Still A Great Western After 60+ Years

Hey folks,

As a young lad in 1952, I saw this film with my father, and I thought it was great. For me at that age, the film had nothing to do with political ideas, and while I was familiar with Gary Cooper as an actor, Grace Kelly was just a new pretty face to me. For me, this was simply a great western story.

As the years went by, I continued to re-watch "High Noon" many times. By the 1960s, I was well aware of the HUAC and McCarthy events of the previous decade, but those events and their relationship to this film really did not affect my relationship to this film. That still holds true for me today. "High Noon" remains for me a great western based on a great story.

Before the film was ten years old, I realized I knew most of the other actors from many other films, and this added a new dimension to the film for me, but the original story continued to be the thing that made this such a great film for me. While I seem to ignore the music in most films, "High Noon" was one of those films where the music really did have an impact on me. It seemed to really complement the story and add to the pacing of the film timeline. I also think the theme song lyrics added to the total experience of the film. Every time I watch this film and it gets to the end, when I see Marshall Kane toss his star onto the street, it is the same for me as it was in 1952. I can remember quite clearly my father poking me with his elbow and quietly telling me to pick it up before someone else gets it.

I have always been a big fan of western films - some good and some not so good. For me, recent westerns like "Open Range" and "Lonesome Dove" have set new benchmarks for great westerns. How do I compare "High Noon" with "Open Range" and "Lonesome Dove" for greatness? I don't. "High Noon" was made over 60 years ago under really different standards. Sure, I can look at "High Noon" today and think of ways to improve things and make it more realistic by today's standards, but how far do you go with that? Change the actors? Change the story? Chasing that idea is fruitless. You can say the same things about virtually all films made half a century ago in what was pretty much another time and place.

"Lonesome Dove" tells its story in a different manner than "High Noon" tells its story, but both films share a common asset: they both are based on really good stories.

Did I mention that I still think "High Noon" is a great western film?

Best wishes,
Dave Wile