The Westerner (1940)

In post Civil War Texas, Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan in an Oscar winning performance) is a self appointed "Judge" who rules his town with an iron fist and has an obsession with the actress Lily Langtry (Lilian Bond). But when a saddle tramp (Gary Cooper) drifts into his town, he may have met his match. What's remarkable about this amiable William Wyler western is how near plotless it is for much of its running time. Oh sure, there's the generic the cowboys vs. the farmers backdrop but the film is really a series of scenes between Cooper's cowpoke and Brennan's corrupt Roy Bean and the two play off each other marvelously. As an actor, Brennan was often a caricature in much of his performances from the mid 1950s and beyond, so this film serves as a reminder of what a superb actor he could be. Cooper may have been the star but the film belongs to Brennan. Gregg Toland does himself proud with his lensing while Dimitri Tiomkin shames himself with his underscore. With Dana Andrews, Forrest Tucker, Chill Wills and Doris Davenport as the drab love interest for Cooper.