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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Niven Busch (screenplay)
Stuart N. Lake (story)
more
Release Date:
20 September 1940 (USA) more
Tagline:
THE RAW UNTAMED ADVENTUROUS WEST...LIVES AGAIN! (original print media ad - all caps) more
Plot:
Judge Roy Bean, a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinergaroon, Texas, befriends saddle tramp Cole Harden, who opposes Bean's policy against homesteaders. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
Did 'Casablanca' deserve to win best picture at the Oscars?
(From Gold Derby. 2 March 2009, 11:11 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Walter Brennan's Greatest Movie. more (27 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Gary Cooper | ... | Cole Harden | |
| Walter Brennan | ... | Judge Roy Bean | |
| Doris Davenport | ... | Jane Ellen Mathews | |
| Fred Stone | ... | Caliphet Mathews | |
| Forrest Tucker | ... | Wade Harper | |
| Paul Hurst | ... | Chickenfoot | |
| Chill Wills | ... | Southeast | |
| Lilian Bond | ... | Lily Langtry | |
| Dana Andrews | ... | Hod Johnson | |
| Charles Halton | ... | Mort Borrow | |
| Trevor Bardette | ... | Shad Wilkins | |
| Tom Tyler | ... | King Evans | |
| Lucien Littlefield | ... | The Stranger |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
100 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:
UK:U | Portugal:M/12 | West Germany:12 (f) | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5959) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
This film was the third Oscar win for Walter Brennan, who won three out of the five best Supporting Actor Academy Awards. Despite being nominated the subsequent year for "Sergeant York," also with Gary Cooper, he was never nominated again in a very long career. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The town was named for George Langtry, an engineer and foreman who had supervised a Chinese work crew building the railroad, and not for the actress Lillie Langtry. more
Quotes:
Judge Roy W. Bean: Don't spill none of that liquor, son. It eats right into the bar. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000) (TV) more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (27 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Westerner (1940)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| A Fine Film | Wakanohana |
| Rub O' The Brush | scarver-1 |
| Doris Davenport | bjguilfoyle |
| A very odd film, well acted | thirsch-2 |
| fight scene | luigimarchini |
Recommendations
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| The Phantom Rider | The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean | Shane | Too Much Beef | Cattle Raiders |
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IMDb User Rating:
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |

This movie contains what has to be one of the great performances by Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean. Indeed, the title of this movie should have been "The Story of Judge Roy Bean" starring Walter Brennan. For it is obvious that this movie was a vehicle for Walter Brennan, not for Gary Cooper, who actually was cast in a supporting role in this movie. It is obvious that someone in the studio saw potential in Walter Brennan to star in a major motion picture in which Brennan, who was normally cast in supporting roles, carries the movie. What makes the movie even better is that it is based on a person who actually lived, which made the role even more challenging. Walter Brennan carries this movie and transforms what would have otherwise been just another western into a classic.