This starts off great, with a wonderful performance by Walter Brennan as the corrupt, humorous Lily Langtry-obsessed Judge Roy Bean... well to be fair it's not too dissimilar to his other performances but Brennan always made a good villain, especially here because he's a sympathetic one.
The first half hour is great with Gary Cooper avoiding the noose by pretending to know Lily Langtry. The photography by Gregg Tolland is stunning, its handled with William Wyler's customary care, and you think it's interesting when the father of one of the homesteaders sends his daughter out to seduce Cooper so he will stay. But then when Cooper gets away it goes all conventional with him taking the sides of the homesteaders, and trying to broker a peace, and Brennan getting upset that Cooper doesn't love him anymore.
This really should have had Cooper trying to preserve his neck for most of the movie - they could have easily had the homesteaders want to kill him - but its like they couldn't bare Coop to play anyone even a bit naughty (he's not even a horse thief). The woman he hooks up with is a dull nagger, Coop does his stoic slightly retarded bit. There are some effectively shot scenes like the fire and the final confrontation with Cooper appearing on stage, and Brennan meeting Langtry.
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