Man of the West (United Artists) (1958)

PUBLICITY Still MW-16 Mat 2F Jack Lord and Royal Dano, as two outlaws, hold Gary Cooper at bay in “Man of the West,’ which opens ............ at the eee as Theatre through United Artists release. Picture is in color and CinemaScope. No. 1 Man of the West Stars in ‘Man of the West’ (Gary Cooper Feature) In the realm of the cinematic western, with its welcome but familiar short cuts to the pass, readily recognizable villains with their stubble-fringed faces and gallant heroes who kiss only their hosses and call all women ‘Ma’em,” durability is a relative thing. But, among movie men of the sage and the genial public alike, one lanky, slim, high-pocketed westerner rules unchallenged as Number One Man of the West. Some years ago Life Magazine, saluting his 25th anniversary in pictures, wrote: “Just give him a pair of tight fitting pants for his leg muscles to strain against, an old shirt and vest to keep his chest expansion within bounds, a black string to hide his Adam’s apple and a dusty pair of boots to die in. He’ll go riding away tree-tall and grim, looking the way a man should, a friend to the righteous, a hero to children, a flytrap to women. Doesn’t have to say a word. Doesn’t even have to smile. One look at Gary Cooper and the weak take heart, the villains take cover and the women faint.” Since he made “Vera Cruz” in 1954, Cooper has confined himself to documentary dramas such as “The Court Martial of Billy Mitchel,” sophisticated cinema as “Love In The Afternoon,” wherein the lovable rogue is in pursuit of Audrey Hepburn. But now he returns to the saddle, six-guns blazing, lips set in grim determination as he battles Lee J. Cobb’s gang of outlaw cousins and the conquest of evil. The vehicle is a United Artists release, “Man of the West,” Which) -OPCNS= cca. sic at the ae atts: Theatre. It is in color and CinemaScope. Whatever the cause or causes for his popularity may be, they have clicked for Cooper since he starred in two-reel oaters with Eileen Sedgewick in 1925, through his first critical acclaim with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky in Samuel Goldwyn’s “The Winning of Barbara Worth” in 1926, through such memorable movies as “Pride of the Yankees,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls” on down to “Friendly Persuasion” and now “Man of the West.” Western Mann Director Anthony Mann, whose latest screen creation is the Gary Cooper-Julie London vehicle for United Artists, “Man of the West,” which was filmed in color and CinemaScope, and opens... eee at thess.n". 7 o.. bneatre, has directed so many great outdoors epics including most of Jimmy Stewart’s fine films, that his friends have dubbed him Mann of the West. pace 10 O'Connell Never True To Type (Arthur O’Connell Feature) Arthur O’Connell, the gent who got married almost 500 times while remaining a bachelor, is at it again. This time he’s a cheatin’, lyin’, fast shufflin’ card sharp and con man. But O’Connell’s never played cards in his life, thinks gin is to be guzzled and a full house something to be vacuumed. In a movie titled “Man of the West,” which opens ........ at these Theatre through United Artists release, he’s a sharpie with the cards, tries to ease Gary Cooper out of $600. That he doesn’t succeed must be blamed on the script writer, because O’Connell’s very convincing. This is the same O’Connell who won Broadway and Hollywood critical awards, including an Academy Award nomination,, as the timid storekeeper who hecomes a reluctant bridegroom in both stage and screen versons of “Prenics: On the stage he was married eight times a week for more than two years. In real life he’s a bachelor—and far from timid. O’Connell figures he must have established some sort of record for escape from type-casting. In “Golden Boy” he was a punchdrunk prizefighter. He’s never fought a round in his life, but when the play was cast lived in a flat five stories up and no elevator. The daily climb developed his leg muscles and the muscles helped win him the role. Not long ago in “April Love” he portrayed a Kentucky farmerhorse breeder, strictly a rural type, though actually he’s a big city boy from New York. e Long Kiss While western heroes generally don’t kiss the girls—just their hosses—in “Man of the West,” opening ...... PEN Cees, ogee Theatre through United Artists release, Gary Cooper and Julie London engage in one of the longest, most passionate kisses in recent screen history. Directo1 Anthony Mann clocked it at well over a minute. Mishap Turns Cobb From Music To Dramatics (Lee J. Cobb Feature) In show business about the greatest compliment an actor can hope for is to have his peers in the profession call him “an actor’s actor.” The term signifies mastery of his craft to the nth degree. Even in so rarified an atmosphere of distinguished achievement a six-foot New Yorker who started out to be a concert violinist now stands unexcelled. His name: Lee J. Cobb. On the eve of a major concert recital in New York’s Carnegie Hall, embryonic prodigy Cobb fell and broke his wrist. His fiddlin? days were over almost before they'd begun. And the proverbial silver lining did not immediately become evident: it was several years before he won local renown at the famed Pasadena Playhouse and a somewhat hazy awareness of his actual potential began to shine through. Cobb is the type of actor directors treat with deep respect. During filming of “Man of The West -Opening ono nicer es at PNG. earn Theatre, through United Artists release, in which he plays