss Langtry will be performing in Fort Davis, a two day's ride away, the stage is set for a dramatic shootout between the Judge and Hardin.

What makes this entertaining is Walter Brennan as Roy Bean. The Judge is a mean, bad-tempered, poorly washed bully. His word runs things, and his guns, his noose and his followers make it happen. Justice, with the Judge, is a relative thing. But when he says, "That's my rulin'," he means it. In a tour de force performance, Brennan somehow manages to make the man both a reprobate and likable. When Brennan played Pa Clanton in My Darling Clementine, he was a mean old man to the bone. Here his deep, deep infatuation with Lily Langtry doesn't make him any more likable, but Brennan makes him just a little vulnerable. And in a nice bit of actorly sharing, Gary Cooper when he's acting with Brennan becomes much more interesting. If Cole Hardin is going to keep his neck from being stretched, he has to find ways to keep the Judge on the hook. Then, when Cole Hardin is trying to keep the Judge from ripping into the homesteaders, he has to find a way to appeal to the Judge's vanity. Cooper with the homesteaders is Cooper as usual. Cooper with Brennan is shrewd and a little sly; it's a fine performance. The conclusion in the music hall at Fort Davis, when Cooper and Brennan finally shoot it out, and when the Judge at last meets the Jersey Lily, is not only exciting, it's moving as all get out.

The Westerner has developed a fine reputation over the years, but I suppose it's largely because the movie is so seldom seen. We keep hearing about a DVD release happening any day, but it hasn't shown up yet. If it ever does, I'm sure Walter Brennan's performance will continue to get all the acclaim it deserves. I'm sure the chemistry between Brennan and Cooper will be examined and praised. As for the rest of the movie, I'm not so sure.

For those who like to get in their cars and journey to interesting places, I recommend driving down Texas state highway 90 heading to West Texas and the Rio Grande. You'll eventually find Langtry, Texas, (not named for Lily Langtry) and Judge Bean's wooden barroom, the Jersey Lily, and adjoining courtroom. It still stands, a few paces from a state information center. Langtry is about as close to being a ghost town as you can get. The only drinks you'll find is cool water from the center's water fountain. If you're there in the summer, you'll need it. After you've prowled around and bought a few postcards, continue on to Fort Davis. It's a pleasant, very small west Texas town. You can visit the old Army fort, now run by the U. S. Park Service, go up to the Davis Observatory for a star show and stay a night or two at the state-run Indian Lodge in the Davis Mountains. The lodge is just five minutes or so from town.
My Darling Clementine

comedic western with sober undertow.......2007-08-22

Even the "bit player" roles are superb, from the lurking, vulture-like undertaker at the start, to the befuddled theatre ticket seller at the end, all roles are distinct in character, and eye-grabbingly well acted. Even the bass fiddle that gets shot in the final confrontation knows exactly how to "die", and with a fitting moan.

Walter Brennan takes full possession of the eccentric "Judge" Roy Bean role, ruthlessly adjudicating, with speedy improvisation, his frequently lethal rulings. He lives with but one passion in mind and heart- his adoration of actress Lilly Langtry; an obsession Cooper leverages to full advantage.

Examples of the film's ingenious storyline hooks are scenes where Bean subtly solicits the condemned man (Cooper) to purchase drinks all round (for the "jury" that just found him guilty), or the hilarious "man crush" Bean develops on Cooper's character due to his affable moxie and more importantly, his feigned Langtry connection.

Brennan also owns the screen, translating every emotion Bean has with nuanced facial expressions. He flips from menace to comradery in the time it takes to down a good snort. Sometimes just the sinking of his facial affect, the lowering of his eyes or a sudden increase in their intensity is all it takes to show his sudden change of thought or intention. Dialogue is not necessary on many occasions, giving the film an emotional impact comparable to the silent film era.

Something of a reluctant buddies film, Brennan's and Cooper's characters repeatedly engage in a dangerous square dance around mutual and conflicting interests. It's the fence-building settlers that provide the deeper undercurrents of conflict with Bean and his freerange cohorts and lives are at stake and are too easily lost.

The psychological brinksmanship that occurs at nearly every plot turn is both unpredictable and ultimately charming. The battle of wits is constantly being waged and smartly articulated both in word and deed. The comedic quality of the spare and clever dialogue has just the right sparkle. Action scenes have a well executed, choreographed quality; each individual acting their part distinctly yet in blended synthesis to a very satisfying effect.

The romance that develops between Cooper and the settler's daughter, ranks with the best for it's awkward charm and sensitivity. The "lock of hair" scene is another bit of special movie magic, and none better at revealing the delicate nature of male/female negotiations of the heart. The placing of that lock of hair into Cooper's wallet is as intimate a gesture as one could wish for.

The Westerner is an enduring classic, worthy of many viewings. Every aspect of the film is uniquely crafted with many surprising and detailed touches. It's a gem not to be missed, but rather to be patiently appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. And that's my rulin'.

