The Westerner (1940 film)
| The Westerner | |
|---|---|
Cinema poster | |
| Directed by | William Wyler |
| Screenplay by | Niven Busch Jo Swerling W.R. Burnett (uncredited) Lillian Hellman (uncredited) Oliver La Farge (uncredited) Dudley Nichols (uncredited) |
| Story by | Stuart N. Lake |
| Produced by | Samuel Goldwyn |
| Starring | Gary Cooper Walter Brennan Fred Stone Doris Davenport |
| Cinematography | Gregg Toland Rudolph Maté (additional footage) (uncredited) |
| Edited by | Daniel Mandell |
| Music by | Alfred Newman Dimitri Tiomkin |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million |
The Westerner is a 1940 American Western film directed by William Wyler and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan and Doris Davenport. Written by Niven Busch and Jo Swerling (from a story by Stuart N. Lake), the film concerns a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinegaroon, Texas, who befriends a saddle tramp who opposes the judge's policy against homesteaders. The film is remembered for Walter Brennan's performance as Judge Roy Bean, for which he won his record-setting third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. James Basevi and Stuart N. Lake also received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction, Black and White and Best Story, respectively. The supporting cast features Dana Andrews, Chill Wills and Forrest Tucker.