Take this High Noon quiz to find out which character from High Noon you are. Answer these quick questions to find out. Play it now!
Hadleyville Marshal Will Kane (Cooper) has just married and is preparing to retire and go to a new town with his Quaker wife, Amy, to start a new life (Grace Kelly). Ian MacDonald’s Frank Miller, a revenge-seeking bandit that Kane arrested years before, is on the way with a band of outlaws, but Kane is unaware of this fact. Kane initially departs but returns immediately out of a sense of duty and responsibility. Afraid of their cowardice, he chooses to fight the group on his own. Miller holds his pacifist wife captive, forcing him to face up with her.
Kane fatally kills Miller when Amy distracts him. Kane throws his badge down in disgust when the townspeople emerge from hiding and leave with Amy.
Joseph R. McCarthy’s anti-communist Red Scare hysteria was at its height during the production of High Noon. There were others who interpreted the picture as both a critique and an allegory of Hollywood’s inability to stand up to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Screenwriter Carl Foreman, who refused to comply with HUAC, was later blacklisted. In the opinion of others, the film was an ode to the rule of law and order. Cooper’s close friend John Wayne was one of several who criticized the film, calling it un-American. As an answer to High Noon, he and director Howard Hawks made Rio Bravo (1959).
High Noon quiz
Gregory Peck turned down the role of Will Kane because he felt it was too similar to his performance in The Gunfighter (1950). The actor was cast instead as a jaded, disillusioned lawman, and he gave one of his best performances. A star was born with Kelly’s second feature film, High Noon. Fast forward to noon, and you’ll see the clock ticking away as you’re enthralled. Its title song, performed by Tex Ritter, became a classic.
After getting married and quitting his position as marshal of Hadleyville, Will Kane (Gary Cooper) plans to leave the town with his new wife, Amy (Grace Kelly). A few minutes before leaving for the train station, however, Frank Miller and his gang are due to arrive in town. A man named Miller has vowed to kill Will because of a personal grudge.
This means that the village is without a lawman until Will’s successor arrives. Because of his commitment to safeguarding the town, Will tells Amy that their honeymoon will have to wait. Also, you must try to play this High Noon quiz.
Will takes advantage of the remaining time until noon to wander about town in search of support. However, none of his former friends or former girlfriends are willing to stand up to the Miller gang, so they propose that Will leave town so as not to cause any trouble.
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Deputy Harvey, Will’s boss, refuses to stand by him. Will confronts him, and they come to blows.
Will drafts his last will and testament in the last few minutes before the train arrives, then prepares for the battle alone.
There is devotion and betrayal in High Noon. Although it appears that Kane’s actions would cost him his life, he maintains his loyalty despite everyone else’s desertions. And there was a betrayal on the part of the town. Because they perceive his mission to be futile, many townspeople conclude that Kane is responsible for their prosperity. Amy proves herself to be a worthy wife at a vital juncture, forcing Kane to face the showdown on his own.
A minute on-screen is equivalent to one in the theater. Only the final 10 minutes of action, when Kane and Miller’s gang square off, mark one of the many departures from the Western. A fistfight between Kane and a former subordinate, Harvey Pell, is the only exception to this rule (Lloyd Bridges). It’s mostly Kane’s futile attempts to mobilize his fellow citizens. During the last minutes of High Noon, Elmo Williams uses excellent editing to heighten Kane’s sense of urgency. For a film with so little action, it’s quite impressive.
For more personality quizzes check this: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Quiz.
