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The Westerner

Play trailer Poster for The Westerner Released Sep 20, 1940 1h 37m Western Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Accused of stealing horses, drifter Cole Harden (Gary Cooper) finds himself before the infamous Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan). Aware of the judge's affection for actress Lily Langtree (Lilian Bond), Cole claims to know her and thus receives a suspended sentence. Soon after, Cole falls for an attractive homesteader (Doris Davenport) whose father (Fred Stone) is indirectly killed by Bean's henchmen. Looking for revenge, Cole tracks the judge to a theater where Langtree is set to perform.
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The Westerner

Critics Reviews

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Bob Baker Time Out Toland's landscapes are superb. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Bean is too amusingly crafty to remain an easily reformed villain, and Harden is too upright to resort to underhanded revenge tactics; a dramatic face-off is unavoidable. Rated: 7/10 Jan 2, 2022 Full Review Eduardo Guaitsel Cine-Mundial The argument itself is not very different from other horsemen like that, but the characterization is superb. [Full review in Spanish] Sep 14, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Gary Cooper gives a commanding performance in William Wyler's popular 1940 Western, which features Walter Brennan in an Oscar-winning turn Rated: B+ May 11, 2011 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews An offbeat melodramatic Western with added comedy that makes the villain a more arresting subject than the hero. Rated: B Jul 27, 2008 Full Review Robin Clifford Reeling Reviews Rated: 4/5 Oct 8, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mike W The Westerner was a great positive surprise. I had no idea it was going to be so good! Cinematography and Directing were superb. Hope it won an academy award or two! Unless you are addicted to modern movie trash. you will enjoy the gem too. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/19/23 Full Review Lawrence S Great western, great cast...I think Walter Brennan started playing old men in the 3rd grade. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Good old western with a Great cast ! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/22 Full Review paul d William Wyler's The Westerner is a very good melodrama with some outstanding elements. First among them is Walter Brennan's masterful, truly convincing and realistic performance as the iconic, brutal, complex, self-appointed ruler of a big Texas county after the Civil War, Judge Roy Bean. Gary Cooper is very good playing the ideal Westerner, a tough but fair cowboy who believes in justice and the right of farmers to live alongside cattlemen. Toland's cinematography delivers majestic images of the land that's at the heart of the struggle, and there's a gritty realism compared to so many westerns where the shirts are always pressed and the men clean-shaven. Yet the film falls short due to some clumsy handling of the comedy and several transitions, and a rather abrupt double-cross by Bean. Doris Davenport is earnest but not inspiring. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Great western with stars Gary Cooper and a youngish looking Walter Brennan (forget his hit single twenty years later "Old Rivers") as the infamous Judge Roy Bean. There is some comedy mixed in which raises this picture above the usual oater of the era. Highly recommended! Cooper was hitting his legendary stride at this time in 1940 leading up to his best performance of all time, among many others, HIGH NOON in the 1950s. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review steve d Cooper and co. are good but there isn't much to the plot. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Westerner

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Cast & Crew

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William Wyler

Director

Gary Cooper

Cole Harden

Walter Brennan

Judge Roy Bean

Doris Davenport

Jane Ellen Mathews

Fred Stone

Caliphet Mathews

Forrest Tucker

Wade Harper

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The Westerner

The Westerner (1940) The Westerner (1940) The Westerner (1940) The Westerner (1940) The Westerner (1940) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Accused of stealing horses, drifter Cole Harden (Gary Cooper) finds himself before the infamous Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan). Aware of the judge's affection for actress Lily Langtree (Lilian Bond), Cole claims to know her and thus receives a suspended sentence. Soon after, Cole falls for an attractive homesteader (Doris Davenport) whose father (Fred Stone) is indirectly killed by Bean's henchmen. Looking for revenge, Cole tracks the judge to a theater where Langtree is set to perform.
Director
William Wyler
Producer
Samuel Goldwyn
Screenwriter
Jo Swerling, Niven Busch
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Genre
Western, Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 20, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 23, 2020
Runtime
1h 37m
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