Gary Cooper is among Classic Hollywood's most recognizable and acclaimed actors, widely known for his naturalistic and authentic acting style. Named the eleventh greatest screen legend by the American Film Institute, Cooper built a successful career spanning over thirty years. He rose to prominence near the end of the Silent Era and continued at the peak of success until the last years of Classic Hollywood.
A two-time Oscar winner and five-time nominee, Cooper also received an Honorary Oscar in 1961. He often ranks among his generation's most prolific performers, shining in multiple genres, from Westerns to comedy. Indeed, Cooper starred in numerous films that have become staples of American cinema, cementing his legacy as one of his generation's finest performers.
10 'Friendly Persuasion' (1956)
Director: William Wyler
Cooper stars opposite Dorothy McGuire and Anthony Perkins in William Wyler's 1956 war drama Friendly Persuasion. Set during the American Civil War, the plot centers on a peace-loving Quaker family whose pacifist beliefs are tested by the arrival of Confederate forces to their quiet Indiana community.
Friendly Persuasion is a warm piece of Americana and very much a product of its time. Cooper shines in a role that no one could have played but him, breathing life into the pacifist Jess Birdwell with remarkable empathy. He is calm and collected yet not necessarily passive. Friendly Persuasion isn't a great portrayal of Quaker life, and while it falls short of outright criticizing war, it does admirably as a condemnation of violence.
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9 'Meet John Doe' (1941)
Director: Frank Capra
Iconic classic director Frank Capra brought Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck together for the 1941 comedy-drama Meet John Doe. The plot centers on Ann, a young columnist who poses as a man to write an angry letter decrying humanity's state. When the letter captures the public's attention, Ann and her editor hire a homeless man to pretend to be "John Doe," the letter's author.
John Doe is a quintessential Gary Cooper role and yet another everyman in Capra's impressive collection. The actor brings remarkable empathy and earthliness to his performance, valiantly treading along the film's fine line between honesty and corruption. Meet John Doe is classic Capra, a film with a message that rings surprisingly true eighty years after its premiere.
8 'Morocco' (1930)
Director: Josef von Sternberg
Marlene Dietrich stars in Josef von Sternberg's pre-Code romantic drama Morocco opposite Cooper. The film follows the troubled romance between womanizing Legionnaire Tom Brown and cabaret singer Amy Jolly during the Rif War. Morocco is perhaps best remembered for the now-iconic scene where Dietrich performs dressed in a man's tailcoat before kissing another woman.
Morocco belongs entirely to the iconic Marlene Dietrich, who received her only Oscar nomination for the role of the disillusioned Amy Jolly. However, Cooper is no less impressive in a role that he seldom played in later years; Tom Brown is cynical, acidic, and near-despondent, a tortured soul escaping a painful past and saved only by love—even if he resists the very notion. Morocco is a layered examination of romance, identity, and sacrifice, and one of classic Hollywood's all-time great romances.
7 'Design for Living' (1933)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Miriam Hopkins, Fredric March, and Cooper star in Ernst Lubitsch's refreshingly daring pre-Code comedy Design for Living. The film follows the unconventional relationship between Gilda, a commercial artist, and the two men vying for her romantic attention: Thomas, a playwright, and George, an artist.
Design for Living is among the best pre-Code comedies. The film is remarkably progressive in its depiction of relationships, arguably depicting one of the first positive portrayals of polyamory. Cooper is the perfect leading man for this unconventional and daring film, his dynamic with Hopkins elevating an already hilariously disruptive screenplay. Cooper embodies the perfect mix of awkward confidence and unexpected charm, crafting a stellar portrayal of an unlikely romantic hero that audiences seldom see.
6 'Ball of Fire' (1941)
Director: Howard Hawks
Cooper and the iconic Barbara Stanwyck re-teamed for Howard Hawks' 1941 screwball comedy Ball of Fire. The plot concerns Bertram Potts, an encyclopedia writer researching popular island for his next project. Impressed by burlesque performer Sugarpuss O'Shea's spirited vocabulary, he invites her to stay with him, unaware she is the wife of a dangerous mobster.
Ball of Fire is a wonderful showcase for the mighty Stanwyck, with the actress delivering an impassionate performance that ranks among her finest. Cooper is equally impressive as the perfectly normal Bertram, with perfectly normal instincts. The stoic and by-the-book Bertram is a typical Cooper role, but the actor breathes refreshing and clumsily hilarious life into his performance, especially whenever bantering with Stanwyck's lively Sugarpuss.
