The Westerner (1940)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

Niven Busch (screenplay)
Stuart N. Lake (story)

Release Date:

20 September 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

THE RAW UNTAMED ADVENTUROUS WEST...LIVES AGAIN! (original print media ad - all caps)

Plot:

Judge Roy Bean, a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinergaroon, Texas, befriends saddle tramp Cole Harden, who opposes Bean's policy against homesteaders.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Lily Langtry | Hanging | Horse Thief | Actress

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

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

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Portugal:M/12 | West Germany:12 (f) | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5959) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

near, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

This film is the first of five roles for Walter Brennan in support of Gary Cooper. The last was Task Force (1949) in 1949.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The town was named for George Langtry, an engineer and foreman who had supervised a Chinese work crew building the railroad, and not for the actress Lillie Langtry.

Quotes:

Judge Roy W. Bean: Shad Wilkins, you've been tried and found guilty of the most serious crime west of the Pecos, to wit: shooting a steer. Do you got anything to say for yourself before the sentence of the court is executed?
Shad Wilkins: I told you they shot at me first. I didn't mean to kill that steer on purpose. I was aiming at the man.
Judge Roy W. Bean: It's your bad luck you missed him. That's the trouble with you sodbusters...you can't shoot straight. Shad, may the Lord have mercy on your soul.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000) (TV)

Judge Roy Bean Fun To Watch In Any Era

This was the original version of "The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean." The latter, a Paul Newman-starring picture made in the early '70s, was very entertaining and this older film was, too. Both are winners and worth owning.

Walter Brennan won his Oscar here for his role as the title Judge. He is fun to watch, as is Gary Cooper, who plays his normal type of likable character.

Doris Davenport was not much for the female lead, and one reason why her name is so unfamiliar. The other drawbacks are Brennan's overuse of the phrase "My gobs" (trying to get away without saying "My God") and the cinematography which would have looked a lot better in color.