Lee Van Cleef, the guy whose looks you complimented in the opening, was originally cast in Lloyd Bridges' role, but Stanley Kramer thought Van Cleef's nose made him look too sinister and wanted him to get cosmetic surgery. When Van Cleef refused, he was recast as one of Frank Miller's henchmen (and he went on to have a successful career mostly playing villains and antiheroes).
I only caught Sergeant York a half year ago and I was surprised by how brutal the war scenes were. I think I had expected a more romanticized, Hollywood depiction of the fighting. Very impressive.
Well, look at her competition in the 50's...it was Marilyn, Gina, Sophia, Audrey, Jane, Grace, Liz, Deborah, Janet, Eva, Kim, Jean and Ingrid. Stiff competition.
You know, for all the talk we have these days, the more old movies I get remembered about, the more I remember the strong women that had a role in them. That said, another old movie I keep in my mind and want to recommend is 'The African Queen' (1951)
I think the reason people are convinced otherwise is because when the representation is bad it's worse than what you'd see now, but that doesn't subtract from all the great actresses and their great characters elsewhere. I'd always rather focus on the good than the bad.
@@bespectacledheroine7292 It reminds of the current younger generation talking about 1960s transister radios sounding "tinny" without ever having actually heard those radios. I did; they weren't. See "Tora! Tora! Tora!" for a refutation of the nonsense about "old movies" being "primitive" in terms of film stock. For that matter, see "Casablanca" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" for more of those refutations.
Yes, Kathy Jurado was absolutely a Queen. Fell in love with her in the Mexican movies my Mom would watch. Such a beautiful stunning strong presence. A Queen and a Princess. Either can make you stop in your tracks on the screen. What a combo. Thanks for posting.
Love Katy Jurado! And she's part of one of the greatest scenes in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, crying as Slim Pickens dies, gut shot, by the stream, as Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door plays.
This is one of my all time favorite old movies and one of the few black and white movies that my children watched with me all the way through. Watching the clock and knowing he had to face the bad guys at noon kept them glued to the tv.
You have such a special channel, Mia. What a joy it is to watch these movies with you. On one hand, it's a joy to see you discover actors and movies that we already love; at the same time, we learn stuff also! So you give us a chance to see the movies with new eyes.
Aww! Thank you so much! I’m glad that you have a new perspective on some of these films! It has been so much fun watching these films with all of you!!
The guy you said, was really handsome at the beginning was Lee Van Cleef. He was one of Liberty Valance's henchman. He's one of the greatest villian actors of all time. Watch him in "A Few Dollars More" & "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".
Great reaction! This classic was produced by Stanley Kramer, who produced or directed several other important classics, including Inherit the Wind (1960), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967).
this movie had such a profound impact in Eastern Europe, that in 1989 (almost 40 years after it was produced) in Poland, the Solidarity movement made a poster of Gary Cooper, carrying a ballot, instead of a gun, to encourage ppl to vote in the 1989 election. the message of a lone individual, standing for what's right, even as his town watches, was universally understood.
As someone that watched this 1,000 times as a boy your reactions are priceless gold to me. Film still builds the suspense and tugs at my heart strings every single time today! I totally forgot his wife helps him like that. And the Hank Ritter song makes the entire film ... wayyy Law .... wayyy LAW. You are The Best!
If you're looking for another black and white Western, I recommend The Ox-Bow Incident (1942). Synopsis: When a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.
Great suggestion! I first saw that movie in High School English class & We discussed it, following the viewing. Art is so important to Us & often speaks truth in a way, which is very inspiring! Kudos to Carl Foreman & his great script too! R.I.P. Carl Foreman & Stanley Kramer too! This Film was entered into the Library of Congress ( well-deserved!).
Lee Van Cleef - the handsome man in the beginning. Also was one of Lee Marvin's sidekicks in the Man who shot Liberty Valance which you watched last week. Says more w/one look than if he ever opened his mouth.
If Mia ever catches the Leone Trilogy, she will see him strongly featured in two of the movies. Leone cast him because he thought van Cleef's eyes scorched through the screen.
And, assuming it shows up later, one of the titular three in "The Good, The Bad & the Ugly". He's definitely not ONE of the three, and he's definitely not one of the other.
I adore the fact you reacted to this film. It's a film that all men and women should watch. When the whole world is against you for doing the right thing, never give up hope. Dignity and integrity are values that we really need to uphold. Damn, this is the best reaction to a classic I've seen in a while. thank you for this.
One side note, the person singing the song "Do not forsake me" was Tex Ritter a cowboy star of the 30' - late 40's. He was John Ritter's dad (Three's Company). His B westerns were sliced up and used for early television westerns in the 50's along with Hopalong Cassidy and The Cisco Kid movies. I know I watched them. Gary Cooper won two Academy Awards one for this picture and the other for Sergeant York. I strongly recommend his last major movie; "Friendly Persuasion", based on the novel by Jessamyn West about a Quaker family in Indiana during the Civil War. Well worth your time and effort!
So excited for this one! (Sorry I missed last week; I'm the Artistic Director of a small theater group, and we had our very first out-of-state production last week). This movie mostly takes place in real time. My Spanish father loved this movie and the opening song. To this day, I can only hear his rendition as "Do not forsae me, oh, my darleeen." As noted below, that handsome bad guy is Lee Van Cleef, who you saw as one of the Ren and Stimpy henchmen in "Liberty Valence". He usually played a villain, for reasons that are pretty clear from watching him; I understand that, like many actors who played villains for a living, he was actually a very gentle man. Young Grace Kelly as Cooper's bride, her first role, or close to it. As beautiful as Kelly is, it's always Katy Jurado's character who makes the stronger impression on me. That, arguably, the strongest and most honest person in town (aside from Caine) is a woman of color, with sexual agency, has always felt meaningful to me. This is one of Cooper's best roles, to me; you can see him having some fun in a lovely comedy, "Ball of Fire". That's Thomas Mitchell as the mayor, yet another in a long line of priceless supporting actors. One of his largest and most famous roles is as Scarlett's father in "Gone With the Wind". Harry Morgan as Sam Fuller, who my generation probably knew best as Col. Potter in the tv series "MASH". The great Lon Chaney as the former marshall. As Lenny, in "Of Mice and Men", he tore my heart out. Also famous as "The Wolfman", one of the classic horror films. His father, also Lon Chaney, was a great silent film star, portraying, among others, "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
The good looking bad guy you noticed in the beginning is Lee Van Cleef. A great and famous actor in his own right. In fact he costarred in what might be the greatest western ever made.
