100 minute running time… I liked The Naked Spur and Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote that he thought Man from the West was Anthony Mann’s greatest western, but I wasn’t thrilled with this… Gary Cooper is too old and he sort of phones in his performance, his heart wasn’t in it (he was dying of cancer after all) … I didn’t realize Julie London the singer was also an actress… Lee J. Cobb chews up the scenery, overacting in every scene (King Lear, I guess) … there were probably a lot of hidden messages in this movie, but I didn’t care … ridiculous fistfight with young Jack Lord where Cooper tries to strip him after beating him (fey Farr: “the famously gritty, rough-and-tumble fight scene”) … I just didn’t think the story was any good, and the acting was so-so. John Farr recommended it too, but I say give it a miss.

“At the time of release, the film was largely panned by American critics [RIGHTFULLY SO!], but it was praised by Jean-Luc Godard [ OH NO, NOT THE FRENCH NEW WAVERS]. Decades after the film's release, it has gained a cult following [OF SUCKERS] and greater acclaim, with film historian Philip French [WHO?] claiming the film to be Anthony Mann's masterpiece [GOD, NO], containing Cooper's finest performance. [NO, THAT WOULD BE HIGH NOON, SIX YEARS EARLIER]”