Gary Cooper (1901-1961)
Gary
Cooper was the perfect American hero for forty years, the epitome of
integrity and honesty. His range
was wide from light comedy, drama,
thrills, action and he was also one of the great Western heroes. One of
the great natural actors he appeared to do nothing onscreen but that
inactivity was misleading, his nuanced acting was perfect for the
demands of the medium.
Cooper made his first film appearances in the silents including an impressive brief one in the aviation epic Wings (1927) but sound gave an extra dimension to his laconic style in movies like The Virginian (1929). One of his best 30s westerns was Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman (1936) in which he and Jean Arthur delivered highly romanticised portrayals of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.
He was the romantic leading man of Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930) her first American film and starred with Helen Hayes in the best film version of A Farewell To Arms (1932). Director Frank Capra made the most of Cooper's honest Joe persona in two films Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936) and Meet John Doe (1941).
1941 was a great year for Cooper as well as John Doe he appeared in two other very good films : Howard Hawks' comedy Ball of Fire (1941) with Barbara Stanwyck and his Oscar winning portrayal of a World War I hero in Sergeant York (1941).
He won his second Oscar for best Actor for his performance as Sheriff Will Kane in High Noon (1952). None of his later films reached that standard but Cooper remained the definitive American hero till the end. When in Love In The Afternoon (1957) his leading lady was Audrey Hepburn there were few complaints about the difference in their ages. Like all the great stars Gary Cooper was essentially ageless.
Cooper made his first film appearances in the silents including an impressive brief one in the aviation epic Wings (1927) but sound gave an extra dimension to his laconic style in movies like The Virginian (1929). One of his best 30s westerns was Cecil B. DeMille's The Plainsman (1936) in which he and Jean Arthur delivered highly romanticised portrayals of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.
He was the romantic leading man of Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930) her first American film and starred with Helen Hayes in the best film version of A Farewell To Arms (1932). Director Frank Capra made the most of Cooper's honest Joe persona in two films Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936) and Meet John Doe (1941).
1941 was a great year for Cooper as well as John Doe he appeared in two other very good films : Howard Hawks' comedy Ball of Fire (1941) with Barbara Stanwyck and his Oscar winning portrayal of a World War I hero in Sergeant York (1941).
He won his second Oscar for best Actor for his performance as Sheriff Will Kane in High Noon (1952). None of his later films reached that standard but Cooper remained the definitive American hero till the end. When in Love In The Afternoon (1957) his leading lady was Audrey Hepburn there were few complaints about the difference in their ages. Like all the great stars Gary Cooper was essentially ageless.
1926 THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH performer
1927 ARIZONA BOUND performer
1927 CHILDREN OF DIVORCE performer
1927 IT performer
1927 THE LAST OUTLAW performer
1927 NEVADA performer
1927 WINGS performer
1928 BEAU SABREUR performer
1928 DOOMSDAY performer
1928 THE FIRST KISS performer
1928 HALF A BRIDE performer
1928 THE LEGION OF THE CONDEMNED performer
1928 LILAC TIME performer
1929 BETRAYAL performer
1929 THE SHOPWORN ANGEL performer
1929 THE VIRGINIAN performer
1929 WOLF SONG performer
1930 A MAN FROM WYOMING performer
1930 MOROCCO performer
1930 ONLY THE BRAVE performer
1930 PARAMOUNT ON PARADE performer
1930 SEVEN DAYS LEAVE performer
1930 THE SPOILERS performer
1930 THE TEXAN performer
1931 CITY STREETS performer
1931 FIGHTING CARAVANS performer
1931 HIS WOMAN performer
1931 I TAKE THIS WOMAN performer
1932 DEVIL AND THE DEEP performer
1932 A FAREWELL TO ARMS performer
1932 IF I HAD A MILLION performer
1932 MAKE ME A STAR cameo
1933 ALICE IN WONDERLAND as the White Knight
1933 DESIGN FOR LIVING performer
1933 ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON performer
1933 TODAY WE LIVE performer
1934 NOW AND FOREVER performer
1934 OPERATOR 13 performer
1935 THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER performer
1935 PETER IBBETSON title role
1935 THE WEDDING NIGHT performer
1936 DESIRE performer
1936 THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN performer
1936 HOLLYWOOD
BOULEVARD cameo1936 MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN performer
1936 THE PLAINSMAN as Wild Bill Hickok
1937 SOULS AT SEA performer
1938 THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO title role
1938 BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE performer
1938 THE COWBOY AND THE LADY performer
1939 BEAU GESTE title role
1939 THE REAL GLORY performer
1940 NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE performer
1940 THE WESTERNER performer
1941 BALL OF FIRE performer
1941 MEET JOHN DOE performer
1941 SERGEANT YORK title role
1942 THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES as Lou Gehrig
1943 FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS performer
1944 CASANOVA BROWN performer
1944 THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL title role
1945 ALONG CAME JONES performer, producer
1945 SARATOGA TRUNK performer
1946 CLOAK AND DAGGER performer
1947 UNCONQUERED performer
1947 VARIETY GIRL cameo
1948 GOOD SAM performer
1949 THE FOUNTAINHEAD performer
1949 IT'S A GREAT FEELING cameo
1949 TASK FORCE performer
1950 BRIGHT LEAF performer
1950 DALLAS performer
1951 DISTANT DRUMS performer
1951 IT'S A BIG COUNTRY performer
1951 STARLIFT cameo
1951 YOU'RE IN THE NAVY NOW/ U.S.S. TEA KETTLE performer
1952 HIGH NOON performer
1952 SPRINGFIELD RIFLE performer
1953 BLOWING WILD performer
1953 RETURN TO PARADISE performer
1954 GARDEN OF EVIL performer
1954 VERA CRUZ performer
1955 THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL as Gen. Billy Mitchell
1956 FRIENDLY PERSUASION performer
1957 LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON performer
1958 MAN OF THE WEST performer
1958 TEN NORTH FREDERICK performer
1959 ALIAS JESSE JAMES cameo
1959 THE HANGING TREE performer
1959 THEY CAME TO CORDURA performer
1959 THE WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE performer
1961 THE NAKED EDGE (UK) performer
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Written content of the Golden Age of Hollywood Website (except where indicated) copyright Derek McLellan, 2007.