I always have had a soft spot for Katy Jurado (played Helen Ramírez). Even when I was a kid I enjoyed seeing her, she always gave a film a little extra depth. The sheriff didn't want to help Kane because he was over the hill. Gunfights are not for old men.
@Raylan Givens I think the Shootist was one of Wayne's best. More so as he knew this was the last film he would ever make. I have a hunch Mia would like it a lot.
I agree. Those 3 are just my favorites. I like The Searchers, McLintock, Hatari and Big Jake too. I don't care for war movies as much, even his, so I prefer his westerns, etc.
John Wayne detested High Noon and said it was un-American because of the way the town's people are portrayed and how Gary Cooper threw the law enforcement star into the dust and stood on it with his heel (which Cooper did not actually do). John Wayne was a rabid anti-communist.
And the best western ever made: Sorry, the list is too long. There are many "best" westerns. Loved Lee Van Cleef was such a great villain in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, one of the many 'best' westerns made.
Wonderful, Mia! I LOVE the way you get so invested in these classic movies. You were so drawn in to the suspense and so satisfied by the conclusion. It's almost like watching it for the first time myself. If you're ever in Ireland, look me up and I'll sing you that song myself.
This was GREAT, Mia!!!!!! And your intro made me see it a totally different way! This movie was intended as a B-movie, a second feature! And also, I always have to remind myself it's a Stanley Kramer movie. As you watch his productions throughout the 50s, you'll notice he can sometimes lay it on thick with the messaging. (Brando's early "The Wild One" is a good example). I almost see this more as a Stanley Kramer movie, and a McCarthy-era blacklist movie, than a Western! Obviously the whole thing is a thinly veiled story about people not standing with you, people who were your friends......maybe even naming you to save themselves from the blacklist. Gary Cooper is great in this, and I LOVE how much you loved Helen Ramirez!!!!! Anyways, can' t wait for Rio Bravo! But first, I need to watch the other two Westerns! Catch you on one of those next!
Good review; entertaining presentation of one of my 2 favorite movies. I first saw this movie in 1954 and have seen it almost yearly since. Many of your comments were right on. Some nuances on the characters I feel you missed. Marshall Kane: Yes, he has a sense of duty but he also had common sense and plenty of it. He didn't want to be caught out on the trail unarmed with no way to defend himself. Helen Ramirez: a strong woman and intelligent business person and a good judge of strong characters. Owned several important businesses in the town. Attached herself to the powerful Frank Miller and later hooked up with the Marshall as the new power force. She had the insight to realize that Harvey was not a strong character and he and the townspeople were weak and could not be counted on. Judge: Not a coward but he lacked the physicality to protect himself. If he were an outright coward, he would not have been able to render the judgements which sent the bad guys to jail knowing it would bring recriminations on himself. He had the perception to realize the town folk would wimp out and saw the difference between bravery and suicide as he would be targeted next after the marshal. Harvey: The townspeople figured him for a person who wouldn't step up in a crisis and they were right and he lacked the common sense and insight to realize he was proving them right by that by failing to fulfill his responsibility as deputy he was showing he likely would fail his responsibility as marshal. Mayor: Typical politician. All mouth or as you said fair weather friend. Pres WM J Clinton said High Noon is his favorite movie and I expect, like many of us, he envisioned himself to be the honorable Will Kane character. Clinton is the mealy mouth, duplicitous mayor; not Will Kane. Amy: The marshal paired himself up with a woman his equal as a strong person. She stood up to him as well as she was able to try to force him to her will and when it counted the most she overcame her worries and stood and delivered. A thematically similar movie is High Plains Drifter: Many similar themes and characters except the hero is not quite as untarnished as Will Kane.
That guy you said was really handsome at 5:53 is Lee Van Cleef. He started out as a dentist but his patients kept telling him he looked like a villain in westerns, so he gave it a shot. He had quite the career, almost always playing villains in westerns.
The bad guy you thought was cute is Lee Van Cleef, who also played one of Liberty Valance's gang members along with Strother Martin. Van Cleef played an outlaw in many westerns, but became a star working with Clint Eastwood in spaghetti westerns. I think Strother Martin's best roles were in the films The Wild Bunch, Cool Hand Luke, and Red Sky At Morning.
Lloyd Bridges played a warrior named Cain in the original Battlestar Galactica series. Hearing your analysis of this movie helps me understand why it won an Oscar. Speaking from a man's point of view, Grace Kelly was absolutely easy on the eyes.
This is one of my favorite films, and probably the one I've watched the most times. For anyone who has ever felt that the world is against them, "High Noon" is an extremely motivational film. I loved your reactions and you are correct about Helen Ramirez being one of the best characters. Both she and Amy were very strong women, which isn't something that you really saw much of in the movies during that era. You definitely earned another subscriber. ❤
One of my favorite comedies is Support Your Local Sheriff, a great spoof of High Noon and the whole Western genre. For serious Westerns, my favorite is Last Train from Gun Hill. Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Earl Holliman, Carolyn Jones - great cast and great acting.
Katy Jurado should've at least been nominated for an Oscar here, and she would've been a deserving winner is she won. Gloria Graham won for The Bad and the Beautiful, a very slight role (Graham is great in other films, but this was just a small part). Jean Hagen, who was nominated for Singin' in the Rain, would have been Jurado's competition. Katy Jurado would be nominated a few years later in "Broken Lance", but I believe it was a make up for her omission for High Noon.
My Dad loved this film and had me watch it with him on tv several times and yes, we watched the clock as it approached High Noon and then Gary Cooper strode down the street. As to Grace Kelley, who played the masrhall's wife: "After making The Swan (1956) and High Society (1956), Kelly retired from the screen to marry Prince Rainier. The couple wed in a civil ceremony on April 18, 1956, and an opulent religious ceremony took place the following day; Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco."