the frustrated uncle whose plans to mould his nephews into the killingest, robbingest band of hoodlums in the West somehow go awry, he occasionally offered suggestions to Director Anthony Mann, always somewhat shyly and_ prefaced with an “If you don’t mind a suggestion... ” Cobb is a native New Yorker, son of a newspaper compositor. It was at college that Cobb first demonstrated a liking for the stage, participating in class plays. Broadway producers gave him the go-by, however, and he worked his way west to Pasadena. Here he remained four years and on -his return to Broadway in 1932 he was cast in a lineless bit as a decrepit old man in “Crime and Punishment.” He was then 21 years old. This proved the opening wedge, and without too long a struggle Cobb won favor with the Group Theater. He starred with Tallulah Bankhead in “Clash By Night” and headlined such plays as “Jason,” “The Gentle People” and “Golden Boy.” The latter brought him to Hollywood for the screen version and this was followed on celluloid by “Men of Boys Town” and “Anna and the King of Siam,” among others. Still MW-Art 6 Mat IC Gary Cooper, drawn as the character his name has become synonymous with-——“The Man of the West.”’ Picture of the same title in color and CinemaScope, will open ...... at thesis ee Theatre through United Artists release. Still MW-49 Mat 2D Lee J. Cobb leers at Julie London while Gary Cooper clearly intends to restrain him in this scene from “Man of the West,” a United Artisis release in color and CinemaScope. Picture OPENS . uit. at the ... 5 ag beeen Theatre. ‘Westerns Not Adult— They're Lither Good or Bad!’ (Production Feature) You hear a lot about adult westerns these days. Like atomic fallout, it seems a product of the age. But Hollywood’s first man of the west, Gary Cooper, who ought to know, says there is no such thing as an adult western. Just good or bad _ westerns, pardner. “That term ‘adult western’ is just a selling gimmick,” laughs Cooper. “D’jever hear of a juvenile western? Kids like to consider themselves adult. Label something as ‘adult’ and they'll flock to it.” Cooper, whose own career might well have inspired the title of his newest film and first sagebrush saga in four years, United Artists’ “Man of the West’? «which opens... ..... at thew ee esas Theatre. Cooper’s been making westerns since he first hit Hollywood as an extra and bit stunt rider when the industry was still in kneepants .. . er jeans. His approach to western films is businesslike. “There are two main pitfalls, “he points out. “First, I don’t care how gorgeous the scenery, it is secondary to the actors. Secondly, a western’s just like any other drama.If the characters can tolerate analysis in depth and the story is valid the picture has a chance. Otherwise you might as well tell it in comic strip form.” “Some people seem to feel that to be adult a western must be loaded with psychotic cowhands,” said Coop. As for Cooper, he'll sidestep the neuroses, thank you, and leave them to the bad men. In “Man of the West,” for instance, Cooper’s a reformed killer catapulted years later by circumstances back into the clutches of a robber gang led by his uncle, Lee J. Cobb. Cobb, who raised the orphaned Cooper from boyhood to be a gun-totin’ hoodlum, cannot understand why Cooper ever wanted to go straight. “As you can see, Cobb’s obviously sick, sick, sick,” laughed Cooper. “It makes for colorful and off-beat characterization and suspenseful story telling, too. I kill him in the end. Now perhaps it would have been adult, according to current definition, for me to shoot him in cold blood. But I don’t think so. Brutality isn’t adult, it’s juvenile. See what I mean?” Artistic Jack Lord, who plays a sadistic killer out to murder Gary Cooper in United Artists’ “Man of the West,” is actually a gifted woodcarver and painter and six of his original works are numbered among the permanent collection of New York’s famed Metropolitan Museum of Art. Big Script! Gary Cooper’s new picture, “Man of the West,” color film opening atthe; 6.0: Theatre through United Artists release, one of the most literate examples of sagebrush cinema in many years, has a script by noted writer Reginald Rose, which runs 162 pages. The average script runs perhaps 125. But despite its length, “Man of the West’ is unique among Cooper westerns. Not once during the entire picture does the star say either “Yup” or “Nope.” Noted Lenser “Man of the West,” which Ernest Haller photographed in color with Gary Cooper and Julie London starred for Ashton Productions, and opening ...... at the snoge. oak Theatre through United Artists release, brings the Academy Award winning cinematographer’s list of credits to an even 700. Haller lensed 263 two-reelers and the United Artists release is his 437th full length feature. He won an Oscar for “Gone With The Wind” plus nominations for six other pictures. The veteran lensman, who started out as a child actor, became first cameraman on_ the “Hazards of Helen” series starring Helen and Hoot Gibson in 1914. Perfect Diction The potentially star-making role of Trout, psychopathic, fastshooting but entirely mute killer of the plains with whom Gary Cooper duels to the death in “Man of the West” which opens Faas at the ©...%;.... Theatre through United Artists release, is played by Royal Dano. Though he is_ speechless throughout the entire screenplay by Reginald Rose based on Will C. Brown’s novel, Dano is actually the holder of a half dozen national awards for radio and TV acting, including two awards for perfect diction.