Gary Cooper | Hollywood Yesterday

Gary Cooper and Joan Leslie, Sergeant York (1941)

May 10, 2023 By Joi

Gary Cooper and Joan Leslie, Sergeant York

Gary Cooper and Joan Leslie, Sergeant York (1941, directed by Howard Hawks). Gary Cooper, deservedly, won an Oscar for his performance… one of his best IMO. The movie, itself, along with Howard Hawks and co-stars Walter Brennan, and Margaret Wycherly were also nominated for Oscars.

One of the things that always impresses me most about this film (aside from the excellent acting and directing) is the fact that lovely Joan Leslie was only 16 years old at the time. She plays the role so flawlessly, it’s difficult to believe she was so young!

Joan Leslie

You can find the timelessly wonderful Sergeant York on dvd (Amazon link below) If you’ve never seen this one, I hope you’ll check it out very soon. Gary Cooper gives a beautiful performance.

Gary Cooper and Joan Leslie, Sergeant York

Fay Wray and Gary Cooper, The Legion of the Condemned

September 22, 2022 By Joi

Fay Wray and Gary Cooper

The Legion of the Condemned (1928) is, sadly, a lost film. The silent drama was directed by William A. Wellman and the cast included Fay Wray, Gary Cooper, and Barry Norton. While I save words such as “tragic” for the loss of human life, it is an especially sad thing that the work of director William A. Wellman, the writers, the crew, and the cast can’t be enjoyed and appreciated by film fans.

Of course, there’s always hope that a copy will be found in someone’s attic, basement, hope chest, or even storage unity. Wouldn’t that be amazing?! Imagine, being able to see a film that had been lost for so long?

Almost too wonderful to think about!

Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall, and Patricia Neal in Bright Leaf (1950)

September 10, 2021 By Joi

Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall

Gary Cooper, Lauren Bacall and Patricia Neal star in Bright Leaf (1950, directed by Michael Curtiz). The three make a very believable love triangle… almost TOO believable! Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper were involved for several years and she, in fact wanted Lauren Bacall’s role. For whatever reasons, the powers that be decided that she couldn’t have that particular role.

Personally I think they were right – each lady was PERFECT in the role assigned to her and Gary Cooper was absolutely perfect as the man in the middle.

You can find Bright Leaf on DVD (Amazon Link) or watch the movie on Prime Video.

Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal

BOTD in 1917, the Beautiful Susan Hayward

June 30, 2021 By Joi

Susan Hayward, Garden of Evil

As I just posted, Lena Horne was BOTD in 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. Another legendary actress was born on this exact date in Brooklyn as well… Edythe Marrener. Of course, you’ll know her as Susan Hayward.

I find it so fascinating that two legendary stars were born, not only on the same day but in the same city.

(Continued below….)

Gary Cooper and Susan Hayward

Susan Hayward’s many movies include Garden of Evil, David and Bathsheba, I Married a Witch, They Won’t Believe Me, I’ll Cry Tomorrow, and Valley of the Dolls. One of my favorites is (as you’d expect from a Western fanatic) Garden of Evil. She stars alongside Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark in this 1954 film, directed by Henry Hathaway.

It’s a western you don’t hear much about but it’s so darn good! If you’ve never seen it, I hope you’ll find it soon. These three stars are phenomenal together.

Richard Widmark, Gary Cooper and Susan Hayward

Today We Live: Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone

November 22, 2020 By Joi

Joan Crawford

The gorgeous photo above is one of my favorite Joan Crawford photos. It’s a publicity picture from the wonderful 1933 film, Today We Live (directed by Howard Hawks).

The movie also starred three wonderful actors, Gary Cooper, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone.

Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone met while working on this picture and married two years later (her second marriage, his first). Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t survive – ending in divorce in 1939.

You can find Today We Live (link to the dvd) on Amazon.

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper, Unconquered Lobby Card

October 1, 2020 By Joi

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper light up the screen in the 1947 film Unconquered. I wish they had made many, many more movies together.

The movie was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and also starred Boris Karloff, Howard Da Silva, Ward Bond, Cecil Kellaway, Virginia Campbell, and Katharine DeMille.

You can find Unconquered (link to the dvd) on Amazon.

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper: Unconquered

September 9, 2020 By Joi

Paulette Goddard and Gary Cooper: Unconquered

A movie you don’t hear nearly enough about and an actor and actress I don’t talk nearly enough about are Unconquered and its stars Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard! I recently saw a Gary Cooper movie and two Paulette Goddard movies and, each time, asked myself why I didn’t talk more about them.

I had no answer then and I have no answer now!

I love these two in everything I’ve ever seen them in – I guess they’re two I just take for granted. Well.. no more! You have my vow, whether it’s here on the blog, in person, or on my Old Hollywood Twitter, you’ll hear a lot more from me about these two great talents.

May as well start someplace, right? So here they are as today’s picture of the day.

These are from the 1947 film Unconquered, directed by the wonderful Cecil B. DeMille. Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard are outstanding in this underrated film – as are Howard Da Silva, Ward Bond, and Boris Karloff.

You can find Unconquered (link to the dvd) on Amazon. I don’t believe it’s on Prime Video.

Paulette Goddard, Unconquered

Merle Oberon and Gary Cooper: The Cowboy and the Lady Lobby Cards

May 3, 2020 By Joi

Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon

In the 1938 film The Cowboy and the Lady, Merle Oberon plays a lonely, somewhat bored socialite (Mary) who pretends to be a maid to add color and variety to her life. She meets a humble and kind cowboy named Stretch Willoughby (how’s that for a name?!) who has no idea of her true identity.

This is a really cute film that’s heavier on comedy than anything else. It’s a lot of fun, doesn’t take itself too seriously, has two wonderful leads in Merle Oberon and Gary Cooper AND co-stars Walter Brennan (he makes everything even better, doesn’t he??).

You can find The Cowboy and the Lady on dvd on Amazon or watch the movie in Prime.