9:01 What you said about true colors is why many American Presidents have named "High Noon" as one of their favorite films. They identify with the experience of people saying they support you up, then abandoning you to protect their own butts when you actually need them. 17:26 I love Katy Jurado in this movie. Her performance is great, and it was unusual to have such an intelligent, empowered ethnic female character back then. Also, her character is the one who comprehends things the best and can articulate them the most clearly. I've been loving your western series even more than I expected to. It makes me think of when Akira Kurosawa said "Everybody loves a good western" and what George C. Scott's character said about westerns in "They Might Be Giants": "If you look closely, you can see principles up there. You can see the possibility of justice in proportion. There were no masses in Dodge City - only individuals whose will for good or evil can bring them to the ends they ought to have." Next week's movie, "Rio Bravo," stars John Wayne which reminds me of a couple of recommendations. "Fort Apache" (1948) is part of John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" and, in my opinion, is the best of the three films. It the story and characters are much more complex and nuanced than people typically expect in a western. "Island In The Sky" (1953) is a suspenseful wilderness survival/rescue tale based on a true story. It stars a strong ensemble cast with John Wayne proving that he really is an actor, not just a movie star, in one of his most human, "non-larger-than-life" roles.
Yes! Thank you for your recommendations! It is wonderful to hear that you are enjoying the Westerns series!! I am especially curious about Island in the Sky because I would like to see John Wayne’s skills!
@@MoviesWithMia John Wayne's performance in "Island in the Sky" was praised as believable and realistic. I have to correct myself. The movie is based on a novel by Ernest Gann which was inspired by Gann's experience searching for a fellow pilot lost in the frozen wilderness of northern Canada.
Robert Wilke, Lee Van Cleef and Sheb Woolley played Miller’s henchmen. You may recall Wilke as the guy who made the mistake of challenging James Coburn’s knife thrower in The Magnificent Seven. Woolley had a hit song in the ‘50’s titled The Purple People Eater.
The song used over the opening/closing credits, 'The Ballad of High Noon' aka 'Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling', is sung by actor/singer Tex Ritter. He is the father of actor John Ritter, who is best known for the sitcom 'Three's Company', and appears as a 17-year-old New Jersey farm-boy in 'The Night that Panicked America', which looks at the reactions of average Americans to the 1938 Orson Welles radio-play 'The War of the Worlds'. Part of it shows with how radio plays were done back in the 1930s/40s. The clocks were actually an afterthought, used to stretch the running time. However, they actually make the film. I just discovered your channel, and you're covering a lot of my all-time favorite films. If you haven't already reviewed it, please try 'Sergeant York', also starring Gary Cooper. The real Alvin York personally chose Coop to portray him in the film.
Once they hired a law man to clean up a town, they didn’t want him around after he did his job! Great flick! 😎👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 The Western is one of the greatest genres of all time! I have read hundreds of Western Novels. I never get tired of them.
Please take a look at Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” The European westerns are an important sub genre of the form and that film is one of the best. Lee Van Cleef (seen here as one of Frank Miller’s men) finally gained recognition as a star in Leone’s films.
Oddly enough, when Van Cleef got famous enough to get his own TV show, it wasn't a Western. It was a show called "The Master" in which he played a martial artist. Part of the 1980s ninja craze.
I think it makes sense to watch these older Hollywood westerns first, but she definitely should follow up with Leone's westerns as counterpoint. TGTBATU is one of my favorite films of any genre and I really hope she gets to it.
A note about the supporting characters. Lon Chaney played Will Kane’s predecessor as Town Marshal. In the scene he has with Kane. The old lawman tells him that Miller is a killer. He is coming back because he wants power and the slothful and greedy in town will give it to him gladly. The cowardly townspeople will get pushed out of town or die. Kane gives the town a future.
I just discovered your site when you reacted to Seven Samurai. I'm a big Kurosawa fan. I have been going back and watching your other reactions and am enjoying them very much. High Noon is one of my favorites not only because it is so well done but I was also named after Gary Cooper. Keep up the good work!
Excellent Reaction/review.....one of my favourite westerns. I love all the info you "dig up" before the reactions.....very informative. Keep up the good work.
I feel bad because I hadn't been keeping up with your channel. So glad you watched this. Probably my favorite American made western and one of my favorite movies. If you want to watch more Gary Cooper, have you watched Sgt. York? Not as good as High Noon in my opinion but still pretty great.
That handsome man, in the opening is Lee Van Cleef... you will see him again, in later Clint Eastwood Italian Westerns. You will also see him in the very famous movie in B/W "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence".
Gary Cooper was from Montana and actually worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch. He started out in Hollywood as a cowboy in silent movies, and made westerns throughout his career. Besides High Noon, his best westerns are: The Man of the West, the Westerner, the Virginian, and my guilty pleasure the Plainsman. Top five non westerns would be Frank Capra’s Mr Deeds Goes to Town, and Meet John Doe. Howard Hawks’ Seargent York, and Ball of Fire. Finally my personal favorite the Pride of the Yankees even though I am a Cubs fan.
That Katy Jurado had presence! And you're right, Gary's eyes are stunning! I love him in Children of Divorce (1927) ~ with Clara Bow & Esther Ralston, Meet John Doe (1941) ~ with Barbara Stanwyck & Walter Brennen, Ball of Fire (1941) ~ with Barbara Stanwyck, Dana Andrews, Dan Duryea (and a slew of great character actors too numerous to mention), and Friendly Persuasion (1956) ~ with Dorothy McGuire & Anthony Perkins. Hopefully you run into them someday!
John Wayne was offered the role of Will Kane, but he turned it down because he was in favor of blacklisting. He called High Noon "the most un-American thing I've ever seen in my whole life." Later he said he would never regret having helped run Foreman out of the country. Gary Cooper had testified before HUAC, but didn't name any names, and later became an opponent of blacklisting.
