THE WESTERNER (1940)

The Westerner (1940) Director: William Wyler. Writter Niven Busch, Stuart N. Lake, and Jo Swerling. Cast: Gary Cooper, Lilian Bond and Walter Brennan in one of his best performances, as Judge Roy Bean. Which helped him win his record-setting third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. James Basevi and Stuart N. Lake also received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction, black-and-white, and the Academy Award for Best Story.

Drifter Cole Harden, is arrested for stealing a horse and faces hanging. Harden talks his way out of it by claiming to be a friend of stage star Lillie Langtry, with whom the judge is a big fan of. Harden even claims to have a lock of her hair. Things start to go wrong, when Harden comes to the defense of a group of homesteaders, who Judge Bean is trying to drive away. Harden becomes sheriff and issues a warrant for Bean. When Lillie Langtry is to perform in a nearby town, Bean buys up every ticket and waits for her. Will Bean finally meet the woman he is obsessed with, or meet his match?

Everything about this film is perfect, the performances, the photography, the humour. The fight scene between Cooper and Tucker is as very realistic and the scene where Cooper cuts off a lock of Davenports hair is very.. how should I say it.. for lack of a better word, "cute".

Lilian Bond (18 January 1908 – 25 January 19910. She began her film career in the film, No More Children(1929). Between 1929 and 1931 she starred in nine films,best known for her performance in the film, Rider of the Plains(1931) opposite Tom Tyler.

From 1932 to 1953 she would have roles in 39 films, some of which were uncredited, with others having her in the lead role. Bond played Gladys DuCane in, The Old Dark House, a chorus girl who falls in love with Roger Penderel. Possibly her best-known film role was in the film, The Westerner(1940), in which she played legendary stage actress Lillie Langtry. By the 1950s her career had slowed, with her having mostly television series appearances. She retired from acting at the age of 50 in 1958.