Tuesday, February 19, 2019 – High Noon and The Look

Tuesday, February 19, 2019 – High Noon and The Look

Do not forsake me oh my darling; on this our wedding day…

The Ballad of High Noon was sung by the great Tex Ritter. He was from beautiful downtown Carthage, Texas, located behind The Pine Curtain in deep East Texas.

The movie High Noon was on TV last night. The first time I saw this movie was in 1968 at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches. It was Saturday quarter night at the movie on campus. Of course, I didn’t have a date and for some reason Gayla, that night neither did you.

The movie premiered in 1952 starring Gary Cooper and the then unknown, Grace Kelly. Yes, that Grace Kelly who would go on to be a princess.

Gary Cooper would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. High Noon would also win the Academy Award for Best Original Music Score done by Dimitri Tiomkin. Tex Ritter, who sang during great portions of the film, did not win anything, but you can visit the Tex Ritter Museum in Carthage.

It is too bad that there was not and is no Academy Award for The Look. In today’s movies we have become numb to the stream of consciousness cursing that actually say very little.

After the gun battle at high noon ends, the townspeople of Hadleyville come out of hiding to congratulate Marshall Will Kane as he and bride Amy prepare to leave. Kane throws down his badge and gives them one of the best no cussing needed looks you will ever see. Just The Look as the badge falls into the dust. The Look from Will Kane tells the cowards exactly how he feels. No words needed. Great movie! Too bad there is no award for The Best No Cussing Needed Look.