In the late 1930s, Gary Cooper dominated the Hollywood scene with his roles in the films High Noon and The Big Sleep. But in the 1950s, his popularity began to fade. His health began to fail, and by the end of the decade, he died. He died of a heart attack at the age of 40.
High Noon
High Noon is one of the most beloved films of all time. It is an American western, starring Gary Cooper as the marshal Will Kane. The movie also explores duty, morality and bravery.
High Noon was released in the year 1952. At that time, Hollywood was under heavy scrutiny, as the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was fanning Red Scare hysteria. Many people in the film industry lost their jobs as a result of the committee.
The screenplay for High Noon was written by Carl Foreman. When Foreman refused to cooperate with HUAC, he was blacklisted.
When Cooper took on the role of the marshal, he was not the hero that audiences wanted. In the film, he is actually a supporting character.
In the aftermath of HUAC, Cooper and Foreman formed their own production company. They decided to make the movie on a shoestring budget. Their goal was to portray an allegory of the blacklist in Hollywood.
The screenplay for High Noon is based on real life. Cooper’s off-screen behavior was unexpected in the Hollywood environment. He was known as “Coop” and was a conservative, anti-Communist Red Baiter.
Although the film is a classic, John Wayne disparaged it for years after its release. Interestingly, the film had a climactic shootout. This inspired many later films, such as Outland and Rio Bravo.
The movie received four Academy Awards. Cooper was nominated for Best Actor. His performance as a reluctant hero earned him the award.
Another notable feature of the film is the stunning black and white photography. As a result, the film has become a classic in the adult western genre.
High Noon features a rich plot and vibrant performances. It also has a evocative theme song.
Stardom faded in the late 1930s
Gary Cooper was a versatile American actor who played leading roles in films that encompassed the major genres of the 1930s and 1940s. His career spanned 36 years, and his natural acting style captivated both men and women.
Gary Cooper was born in Helena, Montana, in 1901. His father was a lawyer. When the Depression hit, Cooper became a stunt rider. This job paid him well enough to buy a Bentley. He also bought a vacation home in Sun Valley, Idaho.
When he was about 35, Cooper starred in the movie Longfellow Deeds. The film was a major hit, and he was considered a star. A few years later, he turned down the role of Saboteur.
In his early films, Cooper played aristocrats and Westerners. However, he began to get more romantic roles in the late 1920s and early 1930s. During this period, he was also known as a pretty boy cowboy.
Cooper’s acting was never accused of being false. His roles often had a naive streak, and he was morally upright onscreen.
Despite his obvious charms, Cooper was a controversial figure in Hollywood. He was a conscientious objector, and he supported Republican presidential candidates. But his stardom waned in the late 1930s.
It was not until he was well into his thirties that Cooper starred in his most famous movie. “Sergeant York” was a wartime hero that won him a prestigious Academy Award.
In addition to the Oscar, “Sergeant York” was the biggest money-making film of 1941. For his performance, Gary Cooper won a second Academy Award.
Throughout his career, Cooper was a proud Republican, a staunch supporter of the Red Scare, and a champion of conservative ideals. After the war, he helped lead the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, and he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Health problems in the 1950s
Gary Cooper was an American actor. His film career lasted 36 years, beginning in 1925 and ending in 1961. During his career, he starred in 84 feature films. Among his performances were roles in most major movie genres. In total, he starred in nine Oscar Best Picture nominees.
He was one of the most popular actors of the 1930s and 1940s. However, he also was involved in several right-wing organizations. As a result, many of his movies were banned in most Iron Curtain countries.
During the 1950s, he had a variety of health problems. He underwent prostate cancer operations. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life. Despite his health issues, he was still able to perform stunts.
When he was in the late 1950s, he weighed 190 pounds. At the testimonial dinner, he didn’t look well. The same year, his film, It’s a Big Country: An American Anthology, was withdrawn from theaters due to embarrassment.
Throughout his career, he was known to have many lovers. Some of them included Evelyn Brent, Clara Bow, and Carole Lombard.
Cooper’s first wife, Veronica “Rocky” Balfe, was a New York socialite. She was 12 years younger than him. They married in 1933.
Cooper was a close friend of Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway wrote a message to Cooper.
Cooper and his wife separated in May 1951. Their daughter Maria became involved with Anthony Perkins.
While he was making movies in the 1950s, Cooper was a patient at a hospital. One of his lovers was an actress from Sweden, Anita Ekberg.
Ayn Rand was also a fan. After she came to the U.S. from Russia, she worked as an extra in Hollywood.
His relationship with Dennis Hopper
As you probably know, Dennis Hopper had an extensive acting career. He played Frank Booth in the film Blue Velvet, a villain who used drugs. And he starred in Easy Rider. But he was always trying to make it as a director.
While Dennis Hopper was a very talented actor, he was also very problematic on the set of his films. His volatile behavior on set often led to crew members recording his outbursts. Thankfully, these videos are rarely seen.
Hopper was a famous counterculture icon. He was known for his colorful life and for his outbursts. Throughout his career, he was married five times. In the mid-1950s, he fell in love with Joanne Woodward. However, she wasn’t willing to have him in her home.
During the filming of Easy Rider, Dennis Hopper was frequently on illegal substances. He once reportedly went through over 100 joints during a scene. Eventually, he lost his starring role to Peter Fonda.
Dennis Lee Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas. His father was a post office worker. Despite his parents’ disapproval, he studied acting at the Lee Strasberg school in New York.
Although Dennis Lee Hopper was a wild card, he provided memorable performances for many studios. Among his notable roles are the role of Captain White in Cadet White. Also, Dennis improvised in the film Apocalypse Now.
Dennis Hopper was married five times. He once dated Michelle Phillips. However, the pair split eight days after their wedding.
Dennis Lee Hopper was a notoriously promiscuous man. In fact, he was rumored to have had an affair with Marlene Dietrich. The author Ernest Hemingway was a close friend of Cooper.
Death
Gary Cooper was a legendary American actor. His acting skills earned him two Academy Awards, and he was a leading man for almost thirty years. But, like so many greats, he was also known for his dark side.
As the years went on, Cooper started to suffer from ulcers and cancer. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1960 and had several operations. By the time he died in 1961 at age 60, he had lost thirty pounds.
Before he became a famous movie star, Cooper began his career as a stuntman. He was a member of the Communist Party in 1938, but left it after the war.
The first high-profile love of Cooper’s life was Clara Bow. But not the last. In fact, Cooper and Balfe were a match made in heaven. They shared the same interests, including horseback riding and outdoor activities. And they were the ticket to Cooper’s entrée into New York’s high society.
It was Cooper’s love for the Catholic faith that sparked his interest in religion. At one point, he even visited the Vatican.
After he divorced his first wife, he began an affair with Patricia Neal. Eventually, he ended his relationship with Neal. However, after their public relationship ended, Cooper returned to Balfe.
When they were both involved in scandalous relationships, rumors swirled about their marriage. Some said they had dalliances with actresses such as Grace Kelly and Lorraine Chanel. Others accused them of having an affair with each other.
When Cooper was young, his parents raised him Episcopalian. Later, Cooper admitted that he didn’t need much religion. Nonetheless, his interest in the Catholic faith was sparked by a meeting with the Pope.
