The Cowboy and the Lady

A modern fairy-tale in the tradition of Cinderella and Snow White. This movie has aged well and should be easily absorbed by today's audience. When you think of it, that is a hallmark of Gary Cooper films. He is the everyman, the themes are simple and timeless.

Cooper is in typically good form in this movie, and so is his beautiful and delightful co-star Oberon. The film is loaded with humor, romance and a touch of social commentary. A must see for fans of Cooper, Oberon, Jimmy Stewart or Frank Capra. A perfect "date" movie. One of my most favorite films. Hidden gem.

A thin comedy which has a few amusing moments but isn't as funny or charming as it clearly believes itself to be. Oberon looks stunning, which, after seeing her in The Divorce of Lady X, shows the importance of the cinematographer to a leading lady.

Considering the film has Merle Oberon and Gary Cooper, it couldn't help but be watchable...and it certainly was. The problem for me, though, is that with these actors and a concept that was decent enough, the film's script sure didn't do much with this. Instead, it has some nice moments as well as some lulls.

Perhaps it was just too much pawning off the idea of Merle Oberon with her exotic ways and accent as a rich lady in love with Cooper. While the idea of a society lady falling for a cowboy, Oberon just seems too distant and cold to make it all seem possible. I really think someone a little more "human" could have made this odd pairing work well. Oberon was a fine actress but I just don't think she was right for this film.

Perhaps it was that once the two fell in love, the film just stagnated until near the end. They married and yet the film still had a long way to go and the middle just seemed like filler at times--particularly Cooper's pantomime sequence inside their new house.

Whatever the reason, the film just seemed like an agreeable time-passer and nothing more. Inoffensive and just a tad bland. For a SLIGHTLY better variation of this same plot, try seeing the John Wayne and Jean Arthur film LADY TAKES A CHANCE--it has better chemistry and is just a better film in most respects.

Definitely the most somber 30s rom com I can recall thanks to Greg Toland's camera which seems most at home in fog enshrouded Gulf steamers and shadowy, dark Palm Beaches of the mind. And since the film is not very funny, with endless variations on the tiresome Capra-esque trope of urban=bad while rural=good, you tend to remember the cinematography way too much. C plus.

The film opens with a dinner scene, where we learn that someone is running for office; cut to the two brothers Hannibal (Harry Davenport, always played the kindly uncle or judge) and Horace Smith (Henry Kolker), lamenting about the antics of Horace's daughter Mary ( Merle Oberon ). There's the setup of the movie, and being filmed in the prime of the Hayes Code, we know there will be comical, but innocent , simple, misunderstandings. Love the symbolism of Mary knocking over the "house of cards" she has built on the coffee table. Great scene where she talks about the rules of dating with the maids (the hilarious Patsy Kellly & Mabel Todd). Enter Gary Cooper as the polite cowboy "Stretch Willoughby". Say no more. Just watch for the ups and downs as sidekick Walter Brennan makes wisecracks to help the plot along, along with some slapstick physical comedy. Also check out the cast of thousands in the writer category, which includes greats Anita Loos, Dorothy Parker. Directed by Henry Potter, who would make THREE movies with Cary Grant! Fun, but probably would have been more hilarious if it had been filmed prior to the production code.