The Westerner

"THE RAW UNTAMED ADVENTUROUS WEST...LIVES AGAIN!"

1940 1h 40m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 139

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Drifter Cole Harden is accused of stealing a horse and faces hanging by self-appointed Judge Roy Bean, but Harden manages to talk his way out of it by claiming to be a friend of stage star Lillie Langtry, with whom the judge is obsessed, even though he has never met her. Tensions rise when Harden comes to the defense of a group of struggling homesteaders who Judge Bean is trying to drive away.

“THE RAW UNTAMED ADVENTUROUS WEST...LIVES AGAIN!”

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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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William Wyler
Writers: Jo Swerling, Niven Busch, Stuart N. Lake
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William Wyler, shot by Gregg Toland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan and Doris Davenport carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "THE RAW UNTAMED ADVENTUROUS WEST...LIVES AGAIN!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033253 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William Wyler directs. Gregg Toland behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. Daniel Mandell cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by William Wyler, shot by Gregg Toland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan and Doris Davenport carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "THE RAW UNTAMED ADVENTUROUS WEST...LIVES AGAIN!".
7IMDB entry: tt0033253 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gregg Toland
Original score: Dimitri Tiomkin
Editing: Daniel Mandell
Costume design: Irene Saltern
Makeup / hair: Robert Stephanoff
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Westerner (1940)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

William Wyler

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-07-10
★ 7/10
Law West of the Pecos. The Westerner is directed by William Wyler and written by Niven Busch, Jo Swerling and Stuart N. Lake. It stars Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Fred Stone and Doris Davenport. Music is by Dimitri Tiomkin and cinematography by Gregg Toland. Story is a fictionalised account about Judge Roy Bean (Brennan), who here rules Vingaroon Town by his own law and punishment. When suspected horse thief Cole Harden (Cooper) comes under his judicial system, they become odd friends due to Harden claiming to know personally Lily Langtree - the object of Bean's worship. Lots of uncredited work was involved in the making of The Westerner, while Cooper famously sulked about not having the main character role, so much so his part was expanded and he performed under contract but under protest! Fact is is that it is as everyone has said before, Brennan steals the film regardless, winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in the process. Cooper needn't have worried, he's very good here, turning in a number of various strains to Harden's character, bouncing off of Brennan to the pics eternal benefit. At the core of the plot is a good old fashioned thread involving Homesteaders versus Cattlemen, with Bean throwing his weight around and Harden forced to reevaluate his standing in the town when he falls for Jane Ellen Mathews (Davenport). The Lily Langtree (Lilian Bond) strand gives the pic an offbeat sensibility, making this a sort of dramatic comedy oater, but it works really well. Toland's photography is superb, sharp black and white sequences are given ethereal qualities, hinting at the fact this at times fun picture might be leading to a darker path? Davenport is weak and most of the supporting players struggle to make much of an impact, but come the attention grabbing finale you know you have been fed a wholesome western of substance. Propelled by two acting legends. 7/10
CinemaSerf2022-06-23
★ 7/10
Though not given top billing in this cracking cowboy adventure - the film certainly belongs to Walter Brennan. He, rather uncharacteristically, portrays the quite nasty piece of work "Judge Roy Bean" of Vinegarroon. When "Cole Harden" (Gary Cooper) arrives in this backwater Texan town, he's accused of and summarily convicted of stealing a horse. Some quick thinking, a few coins and a photo of actress Lily Langtree manage to save his bacon long enough for him to befriend the judge before he gets involved in a ruthless turf war between the local cattlemen against the homesteaders. Brennan is smashing. Evil, but his adoration of Langtree gives him a smidge of humanity too. Cooper is fine but very much in Brennan's Oscar winning shadow. William Wyler keeps this taut and focussed, and with the added contributions of Forest Tucker, Chill Wills and Dana Andrews who help it all along well, too, it is one of these largely forgotten westerns that if you get a chance, you definitely ought to watch.