Sergeant York (Two-Disc Special Edition)
by Howard Hawks
from Warner Home Video
Gary Cooper plays Alvin York, the real-life country lad and sharpshooter drafted to fight during World War I but blocked from killing by his pacifist sentiments. Howard Hawks makes a rousing, heroic film out of the tale, and Cooper gives one of his best performances (for which he won an Oscar). The 1941 feature seems as much a valentine to wartime America (and a not-so-subtle piece of propaganda) as anything, with Hawks capturing splendidly shot scenes of life in York's home state of Tennessee, which in turn provide a striking contrast to the battlefield. A key scene in the film, in which York is presented with an argument in favor of killing in war, is still thought provoking. --Tom Keogh
Story of World War I hero who captured German position single-handedly. Film also portrays York's earlier life in the mountains of Tennessee.Running Time: 134 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012569793750 Manufacturer No: 79375
Fox Western Classics (Rawhide / The Gunfighter / Garden of Evil)
by Henry Hathaway
from 20th Century Fox
IncludesDisc 1: Garden of Evil (1954) Feature FilmDisc 2: The Gunfighter (1951) Feature FilmDisc 3: Rawhide (1951) Feature FilmFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WAR/CLASSICS UPC: 024543512585 Manufacturer No: 2251258
High Noon (Two-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition)
from Lionsgate
Gary Cooper won the Oscar for the Best Actor in this classic tale of lawman who stands alone to defend a town of cowardly citizens against a gange of revenge-seeking criminals. In the greatest showdown in the history of cinema Cooper stands to lose not only the town but his new wife Grace Kelly. The film also stars one of Hollywood's most beloved and prolific actors Lloyd Bridges and marks the first starring role for a beautiful young actress and internationally adored screen legend - Grace Kelly. HIGH NOON garned atotal of four Academy Awards including Best Editing Score and Original Song.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/COWBOYS Rating: NR UPC: 017153240856 Manufacturer No: 24085
One of the greatest Westerns ever made gets the deluxe treatment on this superior disc from Republic Home Video's Silver Screen Classics line of special-edition DVDs. Written by Carl Foreman (who was later blacklisted during the anticommunist hearings of the '50s) and superbly directed by Fred Zinnemann, this 1952 classic stars Gary Cooper as just-married lawman Will Kane, who is about to retire as a small-town sheriff and begin a new life with his bride (Grace Kelly) when he learns that gunslinger Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) is due to arrive at high noon to settle an old score. Kane seeks assistance from deputies and townsfolk, but soon realizes he'll have to stand alone in his showdown with Miller and his henchmen. Innovative for its time, the suspenseful story unfolds in approximate real time (from 10:40 a.m. to high noon in an 84-minute film), and many interpreted Foreman's drama as an allegorical reflection of apathy and passive acceptance of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anticommunist campaign. Political underpinnings aside, this remains a milestone of its genre (often referred to as the first "adult" Western), and Cooper is flawless in his Oscar-winning role. The first-rate DVD gives this landmark film all the respect it deserves, beginning with a digitally remastered transfer from the original film negative. Additional features include the exclusive documentary The Making of High Noon, hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin and featuring interviews with the late Lloyd Bridges (who played Cooper's rival ex-deputy), director Fred Zinnemann, and producer Stanley Kramer. Also included is the original theatrical trailer and a special chapter stop highlighting the Oscar-winning song "Do Not Forsake Me." Offered in English and dubbed French and Spanish, with English closed-captioning or Spanish and French subtitles. --Jeff Shannon
Man of the West
by Anthony Mann
from United Artists
Gary Cooper in his last great role portrays a former outlaw whose past returns to haunt him when he is forced by his old gang to participate in a train robbery. Julie London and Lee J. Cobb co-star.System Requirements:Running Time: 83 minutes Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 883904107095 Manufacturer No: M110709
Western auteur Anthony Mann and aging Western icon Gary Cooper team up in this stark tale of a trio of train passengers stranded in the middle of the desert after a railway holdup. Taking responsibility for his helpless compatriots (Julie London as a sad-eyed prostitute and Arthur O'Connell as a garrulous but cowardly banker), craggy-faced Link Jones (Cooper) takes them into a veritable viper's nest in a desperate gamble. It turns out the respected town elder is a former member of the outlaw gang that robbed them, and he's welcomed back by patriarchal gang leader Dock Tobin (Lee J. Cobb) like the prodigal son. The other bandits are