The story of the fascinating character Judge Roy Bean–a Texas tyrant who established himself as “the law west of the Pecos” and who had an admiration and love for stage star Lily Langtry–and his meeting with “The Westerner” a drifter who runs afoul of the law when he is falsely accused of stealing a horse.System Requirements:Running Time: 100 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 883904107118 Manufacturer No: M110711Having 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
Buy “The Westerner” For Only $7.73
March 5, 2010
#1
Great movie although I’m partial to old westerns
March 5, 2010
#2
but, like the other guy said, I’m partial to old westerns
March 5, 2010
#3
I was really excited to get this movie as the overwhelming majority of reviews were all 5 stars. There’s no question that this movie is well directed and well acted. HOWEVER, the story prods along at a snails pace and there simply is very little going on . . . Judge Roy Bean has a silly fettish with Lillie Langtree and Cooper plays on that fettish in order to save himself from being hung. The entire movie is mostly dialogue between Cooper and Bean and I found it thoroughly boring. I’m a big fan of westerns — even those with little action — but this movie just couldn’t hold my interest. I’m really surprised that so many have rated it 4 and 5 stars.
March 5, 2010
#4
United Artists presents “THE WESTERNER” (20 September 1940) (100 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) — Our story line and plot, If you like westerns, you’ll love William Wyler’s “The Westerner” — great directing and superb acting, and gorgeous cinematography — Cole Hardin (Gary Cooper) just doesn’t look like a horse thief, Jane-Ellen Matthews (Doris Davenport) tells Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan) as she steps up to the bar — Cole says he can’t take it with him as he empties all of his coins on the bar to buy drinks for the jury — Cooper notices two big pictures of Lily Langtry behind the bar — Sure, Cole has met the Jersey Lily, whom the hanging judge adores, even has a lock of her hair — Hanging is delayed for two weeks, giving Cole time to get in the middle of a range war between cattlemen and homesteaders and to still be around when Lily Langtry, former mistress of Edward VII who became an international actress, arrives in Texas — Great to see some of my favorite B-Western character actors in the cast Dana Andrews, Stanley Andrews, Hank Bell, Forrest Tucker, Tom Tyler and Chill Wills — Wyler’s directing and Toland’s shooting of the prairie fire sequence is one of the great spectacles of 1930s cinema, as well as an incredibly exciting scene — Walter Brennan won his third Best Supporting Actor Oscar with this film. This was the fifth year the Supporting Player categories were being awarded by the Academy and Brennan won numbers one and three previously — What makes the film even better is that it is based on a person who actually lived, which made the role even more challenging — Walter Brennan carries this oater and transforms what would have otherwise been just another western into a classic.
Under the production staff of:
William Wyler – Director
Samuel Goldwyn – Producer
Niven Busch – Screenwriter
Stuart N. Lake – Screen Story
Jo Swerling – Screenwriter
Archie J. Stout – Cinematographer
Gregg Toland – Cinematographer
Alfred Newman – Composer (Music Score)
Dimitri Tiomkin – Composer (Music Score) / Musical Direction/Supervision
Dan Mandell – Editor
James Basevi – Art Director
Julia Heron – Set Designer
Irene Saltern – Costume Designer
Fred Lau – Sound/Sound Designer
Blague Stephanoff – Makeup
Paul Eagler – Special Effects
Louis Clyde Stoumen – Special Effects
Walter Mayo – First Assistant Director
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Gary Cooper (aka: Frank James Cooper)
Date of Birth: 7 May 1901 – Helena, Montana
Date of Death: 13 May 1961 – Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California
2. Walter Brennan
Date of Birth: 25 July 1894 – Swampscott, Massachusetts
Date of Death: 21 September 1974 – Oxnard, California
3. William Wyler (Director)
Date of Birth: 1 July 1902, Mülhausen, Alsace, Germany [now Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France]
Date of Death: 27 July 1981 – Los Angeles, California
the cast includes:
Gary Cooper … Cole Harden
Walter Brennan … Judge Roy Bean
Doris Davenport … Jane Ellen Mathews
Fred Stone … Caliphet Mathews
Forrest Tucker … Wade Harper
Paul Hurst … Chickenfoot
Chill Wills … Southeast
Lilian Bond … Lily Langtry
Dana Andrews … Hod Johnson
Charles Halton … Mort Borrow
Trevor Bardette … Shad Wilkins
Tom Tyler … King Evans
Lucien Littlefield … The Stranger
Stanley Andrews … Sheriff
Hank Bell … Deputy
Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of “Trail Talk”), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of “The Real Bob Steele”) as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials — If you’re into the memories of B-Westerns with high drama, this is the one you’ve been anxiously waiting for — please stand up and take a bow Western Classics — all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 100 mins on DVD ~ United Artists ~ (5/13/2008)
March 5, 2010
#5
This is a great Classic Western that surely almost everyone of a certain age in America has seen. The conflict takes up a chapter in our school history books, The Homesteaders vs The Cattledrivers. We cannot keep but liking Judge Roy Bean, even at his diabolical best as played by Walter Brennan, and this reviewer is “in love” with Gary Cooper, in all of his radient splendor, so he can do no wrong as he plays our hero, Cole Harden. In this movie he is a ramblin’ man who has the soul of a peacemaker. He almost gets hanged, gets into several fist fights, as he tries to keep the cattle drivers from destroying the homesteaders, whom he has befriended.
He has even developed a friendship with Judge Roy Bean, the hangin’ judge who thinks he has an inside connection with his obsession, Lily Langtry. Acting inside of Acting–no one does this better than Gary Cooper, and I watched in rapt attention at his eyes, facial expressions, and little smiles as he plays Judge Roy Bean like a violyn. He studies the old judge to craft his storylines–knowing just how far he can push it to fenagle Judge Roy in whatever direction he wants him to go in at the time. I was disappointed when he borrowed the lock of hair from the girl (Doris Davenport). I thought it cheap, but it was for a good cause and probably saved many lives, including his own. There are a couple of surprise treats in this film. There is a handsome young homesteader in this film who looks vaguely familiar. It is Forrest Tucker as a young whippersnapper. Likewise, there is a young and vile cattleman that is not too hard on the eyes either. It is Chill Wills. Neither had been shaving for very long. This is a great movie and if you have ever lived in Texas for long, you understand for yourself, the Law West of the Pecos.