Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns: High Noon, Shane, and the Searchers

The Western film has been a part of American Cinema since the very beginning. High Noon, Shane, and The Searchers are considered the finest Westerns ever made.

Michael F. Blake takes the reader behind the making of all three classics, highlighting the difficult and humorous moments surrounding the making of the movies. The combination of Blake’s knowledge of the film industry (an Emmy-winning makeup artist) and his industrious research, we are now given a greater insight into how these films were made. Using director’s notes, production reports and interviews (Blake’s father played the saloon owner in High Noon), readers will have a better appreciation of what it took to create these classic films.

The book includes a detailed cast and crew listing, as well as many never before seen behind the scene photos.

Praise for Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns – High Noon, Shane and The Searchers:

“Code of Honor gives readers a lavishly illustrated insider’s view of the twists and turns that arose during the making of these three Westerns.” – Cowboys and Indians

“If you like westerns, Code of Honor is mandatory reading.” – Palm Beach Post

“Much has been written about Western film, but Blake’s focus and combination of passion and scholarship make this title truly unique.” – Library Journal

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About Code of Honor

At the time The Searchers was made director John Ford was in desperate need of a hit. Why?

His last movie that was a box office success was Magambo with Clark Gable in 1953. Long Gray Line, which I love, didn’t connect with audiences. Mister Roberts did, but Ford left the film early on. He and Henry Fonda, who played the title role on Broadway for several years, did not agree with Ford’s vision. Fonda tried to speak to Ford one night about his concerns and Ford belted him. Things grew very cold between the two men. When the company came back from location on Midway Island, Ford left the film. The story released by the studio was that Ford had to have emergency gall bladder surgery, although some suspect it was over his dispute with Fonda. The two men didn’t speak to each other until 1970.

Ford was close to being labeled “box office poison” by studio executives because his films were not making money and the mess on Mister Roberts. He desperately needed a hit and The Searchers came along at the right time for him. With this film, Ford proved he was at his best.

Do you think The Searchers is one of John Wayne’s best performances?

Hell, yes! In this film Wayne shows his emotional maturity and growth as an actor. No one − and I mean no one − could play Ethan Edwards like he did and still retain the audience’s sympathy at the end. It is a brilliant performance and every time I watch it I am still amazed at his work.

High Noon was pretty much written off as an unimportant film by Stanley Kramer. Why?

Kramer had one film left on his deal with United Artists before he could take up a much more lucrative deal at Columbia. High Noon was his “get out of jail” card. He let Carl Foreman, who wrote the script, take over as producer and moved to his new offices at Columbia Studios. During production, the film was considered an insignificant Western with a star who was past his prime.

Once the film was released to great reviews and box office, Stanley Kramer was very quick to claim it as one of his favorites. Suddenly he was taking credit for making the film better (it had a disappointing sneak preview), especially after the Oscar nominations came out.

Kramer originally distanced himself from the film because Carl Foreman refused to name names at the House of Un-American Activities (HUAC). No doubt Kramer did this to avoid being dragged into the malestorm that had engulfed Hollywood and ruin his deal at Columbia.

Jack Palance is probably one of the scariest villains in cinema. He had a problem with horses, didn’t he?

That he did. Originally when Palance’s character of Jack Wilson makes his first appearance, Stevens wanted the actor to gallop into town. Unfortunately, Jack wasn’t a very good rider and bounced a lot in the saddle as he tried to gallop in. Stevens then suggested that the actor trot the horse in, yet the result was not good. Finally, Stevens told him to walk the horse into town. The result is a very ominous entrance for the character, who throughout the film moves slowly, except when firing his gun.

Monument Valley has been a favorite location for many of Ford’s films. Why do you think he chose that place over other locations?

Ford loved Monument Valley. One visit there and it is not hard to fall in love with that place. For a filmmaker, it offers unlimited scenery. You just cannot film a bad shot in that Valley. He also dearly loved the Navajos and they loved him. On this film they gave him a scared deer hide and named him “Natani Nez,” which means “Tall Soldier.” I honestly think he would have chosen Monument Valley as the location for every one of his movies if it was possible. Woody Strode once told me he though Ford should have been buried in Monument Valley. I agree.

Of the three films ( High Noon Shane and The Searchers), which is your favorite, and why?