In some parts I agree with John Wayne, I do not feel that there would be an entire American town where everyone took the cowards route, there would have been people there brave enough to do the right thing and help the Marshal. Just like Veitnam you had some cowardly draft dodgers and you had those brave enough to answer the call only to have idiots degrade them when they cam e back home. [maybe a city with the mind set of San fransico or Portland OR. of today ]
I read that the later part of the film is in real-time, minute for minute, but I've never been able to spot when that starts; always been too caught up in it to notice.
Somewhat thankless role for Grace Kelly. Beautiful sure, but compare her in this to the woman you can't take your eyes off in "To Catch A Thief" or "Rear Window". Katy Jurado though, really captures the camera. I never noticed before how much she reminds me of Linda Darnell.
I have only recently found your channel. I have scrolled through and found you have excellent taste in movies. By which, of course, I mean you like all the same movies I like. It is hard for me to believe you have really never seen all the movies in your catalog that you describe as "first time watching". How in the world can you never have seen all these classic films? Anyway, I love your reactions. Your visceral positivity towards these movies validates my own appreciation of them. I am looking forward to many more of your videos.
Cooper's rough fist fight with Lloyd Bridges ends with Coop throwing a bucket of water on Lloyd. Beau Bridges and his mom were in a gallery high above the stable set and when six year old Beau saw Cooper throw a bucket of water on his dad he burst out laughing and it ruined the ENTIRE take.
This film is like a showcase of every excuse people will contrive to not do the right thing. It is so true to life. It is the saddest movie I’ve ever seen.
I grew up enamored with Technicolor. But I realize in my latter years that a clean crisp b&w is a thing of beauty. And the bright resplendent Technicolor isn't a thing anymore, either.
Trivia- A couple members of Frank Miller's gang you've seen in the last two movies. Lee Van Cleef was part of Liberty Valance's gang and Robert Wilke was the cowboy in The Magnificent Seven who thought he was faster than the knife throwing member of the Seven. Also High Noon Music Composer Dimitri Tiomkin will be doing the music for Rio Bravo !
Yes! You noticed it! Except for the opening credits, this movie takes place in "Real Time". Which is to say, that a minute of screen time equals a minute of story time. Most movies compress a time period of several days, weeks, or even years into a 2 hour story, but this one tells the story in the same number of minutes as the movie's run time. That's why they show so many clocks.
John Wayne hated High Noon. Rio Bravo was made as an answer to it! Another fun fact: When they showed their first edit, it didn't work. So they put back in the shots they had cut out which showed Gary as old and tired and they shot close-ups of the clocks. They tension that resulted helped him get the best actor oscar.
I was mesmirized by Katy Jurado, and her character. Every look from Helen Ramirez and everything she said was memorable and spot-on.
Yes! She is a queen 👑
Fun Fact: Katy Jurado married the great actor Ernest Borgnine about 7 years after "High Noon" was made.
You sure have it right !
Wow. That's great to hear.@@jamesfeldman4234
Katy Jurado was amazing in this film. Can you imagine a stare off between Katy Jurado and Bette Davis?
Lee Van Cleef, the guy whose looks you complimented in the opening, was originally cast in Lloyd Bridges' role, but Stanley Kramer thought Van Cleef's nose made him look too sinister and wanted him to get cosmetic surgery. When Van Cleef refused, he was recast as one of Frank Miller's henchmen (and he went on to have a successful career mostly playing villains and antiheroes).
And Quentin Tarantino calls him "the white Snoop Dogg"
good ole Angel Eyes
Yes he talked about that on the Johnny Carson Show. Very interesting!
Loving this trivia - so thanks fellow film buff!
I don't stop in that often but I give you great kudos for appreciating High Noon. You're exactly the right audience for this fine film.
My father was in law enforcement. This movie, and particularly the moment when Will throws his badge into the dust, had a lot of meaning for him.
Katy Jurado was an amazing actress, very underrated
One of my favorite westerns. Gary Cooper is such a fantastic actor. I recommend watching him in Sergeant York.
Inspired comment.
I only caught Sergeant York a half year ago and I was surprised by how brutal the war scenes were. I think I had expected a more romanticized, Hollywood depiction of the fighting. Very impressive.
Or mr deeds goes to town!!!
EXCELLENT IN SGT YORK
@@luissegovia8205 Mr Deeds Goes to Town is my favorite movie from the 1930s. It's criminally underrated.
Katy Jurado looks amazing in this film. I'm surprised she didn't become more famous.
Well, look at her competition in the 50's...it was Marilyn, Gina, Sophia, Audrey, Jane, Grace, Liz, Deborah, Janet, Eva, Kim, Jean and Ingrid. Stiff competition.
True classic. Always loved Katy Jurado. Thanks, Mia!
You know, for all the talk we have these days, the more old movies I get remembered about, the more I remember the strong women that had a role in them.
That said, another old movie I keep in my mind and want to recommend is 'The African Queen' (1951)
I think the reason people are convinced otherwise is because when the representation is bad it's worse than what you'd see now, but that doesn't subtract from all the great actresses and their great characters elsewhere. I'd always rather focus on the good than the bad.
I always tell people they can learn a lot from watching old movies. And not to swallow just everything they've heard for the last thirty years or so.
@@bespectacledheroine7292 It reminds of the current younger generation talking about 1960s transister radios sounding "tinny" without ever having actually heard those radios. I did; they weren't.
See "Tora! Tora! Tora!" for a refutation of the nonsense about "old movies" being "primitive" in terms of film stock. For that matter, see "Casablanca" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" for more of those refutations.
Right? Even in your Bette Davis soapers, the women had agency, which they struggle so hard to give women characters
now.
The MSM exists to spread false narratives and propaganda. Because, it works.
Yes, Kathy Jurado was absolutely a Queen. Fell in love with her in the Mexican movies my Mom would watch. Such a beautiful stunning strong presence. A Queen and a Princess. Either can make you stop in your tracks on the screen. What a combo. Thanks for posting.
Love Katy Jurado! And she's part of one of the greatest scenes in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, crying as Slim Pickens dies, gut shot, by the stream, as Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door plays.
This is one of my all time favorite old movies and one of the few black and white movies that my children watched with me all the way through. Watching the clock and knowing he had to face the bad guys at noon kept them glued to the tv.
