Law West of the Pecos. The Westerner comes from director William Wyler and features a script by Niven Busch, Jo Swerling, and Stuart N. Lake. Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Fred Stone, and Doris Davenport lead the cast. Dimitri Tiomkin composed the music, and Gregg Toland was responsible for the cinematography. The narrative presents a fictionalized telling of Judge Roy Bean (Brennan), who presides over Vingaroon Town according to his own sense of justice and retribution. When Cole Harden (Cooper), suspected of stealing horses, enters his jurisdiction, an unusual bond forms between them because Harden claims he knows Lily Langtree—the woman Bean admires greatly. Numerous individuals contributed uncredited work to The Westerner’s production; Cooper apparently wasn't happy about not playing the lead and had his role expanded as a result, performing under contract but seemingly begrudgingly! It’s true that Brennan dominates the film, earning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. Cooper shouldn’t have concerned himself, though, because he delivers a strong portrayal, bringing different aspects to Harden's character and playing well off of Brennan, which ultimately benefits the movie. The story centers on a familiar conflict between Homesteaders and Cattlemen, with Bean using his influence and Harden having to reconsider his position in town after developing feelings for Jane Ellen Mathews (Davenport). The Lily Langtree subplot (Lilian Bond) gives the film an unusual feel, creating a sort of dramatic comedy Western that actually succeeds quite well. Toland’s photography is excellent; the crisp black-and-white sequences possess a dreamy quality, suggesting this enjoyable movie might be headed toward something more serious? Davenport's performance isn't memorable and many of the other actors don’t leave much of an impression, but by the time you reach the attention-grabbing conclusion, it’s clear that you’ve watched a solid Western with depth. It’s driven forward by two outstanding performances. 7/10

Source on TMDB