High Noon
A year before Shane came High Noon number three on the countdown.
It is one critical day in the life of Marshal Wil Kane played by Gary Cooper. He has just gotten married to Amy Fowler played by Grace Kelly, when word comes that Frank Miller has been released from prison and will be coming in on the noon train. Everyone knows that Miller will be coming for the Marshal and so they encourage him to take off with his bride and get away. This is where the story starts and this is where the depth of this story starts to take shape.
The story is too complex to spend time trying to explain, it is better seen. Every performance in this movie is fantastic with Gary Cooper, Katy Jurado, and Lloyd Bridges giving especially strong performances.
This movie, like most good Westerns, is much more about the individuals involved in the story and much less about action, but this movie with its look, theme song, and finale is in many ways the quintessential Western.
Even if you don't like Westerns this movie is a must see as it is really more of a social play than a Western.
