The Westerner (1940)

My Review

“The Westerner” is a solid horse opera about Judge Roy Bean’s conflict in Texas with a drifter who defends homesteaders against Bean’s cattle baron allies. Director William Wyler (“Wuthering Heights” 1939) employed excellent production values in this movie, such as loads of action sequences, beautiful cinematography by Gregg Toland on location in Arizona, and a marvelous screenplay by Niven Busch and Jo Swerling.

The cast is headed by Gary Cooper as drifter Cole Harden and Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean, who won his third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor here. Co-stars include Doris Davenport, Fred Stone, Forrest Tucker, Chill Wills, Dana Andrews, Paul Hurst, and Lilian Bond as Lillie Langtry. The watchable 100 minute black-and-white movie “The Westerner” was popular at the box office for Samuel Goldwyn Productions and United Artists. Alfred Newman and Dimitri Tiomkin were in charge of composing the excellent musical score.