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The Hanging Tree

Play trailer Poster for The Hanging Tree 1959 1h 46m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Joseph "Doc" Frail (Gary Cooper) is a doctor with a past he's trying to outrun. While in Montana, he comes across a mining camp with a hanging tree and rescues a man named Rune (Ben Piazza) from the noose. With Rune as his servant, Frail decides to settle down, and he takes over as town doctor. He meets Elizabeth (Maria Schell), who is suffering from shock, and the two soon fall in love. But when Elizabeth is attacked, Frail's attempt to help her lands them both in trouble.

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The Hanging Tree

Critics Reviews

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Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Jul 7
4/5
Gary Cooper brings a ruthlessness to Frail, a sort of strange mixture of kindness and control expressed by a doctor itching to do at least some harm. An uncomplicated Western about four complicated people and the squabbles that swallow their happiness. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jul 6
3/4
Perhaps no other actor in Hollywood history played more flawless heroes than Gary Cooper, which makes his character in the Western drama The Hanging Tree an interesting one. Go to Full Review Ian Kane Epoch Times 12/31/2023
4/5
“The Hanging Tree” asks us to visit a place we think we’ve been before in past Westerns, but ends up bucking many of the genre conventions. Go to Full Review George Bourke Miami Herald 09/02/2020
Daves directed in a fashion to give Coop full leash in playing his grim but sympathetic lend role. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 08/26/2020
3.5/5
Maria Schell and Karl Malden add some nice shades of color, but for something a bit more salacious concerning mankind's wayward nature filtered through the Gold Rush, check out Erich von Stroheim's Greed. Go to Full Review Nathanael Hood Unseen Films 06/16/2020
8/10
The microcosm Delmer Daves creates here would make Billy Wilder pause, and the final five minutes are a masterstroke of nihilism. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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07/24/2024 This film had a modern edge to it. There were no heroes. Even Cooper was more of a villian than good guy. Everyone was greedy for gold, money, and power. But that took away from the entertainment value. There was no good guy or person to root for. Overall the acting was good. The cinematography was decent. Finding the gold in the tree roots was creative. Cooper may have gone good at the end. He rescued the lady. Cheers. See more 07/16/2023 Really good western here highly recommend this James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas July 15, 2023 See more deke p 03/18/2021 1959. Interesting Gold 'mining town' yarn. GARY COOPER! (one of his last) as strangely gruff Doctor FRAIL. KARL MALDEN as is iconic 'bad self'. Maria Schell alluring as 'strong woman'. GEORGE C. SCOTT was in it somewhere. It kinda went off the rails at the end. Nobody wd leave their gold unattended, tell everyone, then give it all away just to save someone's life when there cd have been a better way. Finally saw it on late nite MOVIE CHANNEL 3.17.2021 See more 08/07/2018 Doc Joe is one cool customer. See more 11/20/2016 Interesting western with the gold rush as its background. Gary Cooper gives us a characterful frontier doctor. See more 09/26/2015 Solid western about an old west doctor, Gary Cooper, who sets up office in a wild mining camp. Cooper's character has a mysterious past with a shadow surrounding the death of his wife and him as the prime suspect. There are a few story threads to the film, one with Karl Malden trying to strike it rich, Cooper helping a blind girl, and also a dangerous religious fanatic played by George C. Scott in his film debut. Not a classic, but it's gorgeously filmed and features a strong cast. See more Read all reviews
The Hanging Tree

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Cast & Crew

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Delmer Daves

Director

Gary Cooper

Dr. Joseph "Doc" Frail

Maria Schell

Elizabeth Mahler

Karl Malden

Frenchy Plante

Ben Piazza

Rune

George C. Scott

Dr. George Grubb

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The Hanging Tree

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Movie Info

Synopsis Joseph "Doc" Frail (Gary Cooper) is a doctor with a past he's trying to outrun. While in Montana, he comes across a mining camp with a hanging tree and rescues a man named Rune (Ben Piazza) from the noose. With Rune as his servant, Frail decides to settle down, and he takes over as town doctor. He meets Elizabeth (Maria Schell), who is suffering from shock, and the two soon fall in love. But when Elizabeth is attacked, Frail's attempt to help her lands them both in trouble.
Director
Delmer Daves
Producer
Martin Jurow, Richard Shepherd
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 11, 1959, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 3, 2017
Runtime
1h 46m
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