High Noon
Movie, 1952, The '50s and before, Set in Hadleyville
High Noon is #4 of 34 in release order and #4 of 34 in chronological order in the Westerns.
The story
Will Kane, the sheriff of a small town in New Mexico, learns a notorious outlaw he put in jail has been freed, and will be arriving on the noon train. Knowing the outlaw and his gang are coming to kill him, Kane is determined to stand his ground, so he attempts to gather a posse from among the local townspeople.
High Noon recap
High Noon (1952) unfolds in close to real time as Marshal Will Kane waits for an outlaw arriving on the noon train to kill him. Fred Zinnemann directs. In the town of Hadleyville, Kane (Gary Cooper) has just married Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly), a Quaker, and turned in his badge. Word comes that Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), a killer Kane sent to prison, has been pardoned, and Miller's brother Ben and two gang members are waiting at the station. Kane goes back to town to raise a posse. His deputy Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) quits when Kane will not back him for the marshal's job. Former friends hide, a church congregation argues itself out of helping, and Helen Ramírez (Katy Jurado), who once loved Kane and later Miller, sells her business and leaves. Amy says she will be on the noon train without him. Clocks fill the frame as Kane writes his will and walks out alone. The film stands alone, followed only by a 1980 television sequel.
High Noon ending explained
High Noon ends with Kane killing the gang, throwing his badge in the dirt and leaving with Amy. Kane shoots Ben Miller and a second man in the street. Amy, already on the train, hears the shots, comes back and shoots the third gunman in the back. Miller grabs her as a shield; she claws his face and Kane kills him. As the townspeople gather, Kane drops the star at their feet and rides out. The story comes from John W. Cunningham's "The Tin Star", and Rio Bravo was made partly in answer to it.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch High Noon
High Noon is streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube (free), and Fawesome in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 94%
Where it fits
Cast
- Gary Cooper as Marshal Will Kane
- Thomas Mitchell as Mayor Jonas Henderson
- Lloyd Bridges as Deputy Marshal Harvey Pell
- Katy Jurado as Helen Ramírez
- Grace Kelly as Amy Fowler Kane
- Otto Kruger as Judge Percy Mettrick
- Lon Chaney Jr. as Martin Howe
- Harry Morgan as Sam Fuller
- Ian MacDonald as Frank Miller
- Eve McVeagh as Mildred Fuller
- Morgan Farley as Dr. Mahin
- Harry Shannon as Cooper
Directed by Fred Zinnemann.