HIGH NOON

Like a western version of Judge Dredd, but no lessons learned here!

No one really uses the term ‘high noon’ anymore. But I guess no one really gets challenged to duels anymore, either. Normally when it’s high noon, I’m thinking about escaping the cubicle for lunch. Sheriff Wil Kayne (played by Gary Cooper) would shake his head in sad disapproval if I told him that. Actually, he does a lot of disapproving in High Noon, since all of his friends abandon him as he readies to duel a returning band of outlaws. Actually, technically they aren’t outlaws; in fact, they were fairly sentenced by a jury and served their time. But that doesn’t matter a stinking bit to Sheriff Kayne, who’s incensed they weren’t hanged. Now, he’s determined to see justice served Kayne style. And henceforth unfolds a movie about an egotistical moralist who alienates himself from his friends, yet still gets Grace Kelly in the end. Ah, sweet justice.

The movie gets two big props for the opening song by Tex Ritter (John Ritter's daddy) and the smart, sexy Mexican businesslady who tells it like it is.