Man, talk about painting me into a corner! Well, The Searchers (along with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon) is my favorite John Ford film, and there is a lot of them. I would say that The Searchers is tops. It is such a compelling film, and as I watch it over and over (I have seen it well over 100 times), I still find things to marvel over. Monument Valley never looked better on the big screen, and Ford is at the top of his game with this film. Then there is John Wayne’s performance, as well as every one else, that just makes this movie grab your attention. I am a huge fan of Max Steiner’s score and despite Ford not liking it, I think it fits the film so damn well. I never tire of watching this film and every time it is on TV, everything stops for me and I will stay with it to the fade out.

But I also have to say I love High Noon. Not just because of my dad being in it, or Tiompkin’s great score, but the story. Any kid who had to face down a bully at the end of school can relate to Gary Cooper’s Will Kane. The strength that comes from having to face a fear alone can do one of two things: break you or strengthen you. Cooper’s Kane does not break. On a final note, the film has one of the greatest shots in film history as the camera crane goes up in the air and we see Kane all alone on the street walking to his destiny. Man, that is such a great shot!

The Searchers is now considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. When the film was released, it didn’t make much of an impression, did it?

Not really. It garnered good reviews and the box office was very good, but most critics and the film industry just shrugged it off as another teaming of John Ford and John Wayne. It needed a few years to be reexamined and then the appreciation for it took off.

Was Alan Ladd the first choice for the role of Shane?

No. Stevens wanted Montgomery Clift for the role, but the studio balked because Cliff was not under contract, so his salary would be higher. Stevens settled on Ladd because he was under contract. He also wanted Katherine Hepburn and William Holden as Marian and Joe Starrett, but wound up casting Jean Arthur and Van Heflin, because they had deals at the studio.

Was Shane a success at the box office? If so, why?

It was based on a very popular novel, which is still in print today. Yes, it was a big hit for Paramount studios, which was worried about making its money back.

What about Gary Cooper (as Will Kane in High Noon) ?

No one but Cooper could have done justice to the role of Will Kane. He could say less with dialogue and let his face and body speak volumes. He was simply great and deserved the Oscar he won. High Noon was the boost his career needed.

Who was really responsible for High Noon’s success?

Four people, in this order: Carl Foreman, Fred Zinnemann, Elmo Williams and Dimitri Tiompkin. Foreman had written the script, using his dealings with HUAC and subsequently being shunned in Hollywood, gave depth to the story. Zinnemann had a great vision as director, picking the right actors for the various roles. He was the one who determined that the clock would be an integral piece of the film, not Kramer. Williams, the film editor, drew the film tighter with his editing. The subplot with the other deputy was jettison and the focus of the film stayed on Gary Cooper and the approach of the noon hour. Tiompkin created a mono-thematic score for the film, which had never been successfully incorporated before. He also started the trend of a ballad/song that reflected the basis of the film’s plot.

Why did you choose these three films to write about?

Aside from appearing on nearly every Top Ten Westerns list in recent years, they are three of the best films ever made. Also, the basic theme of each protagonist sticking to his personal code of honor despite any setbacks is very heroic.

Why was Paramount worried about making its money back on Shane?

Paramount had the mentality that an Alan Ladd film (he was under contract to Paramount) only made X amount of dollars. Anything over that amount was a waste of money and did not guarantee a box office success. Plus, being filmed in Technicolor made it very costly (even in 1951) compared to a black and white film.

The studio heads had little faith in director George Stevens, who made the film. He was a great craftsman, who shot a lot of footage, covering scenes. That meant a bigger expense, as was going on a location (Jackson Hole, Wyoming). To make matters worse, the weather was uncooperative with almost daily rain storms. After Stevens finished principal photography, he spent nearly a year editing the film. The studio began to panic as costs mounted. At one point they considered selling Shane to Howard Hughes, who was running RKO, but the idea went nowhere. In the end, Paramount had not only a major critical and box office hit, but a true classic. (It was nominated for 6 Oscars, winning Best Cinematography.)

Your dad is in High Noon, isn’t he?

Yep, he plays Gillis, the owner of the saloon. Matter of fact, he has the first spoken line in the film as the bad guys ride past the saloon. Of course, he later gets punched by Gary Cooper when he bets Kane will be dead five minutes after Frank Miller gets off the train. He was very proud of that role and in being part of a classic.

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Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns: High Noon, Shane, and the Searchers

Praise for Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns – High Noon, Shane and The Searchers:

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