Well-done western about Judge Roy Bean.......2005-12-04

Among the better Western movies, with Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean and Gary Cooper as the saddle bum who becomes Bean's friend and then turns against him when Bean harasses the homesteaders. Cooper is brought before Bean for horse stealing, but Coop gets off by inventing a story about Lily Langtry, Brennan's fantasy love, who falls for it. He keeps stringing Brennan along with the made-up story throughout the picture, which becomes a bit trying at times. Cooper's stiff "Yups" can drive you crazy after a while, too.

But Brennan is excellent (he deservedly won an Oscar), and the shoot-out ending in the empty theatre between Coop and him, where Brennan gets to meet his Langtry backstage just before dying, is well done. The music (by Alfred Newman, who went uncredited) is a bit on the "HEAVY" side and over-emphatic, as if to make sure we get the point and have the right reactions. But the Gregg Toland photography is marvelous, and William Wyler's direction is superb. Definitely worth a watch.

"Every man gets a fair trial before we hang 'em!" - Judge Roy Bean.......2005-10-18

One of the greatest of American directors, William Wyler is known for such classic films as MRS MINIVER, ROMAN HOLIDAY, and BEN-HUR. It is less well known that Wyler began his career directing a long list of cheap westerns for Universal Pictures in the 1920s. After establishing his reputation as a major film director in the 1930s (with such films as DEAD END, JEZEBEL, and WUTHERING HEIGHTS), Wyler returned to the western genre in 1940 intent on making the finest western to date. The successful result of this endeavor was THE WESTERNER.

Gary Cooper stars as the smooth-talking drifter Cole Harden, and William Brennan plays a villainous, yet often likeable, Judge Roy Bean. Brennan's portrayal of Bean would deservedly win him his record third Oscar in a five-year span. Much of the film is focused on the relationship between Harden and Bean. Harden's manipulation of Bean is humorous and masterful as he manages to become the first accused man to avoid hanging in Bean's saloon/courthouse. Ultimately, the odd friendship that develops between the two men crashes: a result of Bean's unwavering support of the local cattle ranchers against the newly arrived homesteaders in a tragic range war which is tearing the county apart. In the end, Harden and Bean must meet in a classic showdown, but unlike most movie showdowns, we have sympathy for both characters.

Walter Brennan is the true star of this picture in what has become the definitive portrayal of Judge Roy Bean. Bean is a real villain in this film, but Brennan makes him complex and likeable nonetheless. If it wasn't for his star power, Cooper should have received second billing in this movie, since the Bean role is clearly the dominant one. Brennan's solid reputation and identification as a character actor may have contributed to his relegation to a supporting role, but again, a supporting role in name only.

Doris Davenport plays Jane Ellen Mathews, the lady farmer that Harden/Cooper falls for and takes up with against Judge Bean. The ensemble cast includes such notables as Chill Wills and Paul Hurst as well as Dana Andrews and Forrest Tucker in their first screen roles. Cinematography is by the great Gregg Toland (CITIZEN KANE, THE GRAPES OF WRATH) and Samuel Goldwyn produced the film. Director William Wyler ultimately achieved his objective: THE WESTERNER is truly one of the great westerns of all time.

Jeremy W. Forstadt

A marvelous and strikingly unique Western.......2003-04-30

This is one of the most unusual and delightful Westerns ever made. What sets it apart is the relative lack of action, the way that director William Wyler shifts most of the interest onto the relationship and interpersonal interplay between Cole Hardin (Gary Cooper, in one of his finest Western roles) and Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan). The way the two move from instant enemies, to unexpected friends, to uneasy opponents, to reluctant enemies, and finally back to sympathetic friends is masterfully portrayed. As fine as Cooper is, much of the credit lies with Brennan, who became the first person to win three acting Oscars by picking up his third Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Unlike his other Oscar wins, this role was essentially a lead role. Although many actors have portrayed Judge Roy Bean over the years, Brennan's is the definitive one, despite being the least historically accurate. If his version isn't the most faithful, it is the most compelling. He manages to be utterly absurd, dangerously unpredictable, and utterly likable at the same time.

The story essentially falls into two halves. The first involves Gary Cooper's accidental identification in Judge Bean's saloon as a horse thief, his trial and conviction, and clever manipulation of the Judge to gain a reprieve. The second half concerns Cooper's taking sides in a range war, siding with a lone female farmer against cattlemen. Both halves are brought together nicely in Cooper and Brennan's final struggle that ends the film.

Along with Walter Brennan and Gary Cooper, the real star of this film is Gregg Toland, whose cinematography rivets the viewer's attention on the screen from beginning to end. Toland, who died tragically young in 1948 at the age of 44, is universally regarded as one of the very greatest cinematographers of all time, and THE WESTERNER was one of his finest efforts in a very, very great streak of films over a relatively short period of time. In the period running from 1939-41, Toland was responsible for filming such extraordinary classics as WUTHERING HEIGHTS, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, THE WESTERNER, and CITIZEN KANE. Has any cinematographer ever had a two-year period matching this one? I saw THE WESTERNER years before I knew who Gregg Toland was, but I long retained the memory of several of the amazing shots Toland framed. He was a favorite of director William Wyler, who would employ him often during Toland's tragically short career.

Toland's photography manages to give this film an epic feel and scope, while the tensions in the relationship between Cooper and Brennan make it a highly intimate film. This is easily one of the most unique Westerns in the history of Holly, and one of the best.

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