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High Noon

Actor(s): Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado
Director(s): Fred Zinnemann
10

Details

Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Adult Situations
Movie Release: 1952
DVD Release: 07/01/1998
Format: DVD - Black and White
Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
Studio: Republic Pictures
Members Wishing: 13
Genres: Western, Psychological Western
See Also: High Noon [Collector's Edition], High Noon [Ultimate Collector's Edition] [New Collectible Packaging]

Synopsis

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, All Movie Guide

Cast

Gary Cooper - Will Kane
Grace Kelly - Amy Kane
Thomas Mitchell - Jonas Henderson
Lloyd Bridges - Harvey Pell
Katy Jurado - Helen Ramirez
Otto Kruger - Percy Mettrick

Awards

1952	Best Director (nominee)	Directors Guild of America	Fred Zinnemann
1952	Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (winner)	Golden Globe	Gary Cooper
1952	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	Golden Globe	Katy Jurado
1952	New Star of the Year - Female (nominee)	Golden Globe	Katy Jurado
1952	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Carl Foreman
1952	Best Original Score (winner)	Golden Globe	Dimitri Tiomkin
1952	Best Cinematography - Black and White (winner)	Golden Globe	Floyd D.Crosby
1952	Best Actor (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Gary Cooper
1952	Best Director (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Fred Zinnemann
1952	Best Editing (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Elmo Williams
1952	Best Editing (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Harry Gerstad
1952	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Carl Foreman
1952	Best Picture (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Stanley Kramer
1952	Best Drama or Comedy Score (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Dimitri Tiomkin
1952	Best Song (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Dimitri Tiomkin
1952	Best Song (winner)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Ned Washington
1952	Best Director (winner)	New York Film Critics Circle	Fred Zinnemann

Editorial Review

This collector's edition of High Noon features an impressive list of extras, but much of the material falls into the "fluff" category, and the result is only mediocre. The disc contains three behind-the-scenes featurettes, but their combined running time falls short of six minutes. The highlight of the three is the "On Location" video that presents various aspects of the filming, including the final gunfight.
The most prominent feature is a commentary track from executive producer David A. Rosemont and director of photography Robert McLachlan. They do offer plenty of information, but the track just isn't very enjoyable. They're both pretty dry speakers, and this film isn't the type to generate fascinating discussion. Another section that falls short is the collection of interviews with the major stars and director. These brief vignettes appear in a poor, full-frame transfer with low sound quality.
One high point is the cast and crew biographies, which are nicely detailed, with extensive filmographies for the seven main actors, plus the director and screenwriters. This disc also contains a fairly useless photo gallery with 12 pictures -- primarily of actors posing for the camera -- as well as the widescreen original theatrical trailer and two television spots.
The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer features several amazing long shots of outdoor scenery that showcase an array of colors. One particularly breathtaking shot has the villainous gunmen riding into town with a huge mountain looming in the background. Unfortunately, the indoor shots lack this pristine focus under darker conditions.
The nearly pristine and powerful 5.1-channel Dolby Digital transfer is a highlight. The sounds are clear and lush and showcase the emotional moments of the story. The only hindrance to this transfer is the predominance of dialogue in the story until the final gunfight. ~ Dan Heaton, All Movie Guide