In 1925, one of America’s most popular film stars first started out in the movies. Whilst Gary Cooper may have been a face which dominated cinema screens for decades, he came from humble beginnings. After a number of bit parts, his horsemanship and naturalistic acting style soon won him better roles. He starred in a number of great films such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, For Whom the Bell Tolls and Sergeant York but his crowning glory is undoubtedly High Noon.
In a small town in New Mexico, Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is getting married to Amy (Grace Kelly) and is handing in his badge. That changes when he learns that Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), a sadistic outlaw he sent to jail, has been pardoned and is arriving on the noon train. Amy, a Quaker, is determined to leave, but Kane sees it as his duty to face-up to his past. Volunteers are hardly falling over themselves to help him.
High Noon is a wonderful film about the power of determination and doing the right thing. Kane is a man of integrity and his commitment to fulfilling his duty overrides his fears. Despite previously ridding the town of a blight, the townsfolk are more interested in saving their own skin than repaying a debt. Fred Zinnemann’s film is an utter joy. High Noon is a truly great Western.
Special features:
- Limited Edition Hardbound Slipcase [3000 copies]
- A LIMITED EDITION 100-PAGE Collector’s book featuring new writing on the film; the original short story The Tin Star by John W. Cunningham; excerpts from writings and interviews with director Fred Zinnemann; archival articles and materials relating to the film
- 4K Digital Restoration
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new and exclusive audio commentary by historian Glenn Frankel, author of High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic
- Brand new and exclusive audio commentary by western authority Stephen Prince
- New video interview with film historian Neil Sinyard, author of Fred Zinnemann: Films of Character and Conscience
- A 1969 audio interview with writer Carl Foreman from the National Film Theatre in London
- The Making of ‘High Noon’ [22 mins]– a documentary on the making of the film
- Inside ‘High Noon’ [47 mins] and Behind ‘High Noon’ [10 mins] – two video pieces on the making and context of the film
- Theatrical Trailer
High Noon is released on Blu-ray by Eureka Entertainment as part of their Masters of Cinema collection on 16 September.
No Comment