You have such a special channel, Mia. What a joy it is to watch these movies with you. On one hand, it's a joy to see you discover actors and movies that we already love; at the same time, we learn stuff also! So you give us a chance to see the movies with new eyes.
Aww! Thank you so much! I’m glad that you have a new perspective on some of these films! It has been so much fun watching these films with all of you!!
The guy you said, was really handsome at the beginning was Lee Van Cleef. He was one of Liberty Valance's henchman. He's one of the greatest villian actors of all time. Watch him in "A Few Dollars More" & "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".
Tex Ritter singing the opening song.... His son John.... would go into television... starring in a program called "Three's Company"
Great reaction! This classic was produced by Stanley Kramer, who produced or directed several other important classics, including Inherit the Wind (1960), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967).
this movie had such a profound impact in Eastern Europe, that in 1989 (almost 40 years after it was produced) in Poland, the Solidarity movement made a poster of Gary Cooper, carrying a ballot, instead of a gun, to encourage ppl to vote in the 1989 election. the message of a lone individual, standing for what's right, even as his town watches, was universally understood.
As someone that watched this 1,000 times as a boy your reactions are priceless gold to me. Film still builds the suspense and tugs at my heart strings every single time today! I totally forgot his wife helps him like that. And the Hank Ritter song makes the entire film ... wayyy Law .... wayyy LAW. You are The Best!
If you're looking for another black and white Western, I recommend The Ox-Bow Incident (1942). Synopsis: When a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.
Great suggestion! I first saw that movie in High School English class & We discussed it, following the viewing. Art is so important to Us & often speaks truth in a way, which is very inspiring! Kudos to Carl Foreman & his great script too!
R.I.P. Carl Foreman & Stanley Kramer too! This Film was entered into the Library of Congress ( well-deserved!).
Grace Kelly is in contention for the title of the most beautiful woman to ever live.
audrey hepburn
@Raylan Givens That is part of her beauty.
Grace (22 years old) was 29 years younger than her screen hubby Gary Cooper(51). Kind of hard to buy that pairing lol
I would have to say she was the most beautiful woman to ever be seen on the screen.
lol I had to read that twice, first time I saw "Gene Kelly"
Lee Van Cleef - the handsome man in the beginning. Also was one of Lee Marvin's sidekicks in the Man who shot Liberty Valance which you watched last week. Says more w/one look than if he ever opened his mouth.
If Mia ever catches the Leone Trilogy, she will see him strongly featured in two of the movies. Leone cast him because he thought van Cleef's eyes scorched through the screen.
And, assuming it shows up later, one of the titular three in "The Good, The Bad & the Ugly".
He's definitely not ONE of the three, and he's definitely not one of the other.
I've seen others recording themselves watching movies, but I REALLY appreciate that you watch and enjoy the older classics... like this one.
I adore the fact you reacted to this film. It's a film that all men and women should watch. When the whole world is against you for doing the right thing, never give up hope. Dignity and integrity are values that we really need to uphold. Damn, this is the best reaction to a classic I've seen in a while. thank you for this.
This was the Best Western ever made
Helen Ramirez is also my favorite character so smart proud and brave and obvious still in love with cane and another terrific reaction
Excellent commentary Mia.❤️
One of the greatest movies EVER!
Your reaction was one of the most amazing I have ever seen!!! Especially for a film I love!!!
Many of these classic older films were a large part of my youth.
One side note, the person singing the song "Do not forsake me" was Tex Ritter a cowboy star of the 30' - late 40's. He was John Ritter's dad (Three's Company). His B westerns were sliced up and used for early television westerns in the 50's along with Hopalong Cassidy and The Cisco Kid movies. I know I watched them. Gary Cooper won two Academy Awards one for this picture and the other for Sergeant York. I strongly recommend his last major movie; "Friendly Persuasion", based on the novel by Jessamyn West about a Quaker family in Indiana during the Civil War. Well worth your time and effort!
So excited for this one! (Sorry I missed last week; I'm the Artistic Director of a small theater group, and we had our very first out-of-state production last week).
This movie mostly takes place in real time.
My Spanish father loved this movie and the opening song. To this day, I can only hear his rendition as "Do not forsae me, oh, my darleeen."
As noted below, that handsome bad guy is Lee Van Cleef, who you saw as one of the Ren and Stimpy henchmen in "Liberty Valence". He usually played a villain, for reasons that are pretty clear from watching him; I understand that, like many actors who played villains for a living, he was actually a very gentle man.
Young Grace Kelly as Cooper's bride, her first role, or close to it. As beautiful as Kelly is, it's always Katy Jurado's character who makes the stronger impression on me. That, arguably, the strongest and most honest person in town (aside from Caine) is a woman of color, with sexual agency, has always felt meaningful to me.
This is one of Cooper's best roles, to me; you can see him having some fun in a lovely comedy, "Ball of Fire".
That's Thomas Mitchell as the mayor, yet another in a long line of priceless supporting actors. One of his largest and most famous roles is as Scarlett's father in "Gone With the Wind".
Harry Morgan as Sam Fuller, who my generation probably knew best as Col. Potter in the tv series "MASH".
The great Lon Chaney as the former marshall. As Lenny, in "Of Mice and Men", he tore my heart out. Also famous as "The Wolfman", one of the classic horror films. His father, also Lon Chaney, was a great silent film star, portraying, among others, "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
i’m so glad you mentioned Ball of Fire! i always forget it and it’s easily one of the funniest of the screwball comedies!!!!
The good looking bad guy you noticed in the beginning is Lee Van Cleef. A great and famous actor in his own right. In fact he costarred in what might be the greatest western ever made.
He was thug #2 in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"
There's a Twilight Zone episode with Lee Marvin, Stronger Martin, and Lee Van Cleef. It's a good one , look it up..
@@bluebird3281 Angel Eyes.
@@tg995nation6 Hi, did you mean Strother Martin?
One of the first classic westerns i've watched. Everytime i rewatch i like even more.
I always have had a soft spot for Katy Jurado (played Helen Ramírez). Even when I
was a kid I enjoyed seeing her, she always gave a film a little extra depth.
The sheriff didn't want to help Kane because he was over the hill. Gunfights are not
for old men.
