High Noon (1952)

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Carl Foreman (screenplay)
John W. Cunningham (magazine story "The Tin Star")

Release Date:

30 July 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

Simple. Powerful. Unforgettable.

Plot:

A marshall, personally compelled to face a returning deadly enemy, finds that his own town refuses to help him.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Wedding | Badge | 1880s | Famous Score

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Marshal Will Kane
Thomas Mitchell	...	Mayor Jonas Henderson
Lloyd Bridges	...	Deputy Marshal Harvey Pell
Katy Jurado	...	Helen Ramírez
Grace Kelly	...	Amy Fowler Kane
Otto Kruger	...	Judge Percy Mettrick
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Martin Howe (as Lon Chaney)
Harry Morgan	...	Sam Fuller (as Henry Morgan)
Ian MacDonald	...	Frank Miller
Eve McVeagh	...	Mildred Fuller
Morgan Farley	...	Dr. Mahin - Minister
Harry Shannon	...	Cooper
Lee Van Cleef	...	Jack Colby
Robert J. Wilke	...	Jim Pierce (as Robert Wilke)
Sheb Wooley	...	Ben Miller

Also Known As:

Le train sifflera 3 fois (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Zwölf Uhr mittags (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
A la hora señalada (Argentina) [es]
Al punt del migdia (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
B'Tzohoray Ha-Yom (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Délidöben (Hungary) [hu]
De trein zal drie maal fluiten (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Kahraman serif (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Le train sifflera trois fois (Belgium: French title) (alternative spelling) [fr]
Matar ou Morrer (Brazil) [pt]
Mezzogiorno di Fuoco (Italy) [it]
Mezzogiorno di fuoco (Italy) [it]
O Comboio Apitou Três Vezes (Portugal) [pt]
Quand le train sifflera trois fois (France) [fr]
Sheriffen (Sweden) [sv]
Sheriffen (Denmark) [da]
Sheriffi (Finland) [fi]
Solo ante el peligro (Spain) [es]
Tacno u podne (Yugoslavia: Serbian title) [sr]
To traino tha sfyrixi treis fores (Greece) [el]
V pravé poledne (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
W samo poludnie (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #15653)

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

There was some question as to the casting of Gary Cooper, since he was 50 and Grace Kelly, playing his wife, was only 21.

Goofs:

Continuity: The stains on Kane's collar and shirt after the fight with Pell change when he goes to the barber shop.

Quotes:

Will: Stay at the hotel until it's over.
Amy: No, I won't be here when it's over. You're asking me to wait an hour to find out if I'm going to be a wife or a widow. I say it's too long to wait! I won't do it!
Will: Amy!
Amy: I mean it! If you won't go with me now, I'll be on that train when it leaves here.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cineastes en acció (2005)

Soundtrack:

Battle Hymn of the Republic

The definitive western movie

This is the definitive Western. There are other excellent Westerns of course ("The Unforgiven," "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," "The Searchers," "My Darling Clementine," and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" come immediately to mind), but none tops this one. Even though the difference in age between Gary Cooper and Grace Kelley makes the thought of their marriage seem a little kinky, it's easy to buy into the story. Katy Jurado is sexy, Lloyd Bridges is callow, and the townspeople mean well, but when push comes to shove, they reveal their cowardice. (If you remember the scene in "Blazing Saddles" in which Van Johnson says, "Howard Johnson is right," you'll almost certainly laugh at an inappropriate moment in "High Noon." ) "High Noon" is a textbook example of the storyteller's art. The drama begins with the opening credits and doesn't let up until everyone's true character has been laid bare. This one is suspenseful and thrilling, and I find more to admire with every viewing.