Simply A Masterpiece

Overrated

Best movie ever!

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Everyone here seems to agree..a hidden gem. Saw it on TCM recently, and could not have enjoyed it more. It's from a different era of Hollywood film making. It's from when they took their time with a scene. Imagine that.One example of this, was when Maria Schell, who had earlier been found badly sunburned and blind, was about to find out, by removal of her bandages, if she could see or not. Part of what made this suspenseful was that when she was first found, her eyes were closed, and then she was bandaged for the ensuing scenes while recovering. We had not seen her eyes.We were also about to see her cleaned up...so in essence, we had little idea what she looked like. Cooper takes time getting the lighting in the room right, and then explaining things to her, while she sits there with her bandages on and listens. The removal of the bandages seemed to take forever. Great suspense! Not Hitchcockian, but a different kind of suspense, wondering, not only if she would see, but what she would look like. You just hoped that she was going to be beautiful when you finally saw her.And of course, with those blue European eyes, she was angelic. The music didn't hurt this moment either. I was certainly tearing up. Maria Schell was just a beautiful woman, and played a sweetness to her role that made you fall immediately in love with her.Cooper played a flawed man, which made his role as a doctor who genuinely cared about his patients, very real. Also interesting, was watching the edgy relationship between him and his 'servant' develop. You could tell this young man did not like him at all at first, but was slowly becoming very fond of him. Somehow, you wanted that to happen.Gary Cooper just got better and better as he aged. There was something about his tiredness, coupled with his strength as a man, that made him just fascinating to watch. He had one of those Hollywood voices that most male actors today don't have (I'd hate to be an impressionist today), that made you hang on every word.George C. Scott had his chops early on, even though this was one of his first roles. Very scary part. You just knew, that somehow, he was going to do something awful later in the picture. His tiny role, in the beginning, had that impact. He probably could have played Patton the week after this film was done. He was that powerful already.Karl Maldon must have had fun doing this one, playing such an erratic, manic, ultimately unsavory guy. You just never were sure if he was going to turn out to be good...or bad. Good script writing there, but the acting also made that happen.I could go on, but let's just say that it's so cool to watch an old movie you've never seen before, and feel like you just want to tell everyone about this new great movie that YOU just discovered.

After an unfortunate family incident, embittered doctor Gary Cooper changes his name (to Joseph "Joe" Frail) and moves to 1873 Montana. "Doc" sets up shop in the aptly named Gold Rush town of "Skull Creek" with handsome young Ben Piazza (as Rune) as manservant, after saving the robber lad from death by posse. A stagecoach attack quickly provides Mr. Cooper with another housemate, Swiss emigrant Maria Schell (as Elizabeth Mahler). Baked and blinded by the sun, Ms. Schell heals into an uncommonly beautiful woman. As you might expect, patient and doctor are mutually attracted. Why she and Mr. Piazza amount to naught is not explained. Creepy head-capped Karl Malden (as Frenchy Plante) provides villainy..."The Hanging Tree" looms forebodingly as we learn more about Cooper's contrary character; it's a good role for the aging superstar, in one of his best later years performances. We may be meant to consider the love of Schell providing Cooper with a possible second chance as the main story, but much more interesting is how the story deals with ownership. Cooper "owns" both Piazza and Schell in saving their lives, but is challenged for the latter by Mr. Malden. The proof that Cooper is a good soul is conveyed early, by his tossing of the bullet he took from Piazza and his gift to the malnourished girl. And, "The Lucky Lady Mine" owners believe the ownership of material wealth will bring happiness. Delmer Daves directs beautifully.******** The Hanging Tree (2/11/59) Delmer Daves ~ Gary Cooper, Ben Piazza, Maria Schell, Karl Malden

I watched my share of westerns when I was a kid, but as an adult, it's a rare western that can hold my attention. This one did.Gary Cooper plays Joseph Frail, a strange mix of a doctor, a gambler, and perhaps a gunslinger. As he rides into a new town he rescues Rune, a sluice robber, from Frenchy (a dirty and nasty man played well by Karl Malden), and makes the young sluice robber an indentured servant. A stagecoach robbery results in the disappearance of Elizabeth Mahler (played well by Maria Schell). She is found by Frenchy (as part of a search party), and he has immoral designs on her. Her time in the wilderness led to skin burns, temporary blindness, and dehydration from overexposure. Dr. Frail treats her, but, as he has a tendency to do, he becomes possessive, and eventually Mahler leaves his protection and teams up with Frenchy and the sluice robber, and they strike gold. Frenchy attacks Mahler, and Frail kills him, resulting in Frail being on the verge of a lynching. Mahler saves him by offering the lynching party all their gold. Cooper is superb here...perhaps one of his best performances. In fact, it's difficult to find a less than good to great performance in the whole film. Definitely one to watch!

I saw this mid 60s as a B reel on one of my early going to the cinema alone (as in without parents but with a couple of mates)trips. I remember the very catchy theme tune and had vague memories of it being an excellent film and little more than that. I recently borrowed a DVD from a friend of a friend who'd found it posted on usenet a year or so back (I'd tried to buy it, unsuccessfully)Well, it blew me away. The transfer was pretty good, though slightly blocked in the shadows. A bit "Technicolor" but perfectly watchable. The screenplay more than made up for any slight shortcomings in the print. Solid acting, great scenery too. My only reservation is the portrayal of mob mentality... the utter mindless greed and viciousness shown near the end of the film seemed almost one-dimensional compared with the rest of the story, but I suppose it could be more accurate than I'm finding comfortable. Photography is superb btw - the closing scene - personal redemption - is absolutely iconic - and not what you might expect from such a description. The fade out song a great touch.The main sung title is rather dated, I'm afraid, but in a guilty pleasure sort of way - the production and singing style would let any musicologist date it to within a couple of years either way (If you know Rawhide, for example...) but I'm rather partial to that. My young daughter isn't, unfortunately. I digress. Well worth seeing I'm posting this to confirm that there MUST be adequate source material to warrant a remastering. If Warner ever extract their proverbial and get to it, I'll be first in the queue.