She's the best. One thing I love about this movie is you're like yeah, I could see Kane with either of these strong women.
High Noon is one of the best westerns ever but I absolutely love Rio Bravo, El Dorado and The Cowboys starring John Wayne. Can't wait.
@Raylan Givens I think the Shootist was one of Wayne's best. More so as he
knew this was the last film
he would ever make.
I have a hunch Mia would like it a lot.
I agree. Those 3 are just my favorites. I like The Searchers, McLintock, Hatari and Big Jake too. I don't care for war movies as much, even his, so I prefer his westerns, etc.
John Wayne detested High Noon and said it was un-American because of the way the town's people are portrayed and how Gary Cooper threw the law enforcement star into the dust and stood on it with his heel (which Cooper did not actually do). John Wayne was a rabid anti-communist.
And the best western ever made:
Sorry, the list is too long. There are many "best" westerns.
Loved Lee Van Cleef was such a great villain in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, one of the many 'best' westerns made.
@@bondgabebond4907 ... which wasn't made in the USA. So many westerns were made in Italy and Spain where they were very popular.
Wonderful, Mia! I LOVE the way you get so invested in these classic movies. You were so drawn in to the suspense and so satisfied by the conclusion. It's almost like watching it for the first time myself.
If you're ever in Ireland, look me up and I'll sing you that song myself.
This was GREAT, Mia!!!!!! And your intro made me see it a totally different way! This movie was intended as a B-movie, a second feature! And also, I always have to remind myself it's a Stanley Kramer movie. As you watch his productions throughout the 50s, you'll notice he can sometimes lay it on thick with the messaging. (Brando's early "The Wild One" is a good example). I almost see this more as a Stanley Kramer movie, and a McCarthy-era blacklist movie, than a Western! Obviously the whole thing is a thinly veiled story about people not standing with you, people who were your friends......maybe even naming you to save themselves from the blacklist. Gary Cooper is great in this, and I LOVE how much you loved Helen Ramirez!!!!! Anyways, can' t wait for Rio Bravo! But first, I need to watch the other two Westerns! Catch you on one of those next!
That tin star flick at the end polarized the nation!
my dad was a huge fan of westerns, and this is the one that always stuck out for me. My dad was a John Wayne Fan, but me, I loved Gary Cooper :)
Good review; entertaining presentation of one of my 2 favorite movies. I first saw this movie in 1954 and have seen it almost yearly since. Many of your comments were right on. Some nuances on the characters I feel you missed.
Marshall Kane: Yes, he has a sense of duty but he also had common sense and plenty of it. He didn't want to be caught out on the trail unarmed with no way to defend himself.
Helen Ramirez: a strong woman and intelligent business person and a good judge of strong characters. Owned several important businesses in the town. Attached herself to the powerful Frank Miller and later hooked up with the Marshall as the new power force. She had the insight to realize that Harvey was not a strong character and he and the townspeople were weak and could not be counted on.
Judge: Not a coward but he lacked the physicality to protect himself. If he were an outright coward, he would not have been able to render the judgements which sent the bad guys to jail knowing it would bring recriminations on himself. He had the perception to realize the town folk would wimp out and saw the difference between bravery and suicide as he would be targeted next after the marshal.
Harvey: The townspeople figured him for a person who wouldn't step up in a crisis and they were right and he lacked the common sense and insight to realize he was proving them right by that by failing to fulfill his responsibility as deputy he was showing he likely would fail his responsibility as marshal.
Mayor: Typical politician. All mouth or as you said fair weather friend. Pres WM J Clinton said High Noon is his favorite movie and I expect, like many of us, he envisioned himself to be the honorable Will Kane character. Clinton is the mealy mouth, duplicitous mayor; not Will Kane.
Amy: The marshal paired himself up with a woman his equal as a strong person. She stood up to him as well as she was able to try to force him to her will and when it counted the most she overcame her worries and stood and delivered.
A thematically similar movie is High Plains Drifter: Many similar themes and characters except the hero is not quite as untarnished as Will Kane.
That guy you said was really handsome at 5:53 is Lee Van Cleef. He started out as a dentist but his patients kept telling him he looked like a villain in westerns, so he gave it a shot. He had quite the career, almost always playing villains in westerns.
The bad guy you thought was cute is Lee Van Cleef, who also played one of Liberty Valance's gang members along with Strother Martin. Van Cleef played an outlaw in many westerns, but became a star working with Clint Eastwood in spaghetti westerns. I think Strother Martin's best roles were in the films The Wild Bunch, Cool Hand Luke, and Red Sky At Morning.
Lloyd Bridges played a warrior named Cain in the original Battlestar Galactica series.
Hearing your analysis of this movie helps me understand why it won an Oscar.
Speaking from a man's point of view, Grace Kelly was absolutely easy on the eyes.
This is one of my favorite films, and probably the one I've watched the most times. For anyone who has ever felt that the world is against them, "High Noon" is an extremely motivational film.
I loved your reactions and you are correct about Helen Ramirez being one of the best characters. Both she and Amy were very strong women, which isn't something that you really saw much of in the movies during that era.
You definitely earned another subscriber. ❤
One of my favorite comedies is Support Your Local Sheriff, a great spoof of High Noon and the whole Western genre.
For serious Westerns, my favorite is Last Train from Gun Hill. Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Earl Holliman, Carolyn Jones - great cast and great acting.
Katy Jurado should've at least been nominated for an Oscar here, and she would've been a deserving winner is she won. Gloria Graham won for The Bad and the Beautiful, a very slight role (Graham is great in other films, but this was just a small part). Jean Hagen, who was nominated for Singin' in the Rain, would have been Jurado's competition.
Katy Jurado would be nominated a few years later in "Broken Lance", but I believe it was a make up for her omission for High Noon.
You have done such a super job on this film!!!!!
My Dad loved this film and had me watch it with him on tv several times and yes, we watched the clock as it approached High Noon and then Gary Cooper strode down the street. As to Grace Kelley, who played the masrhall's wife: "After making The Swan (1956) and High Society (1956), Kelly retired from the screen to marry Prince Rainier. The couple wed in a civil ceremony on April 18, 1956, and an opulent religious ceremony took place the following day; Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco."
