Review of The Westerner

There were some parts of The Westerner that brought me to laugh. Walter Brennan, who won his third Oscar, as Judge Roy Bean, made me laugh with his obsession with Lillian Langtry. That obsession would prove to be his undoing.

Some of the dialogue is hackneyed. After punching Bean, Cole (Gary Cooper) tells others in the next room that he is out now.

Bean is a corrupt judge who has it in for the homesteaders. In fact, he is lynching and shooting them whenever possible.

Enters Cole who is accused of horse stealing. He gets off when he gives details about the infamous Langtry to Bean and by sheer coincidence, the real horse thief rides into town.

Love blossoms between Cole and Doris Davenport. She is angry when Cole seems to support the Judge. The latter goes against his words and burns the homes down of the homesteaders. Davenport's father dies when horses trample him during the blaze.

If you look closely, you will see a very young Dana Andrews as one of the homesteaders. He says one line and is quickly out the door.

The scene of the fire is memorable and Brennan's comedic-tragedy performance makes this a film not to forget.