5 'The Virginian' (1929)
Director: Victor Fleming
Victor Fleming's 1929 pre-Code Western The Virginian was Cooper's ticket to stardom. The plot centers on the titular character, a good-natured cowboy whose friendship with a childhood acquaintance becomes derailed after the latter joins a violent gang.
The Virginian was Cooper's breakthrough role. The film cemented his reputation as a stoic man of few words and reinforced the stereotype of the American cowboy as a callous, pensive, and near-mute figure of great power and few limits. The Virginian would begin a lifelong affair between Cooper and the ever-changing Western genre, a relationship that produced several iconic pictures and ensured his legacy as an icon of the silver screen.
4 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town' (1936)
Director: Frank Capra
Cooper and Frank Capra's first collaboration was the 1936 comedy-drama Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. The actor plays Longfellow Deeds, an ordinary man whose quiet life changes after inheriting a vast fortune. Swept to New York by an avaricious lawyer, Deeds forms a bond with a young reporter secretly writing condescending articles about his well-meaning nature.
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is among Frank Capra's best movies, and Longfellow Deeds is one of Cooper's greatest triumphs. The role earned him the first of five Oscar nominations, and it's easy to see why; he's sympathetic and easy to root for as the humble millionaire with a heart of gold. Yet, Cooper never plays Deeds as an underdog; there's a heroic idealism to his persona, a naive enthusiasm for a world he believes is possible, even if no one else can see.
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3 'Sergeant York' (1941)
Director: Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks' 1941 biopic Sergeant York sees Cooper playing Alvin C. York, one of World War I's most decorated soldiers. The film chronicles his career throughout the conflict and his struggle to reconcile his pacifist beliefs with his violent role on the battlefield.
Cooper made a name for himself playing men of action, and Sergeant York is among his finest creations. The actor is the face of patriotism and morality in the role, with the film not even bothering to hide its propagandistic nature. However, Cooper's performance is a lot subtler than the film. His Sergeant York is bewildered, conflicted, and almost ashamed of his role in the carnage, and Cooper's remarkably expressive face is the perfect canvas for a rainbow of emotions. Sergeant York is manipulative but moving, largely thanks to Cooper's triumphant work.
Sergeant York
NR
A Tennessee farmer and marksman is drafted in World War I, and struggles with his pacifist inclinations before becoming one of the most celebrated war heroes.
- Release Date
- July 2, 1941
- Cast
- Gary Cooper , Walter Brennan , Joan Leslie
- Runtime
- 134
2 'High Noon' (1952)
Director: Fred Zinnermann
When discussing Gary Cooper, one film inevitably comes to mind: Fred Zinnemann's 1952 Western, High Noon. Cooper stars as Will Kane, the marshall of a small town who must decide between leaving to start a new life with his wife or facing the recently released criminal seeking revenge against the man who imprisoned him.
High Noon marks a before-and-after in the Western genre. Cooper won a second Oscar for his stunning portrayal of Will Kane, one of cinema's greatest heroes. The actor expertly navigates Kane's inner struggle and the clash of ideas - action versus inaction, past versus present, peace versus conflict - that lead to the film's famous climax. Featuring a memorable supporting turn by the timeless Grace Kelly in one of her first major roles, High Noon is a riveting subversion of the Western and a remarkably daring, thought-provoking exploration of the individual and his connection to the collective.
High Noon
PG
- Release Date
- June 9, 1952
- Cast
- Gary Cooper , Thomas Mitchell , Lloyd Bridges , Katy Jurado , Grace Kelly , Otto Kruger
- Runtime
- 85
1 'The Pride of the Yankees' (1942)
Director: Sam Wood
Gary Cooper stars opposite Teresa Wright and Walter Brennan in Sam Wood's 1942 sports drama The Pride of the Yankees. The actor plays revered New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, with the film following his career and the illness that would eventually result in his death at 37.
The Pride of the Yankees is the epitome of a Hollywood picture. Heart-wrenching but rewarding, the film soars on its leading man's back, with Cooper delivering a career-defining performance as one of the biggest icons in US history. The actor effortlessly balances honesty and drama, giving an earnest portrayal that reads more as a homage than a straightforward depiction. The Pride of the Yankees earned him a third Oscar nomination and secured his place as a cultural icon and a titan of the silver screen.
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