9:01 What you said about true colors is why many American Presidents have named "High Noon" as one of their favorite films. They identify with the experience of people saying they support you up, then abandoning you to protect their own butts when you actually need them.
17:26 I love Katy Jurado in this movie. Her performance is great, and it was unusual to have such an intelligent, empowered ethnic female character back then. Also, her character is the one who comprehends things the best and can articulate them the most clearly.
I've been loving your western series even more than I expected to. It makes me think of when Akira Kurosawa said "Everybody loves a good western" and what George C. Scott's character said about westerns in "They Might Be Giants": "If you look closely, you can see principles up there. You can see the possibility of justice in proportion. There were no masses in Dodge City - only individuals whose will for good or evil can bring them to the ends they ought to have."
Next week's movie, "Rio Bravo," stars John Wayne which reminds me of a couple of recommendations. "Fort Apache" (1948) is part of John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" and, in my opinion, is the best of the three films. It the story and characters are much more complex and nuanced than people typically expect in a western. "Island In The Sky" (1953) is a suspenseful wilderness survival/rescue tale based on a true story. It stars a strong ensemble cast with John Wayne proving that he really is an actor, not just a movie star, in one of his most human, "non-larger-than-life" roles.
Yes! Thank you for your recommendations! It is wonderful to hear that you are enjoying the Westerns series!! I am especially curious about Island in the Sky because I would like to see John Wayne’s skills!
@@MoviesWithMia John Wayne's performance in "Island in the Sky" was praised as believable and realistic. I have to correct myself. The movie is based on a novel by Ernest Gann which was inspired by Gann's experience searching for a fellow pilot lost in the frozen wilderness of northern Canada.
The Best! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reaction! Tex Ritter singing the title song always gets me thanks again
Robert Wilke, Lee Van Cleef and Sheb Woolley played Miller’s henchmen. You may recall Wilke as the guy who made the mistake of challenging James Coburn’s knife thrower in The Magnificent Seven. Woolley had a hit song in the ‘50’s titled The Purple People Eater.
You are RELENTLESS. Your catalog has some of the best films ever. Just amazing.
The song used over the opening/closing credits, 'The Ballad of High Noon' aka 'Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling', is sung by actor/singer Tex Ritter. He is the father of actor John Ritter, who is best known for the sitcom 'Three's Company', and appears as a 17-year-old New Jersey farm-boy in 'The Night that Panicked America', which looks at the reactions of average Americans to the 1938 Orson Welles radio-play 'The War of the Worlds'. Part of it shows with how radio plays were done back in the 1930s/40s.
The clocks were actually an afterthought, used to stretch the running time. However, they actually make the film.
I just discovered your channel, and you're covering a lot of my all-time favorite films. If you haven't already reviewed it, please try 'Sergeant York', also starring Gary Cooper. The real Alvin York personally chose Coop to portray him in the film.
I'm agree with u Helen Ramírez is my favorite character in this film ❤
Once they hired a law man to clean up a town, they didn’t want him around after he did his job! Great flick! 😎👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 The Western is one of the greatest genres of all time! I have read hundreds of Western Novels. I never get tired of them.
Please take a look at Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” The European westerns are an important sub genre of the form and that film is one of the best. Lee Van Cleef (seen here as one of Frank Miller’s men) finally gained recognition as a star in Leone’s films.
Oddly enough, when Van Cleef got famous enough to get his own TV show, it wasn't a Western. It was a show called "The Master" in which he played a martial artist. Part of the 1980s ninja craze.
I think it makes sense to watch these older Hollywood westerns first, but she definitely should follow up with Leone's westerns as counterpoint. TGTBATU is one of my favorite films of any genre and I really hope she gets to it.
Watching just that one really tells you everything you need to know about the Spaghetti Westerns, whether for good or bad.
If you start the movie at 10:30 in the morning you will reach high noon not only with the movie..but in real time..
Man! I should have done that!
Unless it's day light savings and then high noon isn't the high point
A note about the supporting characters. Lon Chaney played Will Kane’s predecessor as Town Marshal. In the scene he has with Kane. The old lawman tells him that Miller is a killer. He is coming back because he wants power and the slothful and greedy in town will give it to him gladly. The cowardly townspeople will get pushed out of town or die. Kane gives the town a future.
I recently rewatched this movie for the first time since film studies in high school. Masterful.
Your review is excellent
I’m hooked
Wish I could have been there to watch you review this movie in person.
It’s one of my favs!
Aloha Mia Tiffany! This is one of my favorite movies EVER
That's Lee Van Cleef, who played two completely contrasting roles in the dollars trilogy. Angel Eyes still gives me chills
The man you say is really handsome is Lee Van Cleef, who also played one of Liberty Valance's sidekicks.
I just discovered your site when you reacted to Seven Samurai. I'm a big Kurosawa fan. I have been going back and watching your other reactions and am enjoying them very much. High Noon is one of my favorites not only because it is so well done but I was also named after Gary Cooper. Keep up the good work!
First time seeing. Excellent story line. One of my favorite actors also seen . Lon Chaney. Also your handsome bad boy actor Lee Van Cleff.
This was screenwriter Carl Foreman's reaction to the Hollywood blacklisting. Soon after in 1952, emigrated to England.
Excellent Reaction/review.....one of my favourite westerns. I love all the info you "dig up" before the reactions.....very informative.
Keep up the good work.
Cannot wait for Rio Bravo Mia!!! Stoked.
A superb movie.
Oh you are going to do it! High Noon then Rio Bravo. The movie made as a counter response to High Noon. This is interesting! This will be so good.
I feel bad because I hadn't been keeping up with your channel. So glad you watched this. Probably my favorite American made western and one of my favorite movies. If you want to watch more Gary Cooper, have you watched Sgt. York? Not as good as High Noon in my opinion but still pretty great.
I also love Gary Cooper in his Capra films-Mr..Deeds Goes To Town,Meet John Doe .Also Pride of The Yankees ,The Westerner,Saratoga Trunk.
Lee Van Cleef had a long career. Surprised you did not recognize him from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
I always think of him in the "spaghetti" westerns.
