WHILE TAKING A GREAT many liberties and just plain "Making it up", This is one great film. Although it is a highly fictionalized telling of the story of a real aberration in our nation's march west.
THE PRODUCTION OPTS for a sort of round about sympathetic evaluation of self-styled hanging 'Judge' Roy Bean. To be sure, the characterization of the town and the seedy, bucket-of-blood Saloon that doubled as a Court Room for "His Honor" is nasty, crude and ever so down to earth. There is definitely no romanticizing here.
THE BUSINESS OF 'Judge' Bean's obsession with a lady he never met, Miss Lily Langtree, singer, is perhaps the one agent of the plot line that humanizes an otherwise monster of a human being. It is this bizarre and intense case of extreme loneliness and longing that actually makes the audience pity this person; rather than despise him. Walter Brennan assayed an outstanding characterization here, right down to the bitter end.
AS FAR AS the use of star, Gary Cooper, there is no better example of his great technique and intuitive construction of an on screen persona. Born in England, but raised in the West, the great "Yup" man was an outstanding horseman. This combined with his great talent made for the great understated Western that it was.
OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS leading to the successful creation of this production included the supporting cast. Included are: Forrest Tucker, Dana Andrews, Paul Hurst, Chill Wills and, in possibly his best role in a major picture, we have "B" Western & Serial Star, Tom Tyler.
BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SCENES are used as the backdrop for the highly tense but somehow subtly played drama that unfolds.
REMEMBER, AS THE great man once said: "Less is More."
THE PRODUCTION OPTS for a sort of round about sympathetic evaluation of self-styled hanging 'Judge' Roy Bean. To be sure, the characterization of the town and the seedy, bucket-of-blood Saloon that doubled as a Court Room for "His Honor" is nasty, crude and ever so down to earth. There is definitely no romanticizing here.
THE BUSINESS OF 'Judge' Bean's obsession with a lady he never met, Miss Lily Langtree, singer, is perhaps the one agent of the plot line that humanizes an otherwise monster of a human being. It is this bizarre and intense case of extreme loneliness and longing that actually makes the audience pity this person; rather than despise him. Walter Brennan assayed an outstanding characterization here, right down to the bitter end.
AS FAR AS the use of star, Gary Cooper, there is no better example of his great technique and intuitive construction of an on screen persona. Born in England, but raised in the West, the great "Yup" man was an outstanding horseman. This combined with his great talent made for the great understated Western that it was.
OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS leading to the successful creation of this production included the supporting cast. Included are: Forrest Tucker, Dana Andrews, Paul Hurst, Chill Wills and, in possibly his best role in a major picture, we have "B" Western & Serial Star, Tom Tyler.
BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SCENES are used as the backdrop for the highly tense but somehow subtly played drama that unfolds.
REMEMBER, AS THE great man once said: "Less is More."