High Noon...best western flick ever and on now.
 

I am not a fan of westerns but this film is a good 'un. A young Grace Kelly in her first big role and Gary Cooper at his very best...the innovation of the ticking clock counting down on the screen and the visible tension portrayed by Cooper as the deadline nears - you really feel for him, his best moment I reckon. A nice distraction from the studies anyway;)

Ah, an excellent film - one of the best westerns ever.

Do you know that the last hour is shot in real time to reflect the tension as the train draws nearer the town?

Really? the first time I saw this film there featured a ticking clock in the corner of the frame in each scene counting down the time...it's not evident in this print. Wonder why...? excellent film.

Erm, I certainly don't recall a ticking clock in the corner of each frame - are you sure that isn't a setting on your TV?

What I mean is that, in the last 60 minutes of the film, the time elapsed per the clocks corresponds to the action time of the film. So for example, between 11:00am and 11:30am (the film takes place between 10:35am and 12:15pm), 30 minutes' of film footage is also seen.

Great film. :)

but not as good as Shane

Yes certainly a very fine film. A rarity indeed, because it shows a hero who is scared.
I heard it said once that when it was finished, it was too short, and the studio asked for more footage and some 'meaningless' stuff was added in, including the shots of the clock. They found, rather by luck, that it greatly added to the atmosphere.

2nd only to The Searchers

I remember my Mum buying it for me about 13 years ago on VHS. It has a great cast and some very memorable scenes and is one of the best Western films of all time. Where does 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and 'Unforgiven' rank in people's opinions?

Leone's spaghetti offerings are an interesting contribution to the western genre but I find them a bit overly dramatic and heavily stylised. Unforgiven is undoubtedly the best of the recent westerns.

Shane and The Searchers (one of John Wayne's better films) have already been mentioned as two of the greatest ever westerns and I'd add Stagecoach to that list.

I thought Unforgiven was one of the best because it reflected Clint Eastwood as an older actor playing an older outlaw or bounty hunter. Therefore the action sequences are not as frequent as they were in his earlier Western films. However, when they did come they were palpable and exhilarating.

I like Fistful Of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More.They were stylish but had a hint of realism but by the time of Good,Bad,Ugly,Leone just went for pure fantasy and opera and I've never really rated it.Agree with you about The Searchers.Love it.

Well for me Shane would be one of the greats,
if the annoying kid had been caught in the crossfire.:D

I just watched this off my PVR because of this thread, couldn't decide what to watch.

Enjoyed it, first western starring Gary Cooper I have seen. Several familiar faces popping up.

Westerns are a genre I only began to watch a few years ago and I have now probably seen over 50. There are so many westerns on freeview, fans of this genre are spoilt for choice.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of my faves from the Golden Age.