Gary Cooper (1901 - 1961)
Gary
Cooper was the perfect American hero for forty years, the epitome of
integrity and honesty. His range was wide from light comedy, drama,
thrills, action and he was also one of the great Western heroes. One of
the great natural actors he appeared to do nothing onscreen but that
inactivity was misleading, his nuanced acting was perfect for the
demands of the medium.
Cooper made his first film appearances in the silents including an impressive brief one in the aviation epic Wings (1927) but sound gave an extra dimension to his laconic style in movies like The Virginian (1929). One of his best 30s westerns was Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman (1936) in which he and Jean Arthur delivered highly romanticised portrayals of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.
He was the romantic leading man of Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930) her first American film and starred with Helen Hayes in the best film version of A Farewell To Arms (1932). Director Frank Capra made the most of Cooper's honest Joe persona in two films Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936) and Meet John Doe (1941).
1941 was a great year for Cooper as well as John Doe he appeared in two other very good films : Howard Hawks' comedy Ball of Fire (1941) with Barbara Stanwyck and his Oscar winning portrayal of a World War I hero in Sergeant York (1941).
He won his second Oscar for best Actor for his performance as Sheriff Will Kane in High Noon (1952). None of his later films reached that standard but Cooper remained the definitive American hero till the end. When in Love In The Afternoon (1957) his leading lady was Audrey Hepburn there were few complaints about the difference in their ages. Like all the great stars Gary Cooper was essentially ageless.
Cooper made his first film appearances in the silents including an impressive brief one in the aviation epic Wings (1927) but sound gave an extra dimension to his laconic style in movies like The Virginian (1929). One of his best 30s westerns was Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman (1936) in which he and Jean Arthur delivered highly romanticised portrayals of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.
He was the romantic leading man of Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930) her first American film and starred with Helen Hayes in the best film version of A Farewell To Arms (1932). Director Frank Capra made the most of Cooper's honest Joe persona in two films Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936) and Meet John Doe (1941).
1941 was a great year for Cooper as well as John Doe he appeared in two other very good films : Howard Hawks' comedy Ball of Fire (1941) with Barbara Stanwyck and his Oscar winning portrayal of a World War I hero in Sergeant York (1941).
He won his second Oscar for best Actor for his performance as Sheriff Will Kane in High Noon (1952). None of his later films reached that standard but Cooper remained the definitive American hero till the end. When in Love In The Afternoon (1957) his leading lady was Audrey Hepburn there were few complaints about the difference in their ages. Like all the great stars Gary Cooper was essentially ageless.
Written content copyright Derek McLellan,2005.
Copyright © The Fedora Chronicles
Gary Cooper image from
http://www.lafterhall.com/hurrell.html