The only man who could give you a profile while looking straight at you.
I love your passion. Great reaction.
That handsome man, in the opening is Lee Van Cleef... you will see him again, in later Clint Eastwood Italian Westerns. You will also see him in the very famous movie in B/W "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence".
The old Marshal was played by Lon Chaney jr where his most famous role was starring as Larry Talbot the Wolfman in 1941's the Wolfman
The 1980s Sean Connery film Outland is often considered a retelling of High Noon. It's a favorite of mine.
One of the great American westerns of all time
Jack Elam played the drunk. And the only one who wanted to help was a kid. Such a great movie
Gary Cooper was from Montana and actually worked as a cowboy on a cattle ranch. He started out in Hollywood as a cowboy in silent movies, and made westerns throughout his career. Besides High Noon, his best westerns are: The Man of the West, the Westerner, the Virginian, and my guilty pleasure the Plainsman. Top five non westerns would be Frank Capra’s Mr Deeds Goes to Town, and Meet John Doe. Howard Hawks’ Seargent York, and Ball of Fire. Finally my personal favorite the Pride of the Yankees even though I am a Cubs fan.
That Katy Jurado had presence! And you're right, Gary's eyes are stunning! I love him in Children of Divorce (1927) ~ with Clara Bow & Esther Ralston, Meet John Doe (1941) ~ with Barbara Stanwyck & Walter Brennen, Ball of Fire (1941) ~ with Barbara Stanwyck, Dana Andrews, Dan Duryea (and a slew of great character actors too numerous to mention), and Friendly Persuasion (1956) ~ with Dorothy McGuire & Anthony Perkins. Hopefully you run into them someday!
The clocks scene right before noon will forever be my favorite scene.
John Wayne was offered the role of Will Kane, but he turned it down because he was in favor of blacklisting. He called High Noon "the most un-American thing I've ever seen in my whole life." Later he said he would never regret having helped run Foreman out of the country.
Gary Cooper had testified before HUAC, but didn't name any names, and later became an opponent of blacklisting.
I love John Wayne and I love most of his films,but there are times that I don't think he understood what true americanism is.
I did not know that!
Jesus! Just when I though John Wayne couldn't be a bigger douchebag I find this out!
Ts too. We have greedy selfish people like any other country. None of us are completely good , but we strive to be
Wayne was wrong.way wrong. And what is american , because this movie shows American faul
In some parts I agree with John Wayne, I do not feel that there would be an entire American town where everyone took the cowards route, there would have been people there brave enough to do the right thing and help the Marshal. Just like Veitnam you had some cowardly draft dodgers and you had those brave enough to answer the call only to have idiots degrade them when they cam e back home. [maybe a city with the mind set of San fransico or Portland OR. of today ]
Long ago, as a young soldier on leave, I actually saw Grace Kelly in Monaco before the race
No way! Please tell me more!
I read that the later part of the film is in real-time, minute for minute, but I've never been able to spot when that starts; always been too caught up in it to notice.
The guy you said was handsome at the beginning was Lee Van Cleef.
I saw this at a drive-in when I was 9 years old with my parents and little brother.
Somewhat thankless role for Grace Kelly. Beautiful sure, but compare her in this to the woman you can't take your eyes off in "To Catch A Thief" or "Rear Window". Katy Jurado though, really captures the camera. I never noticed before how much she reminds me of Linda Darnell.
'Man from Del Rio' is another great role of hers, playing opposite Anthony Quinn.
You can see why these are called classics. I'm glad they gave an Hispanic woman such a meaty role.
Great Review!!!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽"High Noon" has a lot of great actors in it.👍🏾👍🏾
For Gary Cooper fans (including me) I feel that I just HAVE to put in a recommendation for SERGEANT YORK (1941). :D
I love your love of movies. It's infectious.
Thank you 😁
i always enjoyed watching this as a kid, great choice, thank you.
I have only recently found your channel. I have scrolled through and found you have excellent taste in movies. By which, of course, I mean you like all the same movies I like. It is hard for me to believe you have really never seen all the movies in your catalog that you describe as "first time watching". How in the world can you never have seen all these classic films? Anyway, I love your reactions. Your visceral positivity towards these movies validates my own appreciation of them. I am looking forward to many more of your videos.
Cooper's rough fist fight with Lloyd Bridges ends with Coop throwing a bucket of water on Lloyd. Beau Bridges and his mom were in a gallery high above the stable set and when six year old Beau saw Cooper throw a bucket of water on his dad he burst out laughing and it ruined the ENTIRE take.
This film is like a showcase of every excuse people will contrive to not do the right thing. It is so true to life. It is the saddest movie I’ve ever seen.
We're back to the good old days in Washington. How very sad it makes me feel. I truly thought that crap was finished. I guess not.
I grew up enamored with Technicolor. But I realize in my latter years that a clean crisp b&w is a thing of beauty.
And the bright resplendent Technicolor isn't a thing anymore, either.
Trivia- A couple members of Frank Miller's gang you've seen in the last two movies. Lee Van Cleef was part of Liberty Valance's gang and Robert Wilke was the cowboy in The Magnificent Seven who thought he was faster than the knife throwing member of the Seven. Also High Noon Music Composer Dimitri Tiomkin will be doing the music for Rio Bravo !
Yes! You noticed it! Except for the opening credits, this movie takes place in "Real Time". Which is to say, that a minute of screen time equals a minute of story time. Most movies compress a time period of several days, weeks, or even years into a 2 hour story, but this one tells the story in the same number of minutes as the movie's run time. That's why they show so many clocks.
I think you have a bone to pick with youtube. Whenever I search "movie reaction" your channel apparently doesn't exist.
Good thing I'm subscribed
John Wayne hated High Noon. Rio Bravo was made as an answer to it! Another fun fact: When they showed their first edit, it didn't work. So they put back in the shots they had cut out which showed Gary as old and tired and they shot close-ups of the clocks. They tension that resulted helped him get the best actor oscar.
The Gunfighter (Gregory Peck), Red River (John Wayne, Montgomery Clift), The Big Country (Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston).
Have you seen Sergeant York? Another classic staring Cooper about a true story.