Barnes & Noble

A flawless cinematic exercise in nearly unendurable suspense, High Noon rates high among the select group of movie westerns that have achieved immortality by transcending the long-proscribed limitations of the genre. It’s a testament to Carl Foreman’s screenplay that the basic situation and characters have been successfully adapted to films set not only in contemporary urban locations but in a futuristic space station as well. High Noon provides a wonderful showcase for aging screen icon (and onetime cowboy) Gary Cooper, portraying the small-town marshal whose wedding day -- and scheduled retirement -- is disrupted by the impending arrival of a revenge-seeking killer and his gang. Past his prime, and fearful of a duel’s outcome, he solicits help from the townspeople he has faithfully served -- only to be refused at every turn. Director Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity) tells this story in "real time," with clocks ticking away ominously toward the hour of the inevitable gunfight. He elicits subtly powerful performances from a splendid cast that includes Grace Kelly (as Cooper’s Quaker bride), Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, and Katy Jurado. But it’s Cooper’s show all the way, and he handily won an Oscar for his nuanced portrayal of a simple man torn between fear and duty. High Noon has been often parodied over the years, right down to its Academy Award-winning theme song ("Do Not Forsake Me"), but the good-natured ribbing only underscores the film's enduring influence. The DVD Special Edition offers a documentary ("The Making of High Noon"), as well as a photo gallery, theatrical trailers, and a separate audio track for the musical score. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

This Western classic stars Gary Cooper as Hadleyville marshal Will Kane, about to retire from office and go on his honeymoon with his new Quaker bride, Amy (Grace Kelly). But his happiness is short-lived when he is informed that the Miller gang, whose leader (Ian McDonald) Will had arrested, is due on the 12:00 train. Pacifist Amy urges Will to leave town and forget about the Millers, but this isn't his style; protecting Hadleyburg has always been his duty, and it remains so now. But when he asks for deputies to fend off the Millers, virtually nobody will stand by him. Chief Deputy Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) covets Will's job and ex-mistress (Katy Jurado); his mentor, former lawman Martin Howe (Lon Chaney Jr.) is now arthritic and unable to wield a gun. Even Amy, who doesn't want to be around for her husband's apparently certain demise, deserts him. Meanwhile, the clocks tick off the minutes to High Noon -- the film is shot in "real time," so that its 85-minute length corresponds to the story's actual timeframe. Utterly alone, Kane walks into the center of town, steeling himself for his showdown with the murderous Millers. Considered a landmark of the "adult western," High Noon won four Academy Awards (including Best Actor for Cooper) and Best Song for the hit, "Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling" sung by Tex Ritter. The screenplay was written by Carl Foreman, whose blacklisting was temporarily prevented by star Cooper, one of Hollywood's most virulent anti-Communists. John Wayne, another notable showbiz right-winger and Western hero, was so appalled at the notion that a Western marshal would beg for help in a showdown that he and director Howard Hawks "answered" High Noon with Rio Bravo (1959). Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 017153125719
• Source: REPUBLIC PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: B&W
• Sound: Dolby Digital Mono
• Time: 1:25:00
• Sales Rank: 24,509

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