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High Noon - Collector's Edition

By 1952, the movie industry was ripe with Westerns, and the standard plot of a hero chasing a villain was not uncommon to the public. The name John Wayne was quickly becoming synonymous with the genre, and films like "Red River" and "She Wore a Blue Ribbon" were dazzling audiences with images of the Old West. Coming to the party fairly early in 1952 was "High Noon," which was (and still is) an unusual treat. It possesses the genre norms (the one-street town in the middle of the desert, the cowboy boots and gun-toting, cigarette-smoking locals, the horse-drawn carts), but at the same time it doesn't play to our expectations of seeing them staged within the confines of a standard cat-and-mouse chase flick. ***

It's much more than that, you see. The movie takes place within the course of but a few hours, in the small town of Hadleyville, New Mexico, as Marshall Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is just being wed to his beautiful young bride, Amy Fowler Kane (Grace Kelly). The entire town has turned out for the event, that is, until news arrives that a band of ex-cons working for convicted murderer Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) has returned to town looking to settle a score with Kane after their arrests under his law landed them in prison. ***

Now, in any other Western, the hero would have hopped onto his horse, rode out to the countryside to rid the town of its unwanted visitors, and returned to begin his honeymoon as if nothing of any importance had happened. But "High Noon" is anything but a typical genre ripple, and its history is proof of this. The script was written by Carl Foreman, who was blacklisted under the influential wave of McCarthyism as a result of the Red Scare sweeping the nation after World War II. To look at the script, its characters, and its situations, is to realize the resemblance to everyday life in the 50's to the plight of those who populate the film itself. ***

Consider Cooper's Kane, for example. His desperation quickly grows when it becomes clear that no one in the town is willing to take a stand by his side once noon arrives. In less than two hours, he's gone from being commended and applauded at his wedding to being the center of attention as the cause of the town's tensions and dangers, all because of doing his everyday work. Whether or not screenwriter Foreman was intentionally trying to reveal something about our society at this period in time is uncertain; sometimes the best statements about the workings of humanity are best left unintentional and unforeseen. ***

Throughout the duration of the film, which takes place in "real time" (the story takes place over the course of nearly two hours; the film's actual length is 85 minutes), Foreman and director Fred Zinnemann also examine the effects of the impending danger on certain members of the townsfolk. The film's elements of loyalty, betrayal, trust and mistrust, are all factors that came into play during McCarthyism, and tie in brilliantly with reality. Kane's bride, Amy, is torn between her fear of violence and bloodshed and her devotion to her husband, while many of the townsfolk grapple with the choice of standing behind their marshall or finding an excuse to hide behind, as seen in an interrupted church service, where a pleading Kane is shot down by his own citizens. These are people struck by fear, and out of that fear they are willing to conform to populist beliefs, which means leaving Kane to fend for himself. ***

To understand these connections is to find a deeper meaning behind "High Noon." It's not just the typical Western that everyone has come to expect from Hollywood; in fact, it's much more gratifying in many ways. Yes, there is the climactic shootout that crowns the film in a glorious tension, but even the final shot carries with it the bittersweetness of victory as seen through Kane's eyes. Cooper's performance is impacting and full of gritty desperation, and those of the supporting cast are also marked with the traits mentioned above. The cinematography is dry and arid, accompanied by a score that heightens the suspense even in the absence of any action. Now when was the last time a Western was able to accomplish that?

Considering the film's age, it should be noted that the remastering efforts for this Collector's Edition release of "High Noon" is quite surprising in its clarity. The fullframe image has been restored and preserved nicely, offering the viewer a nice balance in contrast and brightness, keeping blacks solid for the most part while also reducing much of the gran and texture of the print in lighter areas. There are still some moments where noise and distractions are noticeable, but the movie is 50 years old, and for it to look as good as it does means something. ***

The sound is mastered in 2.0 mono, and isn't very impressive. The dialogue sounds natural for the most part, but the sound effects as well as certain high points in the musical score tend to be very shrill and harsh on the ears.

Cooper-Janis, Foreman, Zinnemann, and Prince Albert of Monaco (Grace Kelly's son), can also be seen in the short documentary "Behind High Noon," which features brief interviews with each of these people in regards to the production and impact of the film. Some of the elements of this doc are repetitive of the commentary, but nonetheless interesting all the same. This is followed by "The Making of High Noon," a 20-minute featurette hosted by Leonard Maltin and featuring interviews with actor Lloyd Bridges, producer Stanley Kramer, and also utilizing production stills and behind-the-scenes vintage photos to show us the filming process, which took less than one month and was shot for a little under $40,000. It may be short, but in its own play-by-play method of exploring history, it works. ***

There is also a radio excerpt from The Ralph Emery Show, in which Tex Ritter is interviewed. He gives his opinion of "High Noon's" differences from the regular Western, while also reflecting on his involvement in singing the theme song and garnering an Oscar for his efforts. The disc is closed out with trailers for "High Noon," "The Quiet Man," and "Rio Grande."