Gary Cooper: The Signature Collection

Back in the days of Hollywood's “Golden Age,” when some producer asked for a “strong, silent type,” he generally meant someone like Gary Cooper—if not Coop himself. The phrase was coined to describe this lanky, taciturn actor, associated primarily with Westerns but used at one time or another in films from almost every genre. Achieving stardom in the late silent era (thanks to a juicy supporting role in 1927's aviation epic Wings), the erstwhile Montana cowhand was a top box-office draw for more than 30 years. This six-disc collection presents a quintet of films, all but one of them from his last decade as a screen star. The exception, the two-disc “special edition” of Sergeant York (1941), won Cooper an Oscar for his portrayal of the shy Tennessee backwoodsman who, although a pacifist, was drafted during World War I and became a hero after assuming command of his squad, killing 32 Germans, and capturing 132 others. Directed by Howard Hawks with a minimum of Hollywood hokum, Sergeant York boosted Cooper's stock considerably and remains a compelling film. The Fountainhead (1949) features a much older Cooper tackling a difficult role—that of an idealistic, uncompromising architect—in King Vidor's ambitious, highly stylized adaptation of Ayn Rand's philosophic novel. The more conventional Dallas (1950)—an entertaining but totally predictable effort—casts Cooper as a Civil War veteran who journeys to Texas on a mission of revenge. Another fairly ordinary Western distinguished by the star's presence, Springfield Rifle (1952) revolves around a lawman who poses as an outlaw to find out who's stealing government rifles and munitions. The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959), an all-star spectacular that gave Cooper top billing over Charlton Heston, Michael Redgrave, Emlyn Williams, and Richard Harris, cast him against type as the skipper of a sunken ship trying to clear himself of negligence charges. Even diehard fans of Gary Cooper could argue that only one (and perhaps two) of these five films are among the star's best, but each shows him from a slightly different perspective. DVD extras on Sergeant York include an audio commentary by film historian Jeanine Basinger, a new “making-of” featurette, a biographical profile of Cooper, and a vintage short and cartoon; in addition, The Fountainhead features a new “making-of” featurette. Based on the variety and quality of Cooper's performances, this is a strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse)