High Noon

Did you know that singer/songwriter David Crosby's dad Floyd was the cinematographer on Fred Zinnemann's landmark 1952 western? Or that the title ballad (winner of an Oscar for original song) was sung by Tex Ritter, John (Three's Company) Ritter's pop? In an Academy Award-winning performance, Gary Cooper stars as Will Kane, a retiring marshal forced to stand alone against four returning out-for-revenge outlaws after he's abandoned by the cowardly townspeople. Grace Kelly co-stars as Kane's new wife Amy, a Quaker woman who initially opposes her husband's decision to confront his enemies, but ends up an active participant. A deceptively simple tale, masterfully presented (with Crosby's beautifully composed shots so unlike what audiences were accustomed to seeing in traditional westerns), High Noon is just as famous for its subtext as a partial allegory about the loss of spine amongst those in the entertainment industry during the McCarthy Communist witch hunts. Boasting a crisp, nicely contrasted image, and restored audio, the DVD also features a handful of solid extras, including a commentary track with Maria Cooper-Janis (Cooper's daughter), Tim Zinnemann (the director's son), Jonathan Foreman (blacklisted writer Carl Foreman's son), and John Ritter; as well as a 22-minute making-of hosted by Leonard Maltin (who mistakenly says that Cooper picked up his only Oscar for this film; he had already won an Oscar for 1941's Sergeant York). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice.(R. Pitman)[DVD Review—June 10, 2008—Lionsgate, 2 discs, 85 min., not rated, $26.98—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1953's High Noon (2-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition) sports a nice b&w transfer and DVD extras also found on the last “collector's edition,” including audio commentary by Maria Cooper-Janis, Jonathan Foreman, Tim Zinnemann, and John Ritter (all relatives of cast and crew), a 22-minute “making-of” featurette, a 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, a radio broadcast with Tex Ritter (5 min.), and trailers. New to this version are a 50-minute “Inside High Noon” production documentary, a six-minute “Tex Ritter: A Visit to Carthage, Texas” segment on the Tex Ritter Museum, and a three-minute segment of Ritter performing the Oscar-winning song “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin” on the Jimmy Dean TV show. Bottom line: if you already have the earlier “collector's edition,” you probably won't need this one; if not, then this is highly recommended.][Blu-ray Review—July 3, 2012—Olive, 85 min., not rated, $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1952's High Noon sports a nice transfer and features a DTS-HD mono soundtrack. Extras include a “making-of” featurette hosted by Leonard Maltin, and trailers. Bottom line: a classic Western makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.][Blu-ray/DVD Review—Oct. 4, 2016—Olive, 85 min., not rated, DVD: $34.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1952's High Noon features an excellent transfer and DTS-HD 2.0 audio on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include several featurettes—“A Stanley Kramer Production” (14 min.), “Oscars and Ulcers” visual essay narrated by Anton Yelchin (12 min.), “Uncitizened Kane” essay by Sight & Sound editor Nick James (11 min.), “Imitation of Life: The Blacklist History” (10 min.), and “A Ticking Clock” (6 min.)—as well as a booklet. Bottom line: a sparkling edition of this signature Western classic.]