HIGH NOON - 1952
RATED - NR but probably G/PG. Family friendly.
RATINGS - 153 Amazon (4.5/5), 21,913 IMBD (8.3/10), 283,562 Netflix (3.9/5).
STARRING - Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges.
AWARDS - 4 Academy Awards including Best Actor (Cooper) plus 3 nominations, AFI Top Thrills, AFI Top 100.
STORY -Stars Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly (her first role) and Lloyd Bridges and is arguably the best western of all time. Will Kane (Gary Cooper) has just said his wedding vows with his new bride (Grace Kelly) and is about to turn in his badge as sheriff and leave the town he had singlehandedly cleaned up, with his pacifist Quaker wife. As they're about to ride out of town in their buckboard limo, three tough hombres ride into town and let it be known that Frank Miller is arriving on the noon train-it's now 10:40 AM. Will leaves but just out of town turns around and comes back. He can't leave now. He's responsible for arresting Frank Miller and sending him up to prison. He was supposed to be executed but instead he's paroled and coming back to get even. Will believes he can round up a posse to defend the town during the next hour as the film progresses in real time. The plot is simple but the acting is terrific and the scenes are tight and tense as he tries to recruit help as well as keep his new bride. All this leads up to the showdown at HIGH NOON and the final, climactic scene-a great one. More than just a good western, there are some underlying themes of courage (and lack thereof) as well as the issue of pacifism and 'standing by your man'. This is the role that got Grace Kelly's career on track. One interesting note-on Netflix there's a commentary on issues for parents to judge whether a film is suited for children and what age. Under the category of SOCIAL BEHAVIOR it says "Women are exceptionally intelligent and respected". Apparently that was not the norm for films back then. Everyone should see this at least once. Recommended for ages 10 and over. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 01/05/2008.
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