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Plot
In 1882, the town of Vinegaroon, Texas, is run by Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan), who calls himself "the only law west of the Pecos." Conducting his "trials" from his saloon, Bean makes a nice corrupt living collecting fines and seizing property unlawfully. Those who stand up to him are usually hanged−given what Bean calls "suspended sentences".
Cole Harden (Gary Cooper) is a drifter brought in on a charge of stealing a horse belonging to Bean's main sidekick, Chickenfoot (Paul Hurst). Harden's conviction by a jury composed of Bean's hangers-on seems certain; even the undertaker waits eagerly for the verdict and subsequent hanging. Bean dismisses Harden's contention that he bought the horse legally from another man. Noticing the judge's obsession with the English actress Lily Langtry, Harden claims to have met Miss Langtry, spoken with her, and to have known her intimately. He cons the judge into delaying the death sentence until Harden can send for a lock of the actress' hair, which he supposedly has in El Paso. The delay is long enough for the real horse thief (Tom Tyler) to show up and get killed.
Despite his warped sense of justice and corrupt nature, Bean genuinely likes Harden, considering him something of a kindred spirit. Harden is as bold and daring as Bean was in his youth, and the judge feels something like friendship for him, but this "friendship" does not stop Bean from trying to shoot Harden when the drifter lends his support to the homesteaders−a group led by Jane-Ellen Mathews (Doris Davenport) and her father Caliphet (Fred Stone). The struggling homesteaders have been at odds with Bean and his cattle-rancher allies for a long time. Harden tries to appeal to the judge's better nature. He even saves Bean from an attempted lynching. When that fails, and a corn crop is burned, and Mr. Mathews killed, Harden sees no choice but to take action. He gets himself deputized by the county sheriff and swears out an arrest warrant against Bean.
Arresting Bean in Vinegaroon−now renamed "Langtry" by the judge in honor of the actress−is impossible with all of Bean's men around. When Bean learns that Lily Langtry will be appearing in a nearby town, a long day's ride from Vinegaroon, he has one of his men buy up all the tickets. Bean dons his full Civil War regalia and rides to see the performance with some of his men as an "honor guard". He enters the theater alone to await the performance, leaving his henchmen outside.
Unknown to Bean, Harden has been waiting in the theater to arrest the judge. A standoff and shoot-out occur, and Bean is fatally wounded during the gunfight. Harden carries his dying friend backstage to meet the woman he has adored for so long. As Bean stares at the "Jersey Lily", he dies. Flash forward to two years later, Harden and Jane, now married and having rebuilt the burned farm, watch as new settlers arrive to the territory.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Westerner_(film)

Cast
Gary Cooper as Cole Garden ゲイリー・クーパー
Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean ウォルター・ブレナン
Doris Davenport as Jane Ellen Mathews ドリス・ダヴェンポート
Fred Stone as Caliphet Mathews フレッド・ストーン
Chill Wills as Southeast チル・ウィリス
Lilian Bond as Lillie Langtry リリアン・ボンド
Dana Andrews as Hod Johnson ダナ・アンドリュース

Academy Awards
Won
Best Supporting Actor (Walter Brennan)

Nominated
Best Art Direction, Black and White
Best Story

1940年の作品「西部の男」です。以前紹介したクーパー主演の「西部の人」とは違う映画です。
この作品の監督はウィリアム・ワイラーです。ウィリアム・ワイラーは西部劇を撮っているイメージがなかったので本作の監督がワイラーだと知って驚きました。ワイラーは人間ドラマを上手く撮る監督だと思っていましたから。

作品の内容を簡単に言えば、流れ者のコール・ハーデンとビーン判事がテキサスの開拓地にて対決するという話です。この話に登場するロイ・ビーンと女優のリリーは実在の人物です。
ロイ・ビーンはテキサスの治安判事でした。ベッドで平和的に亡くなっているので、亡くなりかたに関してはこの映画の完全なるフィクションです。女優リリーが好きだったのは本当のようで、酒場の名前をリリーから取って"The Jersey Lilly"と名づけています。実在の人物が登場しますが、基本的にはこの話はフィクションだと思ったほうがいいでしょう。

この映画で注目するべきなのは主演のクーパーよりウォルター・ブレナンでしょうか。
ビーン判事の演技が評価され3度目のアカデミー助演男優賞を受賞しています。

西部の男 【DVD】 価格:1,496円 (2017/12/9 13:41時点) 感想(0件)