jbriskey-30546 Worth a view because of the outstanding performance by Cooper. The rest of it's a mess of irrational behaviors, silly confrontations, and unbelievable characters. Not sure who to blame for these shortcomings; probably both the screen writers and the director. Too bad, a waste of Cooper.

st-shot Gary Cooper looking a little brittle in his last western more than summons up enough of his courageous stoicism to take on vicious country bumpkin Karl Malden in this better than average western that builds to an exciting conclusion. In many ways it foreshadows Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller.Dr. John Frail makes his way to a mining town intent on putting his past behind him. Less than amiable and quick with his fists he keeps his distance from all including those he saves. Things get complicated however when a Elizabeth Mahler (Maria Schell) a Swiss immigrant finds herself badly injured and stranded under his care. Once well she is determined to strike it rich mining and takes on the iniquitous Frenchy Plante (Karl Malden) as a partner. When they hit pay dirt new problems arise however and chaos builds to a fever pitch.Tree's erratic pace develops its storyline slowly as the laconic Frail warms up to no one and his murky past remains a mystery. Malden's Frenchy, is an energized villain however who displays his ignorance like a badge of honor and along with co-villains George C. Scott and John Dierkes provide enough mischief to break Frail out of his indifferent torpor.Malden's performance borders on over the top but he still walks away with the acting honors. Cooper 's cynical man of principle remains the film's moral center and few do it better. Maria Schell also registers well holding her own in scenes with both men. Director Delmer Davies and cinematographer Dan McCord do an excellent job of establishing atmosphere and creating a mood utilizing the townspeople and its mindset as a key component allowing the film to be both a rousing entertainment as well as a parable.

Michael_Elliott Hanging Tree, The (1959) *** (out of 4) Underrated Western about a doctor (Gary Cooper) with a mysterious past who saves a criminal (Karl Swenson) from being hanged. Later the doctor begins to care for a woman (Maria Schell) whose father was killed in a stagecoach robbery, which also left her badly burned and blind. As the doctor and the woman become closer there are a few in town who begin to think they're up to no good. There's a lot more going on in this Western and it's certainly unlike many that were being made around this period because if you're expecting some sort of shoot 'em up then you're going to be disappointed. I'd have no problem recommending this film to people but at the same time there's no question that it's not going to be for everyone. Those who do appreciate its laid back nature and the more plot-driven device should end up having a good time with it. You also have a terrific cast delivers some very good performances with Cooper leading the way. Around this time James Stewart was showing off his dark side with various Alfred Hitchcock films and it seems Cooper wanted to show off he could do the same thing. The funny thing is that the screenplay allows him to show a dark and good side, which might seem like a cop out but it really isn't. There's an early scene where a poor family brings their sick daughter and the only reason she's sick is because of a lack of food. The tenderness Cooper shows during this scene is why everyone loves him. Then, later in the film, the darkness he shows when his past comes back to him is perfectly handled by the actor. Schell and Swenson are both very good in their roles and play well against Cooper. The supporting cast features Karl Malden playing a pervert who begins to have certain sexual feelings towards the girl. George C. Scott appears in a few scenes playing a drunken Christian who believes Cooper is the devil due to his medicine. The film works on a lot of levels and there's no question a large portion of the film is dedicated to the love story but this works as well. I really enjoyed how the screenplay mixed everything together because we get the love story, the gold rush action and then the character development, which leads up to an action-packed ending and a rather nice finish to things. The film contains some very good cinematography and the color picks up every terrific location shot. THE HANGING TREE has gotten a good sized cult following over the past several years and it's easy to see why as it features the great performances as well as a story that isn't typical told in the genre from this period.

SpitfireIXB I have seen many, many western movies and all of Gary Cooper's films, but this one is a forgotten little gem. I will not spoil your viewing enjoyment by giving details of the movie's story, but I will comment on the movie's cinematography and the actors' performances.The Hanging Tree (1959) is Gary Cooper's best western and a much better movie than High Noon, period. It also the vehicle for one of Gary Cooper's finest performances ever. Sadly it is also one of last movies he ever made. Filmed in glorious Technicolor, the scenery near Yakima, Washington, is spectacular and the camera work excellent. Under the deft hand of renowned director Delmer Daves (assisted by Karl Malden who stepped in for Daves' during his illness near the end of filming), the actors provide an intense character study of greed, exploitation, moral corruption, redemption, and love - set in the old west of the late 19th century. Other cast members giving outstanding performances are the beautiful Maria Schell, a drunken fortune hunter, Karl Malden, along with relative newcomers, George C Scott (in one of his more sinister roles) and a very young Ben Piazza. In fact, the entire cast gave excellent performances.The movie's title song, written by Jerry Livingston (music) and Mack David (lyrics) and sung by Marty Robbins, was nominated for an Academy Award (losing to High Hopes from A Hole In The Head). It is that type of catchy tune that once you hear it you will be whistling, singing and humming it forevermore. The song, The Hanging Tree, was far more popular and received greater airplay than the Oscar winner, High Hopes, and also outsold the winner by over ten thousand to one.For some unknown reason Warner Bros. has not released this terrific movie on DVD. I have an old, original Warner Home Video VHS copy from which I made a digitized DVD copy for my own use. This movie is one of those classics that is just begging to be restored and released on disc. I'd love to see a good restored DVD copy of The Hanging Tree before I die.It does appear from time to time on Turner Classics Movies (TCM) television network. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend this movie to you because once you have seen it, you will never forget it.Rating: 10/10