Mature roles, 1944–52 Gary Cooper

cooper , loretta young in along came jones, 1945

in 1944, cooper appeared in cecil b. demille s wartime adventure film story of dr. wassell laraine day—his third movie director. in film, cooper plays american doctor , missionary corydon m. wassell, leads group of wounded sailors through jungles of java safety. despite receiving poor reviews, dr. wassell 1 of top-grossing films of year. goldwyn , paramount contracts concluded, cooper decided remain independent , formed own production company, international pictures, leo spitz, william goetz, , nunnally johnson. fledgling studio s first offering sam wood s romantic comedy casanova brown teresa wright, man learns soon-to-be ex-wife pregnant child, marry woman. film received poor reviews, new york daily news calling delightful nonsense , , bosley crowther, in new york times, criticizing cooper s obvious , ridiculous clowning . film barely profitable. in 1945, cooper starred in , produced stuart heisler s western comedy along came jones loretta young international. in lighthearted parody of past heroic image, cooper plays comically inept cowboy melody jones mistaken ruthless killer. audiences embraced cooper s character, , film 1 of top box-office pictures of year—a testament cooper s still vital audience appeal. international s biggest financial success during brief history before being sold off universal studios in 1946.

ingrid bergman , cooper in saratoga trunk, 1945

cooper s career during post-war years drifted in new directions american society changing. while still played conventional heroic roles, films relied less on heroic screen persona , more on novel stories , exotic settings. in november 1945, cooper appeared in sam wood s nineteenth century period drama saratoga trunk ingrid bergman, texas cowboy , relationship beautiful fortune-hunter. filmed in 1943, movie s release delayed 2 years due increased demand war movies. despite poor reviews, saratoga trunk did @ box office , became 1 of top money-makers of year warner bros. cooper s film in 1946 fritz lang s romantic thriller cloak , dagger, mild-mannered physics professor recruited oss during last years of world war ii investigate german atomic bomb program. playing part loosely based on physicist j. robert oppenheimer, cooper uneasy role , unable convey inner sense of character. film received poor reviews , box-office failure. in 1947, cooper appeared in cecil b. demille s epic adventure film unconquered paulette goddard, virginia militiaman defends settlers against unscrupulous gun trader , hostile indians on western frontier during eighteenth century. film received mixed reviews, long-time demille critic james agee acknowledged picture had authentic flavor of period . last of 4 films made demille cooper s lucrative, earning actor on $300,000 in salary , percentage of profits. unconquered last unqualified box-office success next 5 years.

cooper in fountainhead, 1949

in 1948, after making leo mccarey s romantic comedy sam, cooper sold company universal studios , signed long-term contract warner bros. gave him script , director approval , guaranteed $295,000 per picture. first film under new contract king vidor s drama fountainhead (1949) patricia neal , raymond massey. in film, cooper plays idealistic , uncompromising architect struggles maintain integrity , individualism in face of societal pressures conform popular standards. based on novel ayn rand wrote screenplay, film reflects objectivist philosophy , attacks concepts of altruism , collectivism while promoting virtues of selfishness , individualism. critics, cooper hopelessly miscast in role of howard roark. in review new york times, bosley crowther concluded mr. deeds out of element . cooper returned element in delmer daves war drama task force (1949), retiring rear admiral reminisces long career naval aviator , role in development of aircraft carriers. cooper s performance , technicolor newsreel footage supplied united states navy made film 1 of cooper s popular during period. in next 2 years, cooper made 4 poorly received films: michael curtiz period drama bright leaf (1950), stuart heisler s western melodrama dallas (1950), henry hathaway s wartime comedy re in navy (1951), , raoul walsh s western action film distant drums (1951).

cooper , grace kelly in high noon, 1952

cooper s important film during post-war years fred zinnemann s western drama high noon (1952) grace kelly united artists. in film, cooper plays retiring sheriff kane preparing leave town on honeymoon when learns outlaw helped put away , 3 henchmen returning seek revenge. unable gain support of frightened townspeople, , abandoned young bride, kane nevertheless stays face outlaws alone. during filming, cooper in poor health , in considerable pain stomach ulcers. ravaged face , discomfort in scenes photographed self-doubt , according biographer hector arce, , contributed effectiveness of performance. considered 1 of first adult westerns theme of moral courage, high noon received enthusiastic reviews artistry, time magazine placing in ranks of stagecoach , gunfighter. bosley crowther, in new york times, wrote cooper @ top of form , , john mccarten, in new yorker, wrote cooper never more effective. film earned $3.75 million in united states , $18 million worldwide. following example of friend james stewart, cooper accepted lower salary in exchange percent of profits, , ended making $600,000. cooper s understated performance praised, , earned him second academy award best actor.

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