Now for July’s movie.  WE have been waiting some time to run this film… it is The Westerner, a classic western if there ever was one.  It stars Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan.  Brennan, who plays Judge Roy Bean, won his third and final Oscar for this one.

Directed by William Wyler, The Westerner tells the story of Judge Roy Bean, a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinergaroon, Texas, who befriends saddle tramp Cole Harden, who he believes is a good friend of the famed actress Lily Langtree, a woman he has never met but adores.  Wyler’s direction results in a rich, honest exploration of these people and their  behavior with the end result being a western motion picture far above the level of most.  Brennan won an Oscar, but it is also true that Wyler drew one of Gary Cooper’s finest performances out of him… one devoid of his personal acting quirks and mannerism associated with his other performances.

We haven’t run a western in a long time.  The genre seems to have self-destructed in the 21st century American psychosis of belief that our past as a nation was evil and only today’s generation is enlightened in moral terms.  If you have never seen The Westerner, or it’s been a long time since you saw it, do yourself a favor and come see this screening.  I guarantee you’ll appreciate what Wyler did with this one even if you never have ridden a horse.

The Westerner screens on Friday, July 15th, 2016 at 7 PM at Old City Hall.  We look forward to seeing you.

Paul Becker