Editing Gary Cooper (section)

===Mature roles, 1944–1952===
[[File:Gary Cooper in Along Came Jones 1945.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Screen capture of Gary Cooper and Loretta Young|Cooper and [[Loretta Young]] in ''[[Along Came Jones (film)|Along Came Jones]]'', 1945]]

In 1944, Cooper appeared in Cecil B. DeMille's wartime adventure film ''[[The Story of Dr. Wassell]]'' with [[Laraine Day]]{{snd}}his third movie with the director.<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 194–196.</ref> In the film, Cooper plays American doctor and missionary [[Corydon M. Wassell]], who leads a group of wounded sailors through the jungles of Java to safety.<ref>Meyers 1998, pp. 189–190.</ref> Despite receiving poor reviews, ''Dr. Wassell'' was one of the top-grossing films of the year.<ref>Swindell 1980, p. 251.</ref> With his Goldwyn and Paramount contracts now concluded, Cooper decided to remain independent and formed his own production company, International Pictures, with [[Leo Spitz]], [[William Goetz]], and [[Nunnally Johnson]].<ref>Meyers 1998, p. 191.</ref> The fledgling studio's first offering was Sam Wood's romantic comedy ''[[Casanova Brown]]'' with [[Teresa Wright]], about a man who learns his soon-to-be ex-wife is pregnant with his child, just as he is about to marry another woman.<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 197–98.</ref> The film received poor reviews,<ref>Meyers 1998, p. 192.</ref> with the ''New York Daily News'' calling it "delightful nonsense",<ref>Dickens 1970, p. 198.</ref> and Bosley Crowther, in ''The New York Times'', criticizing Cooper's "somewhat obvious and ridiculous clowning".<ref name="nytimes-casanova" /> The film was barely profitable.<ref>Swindell 1980, p. 253.</ref>

In 1945, Cooper starred in and produced [[Stuart Heisler]]'s Western comedy ''[[Along Came Jones (film)|Along Came Jones]]'' with [[Loretta Young]] for International.<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 199–200.</ref> In this lighthearted parody of his past heroic image,<ref name="meyers-194">Meyers 1998, p. 194.</ref> Cooper plays comically inept cowboy Melody Jones, who is mistaken for a ruthless killer.<ref name="meyers-194" /> Audiences embraced Cooper's character, and the film was one of the top box-office pictures of the year{{snd}}a testament to Cooper's still vital audience appeal.<ref>Arce 1979, p. 212.</ref> It was also International's biggest financial success during its brief history before being sold off to [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] in 1946.<ref>Swindell 1980, p. 255.</ref>

Cooper's career during the postwar years drifted in new directions as American society was changing. While he still played conventional heroic roles, his films now relied less on his heroic screen persona and more on novel stories and exotic settings.<ref>Schickel 1985, pp. 24–26.</ref> In November 1945, Cooper appeared in Sam Wood's 19th-century period drama ''[[Saratoga Trunk]]'' with Ingrid Bergman, about a Texas cowboy and his relationship with a beautiful fortune hunter.<ref name="dickens-201-203">Dickens 1970, pp. 201–03.</ref> Filmed in early 1943, the movie's release was delayed for two years due to the increased demand for war movies.<ref>Meyers 1998, p. 183.</ref> Despite poor reviews, ''Saratoga Trunk'' did well at the box office<ref>Swindell 1980, p. 258.</ref> and became one of the top moneymakers of the year for Warner Bros.<ref>Arce 1979, p. 188.</ref> Cooper's only film in 1946 was [[Fritz Lang]]'s romantic thriller ''[[Cloak and Dagger (1946 film)|Cloak and Dagger]]'', about a mild-mannered physics professor recruited by the [[Office of Strategic Services]] during the last years of World War II to investigate the German atomic-bomb program.<ref name="dickens-204-205">Dickens 1970, pp. 204–205.</ref> Playing a part loosely based on physicist [[J.&nbsp;Robert Oppenheimer]], Cooper was uneasy with the role and unable to convey the "inner sense" of the character.<ref>Meyers 1998, pp. 195–97.</ref> The film received poor reviews and was a box-office failure.<ref>Swindell 1980, p. 260.</ref> In 1947, Cooper appeared in Cecil B. DeMille's epic adventure film ''[[Unconquered (1947 film)|Unconquered]]'' with [[Paulette Goddard]], about a Virginia militiaman who defends settlers against an unscrupulous gun trader and hostile Indians on the Western frontier during the 18th century.<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 206–08.</ref> The film received mixed reviews, but even long-time DeMille critic [[James Agee]] acknowledged the picture had "some authentic flavor of the period".<ref name="arce-220">Arce 1979, p. 220.</ref> This last of four films made with DeMille was Cooper's most lucrative, earning the actor over $300,000 (equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|300000|1947}}}} today) in salary and percentage of profits.<ref>Meyers 1998, p. 199.</ref> ''Unconquered'' was his last unqualified box-office success for the next five years.<ref name="arce-220" />
[[File:Gary Cooper The Fountainhead 1949.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=Screen capture of Gary Cooper sitting down|Cooper in ''[[The Fountainhead (film)|The Fountainhead]]'', 1949]]

In 1948, after making [[Leo McCarey]]'s romantic comedy ''[[Good Sam (1948 film)|Good Sam]]'',<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 211–13.</ref> Cooper sold his company to Universal Studios and signed a long-term contract with Warner Bros. that gave him script and director approval and a guaranteed $295,000 (equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|295000|1948}}}} today) per picture.<ref name="meyers-202" /> His first film under the new contract was King Vidor's drama ''[[The Fountainhead (film)|The Fountainhead]]'' (1949) with [[Patricia Neal]] and [[Raymond Massey]].<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 214–217.</ref> In the film, Cooper plays an idealistic and uncompromising architect who struggles to maintain his integrity and individualism in the face of societal pressures to conform to popular standards.<ref>Meyers 1998, p. 215.</ref> Based on the [[The Fountainhead|novel]] by [[Ayn Rand]], who also wrote the screenplay, the film reflects her philosophy and attacks the concepts of [[Collectivism and individualism|collectivism]] while promoting the virtues of [[individualism]].<ref>Meyers 1998, pp. 215, 219.</ref> For most critics, Cooper was hopelessly miscast in the role of Howard Roark.<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 216–17.</ref> In his review for ''The New York Times'', [[Bosley Crowther]] concluded he was "Mr. Deeds out of his element".<ref>Meyers 1998, p. 220.</ref> Cooper returned to his element in [[Delmer Daves]]' war drama ''[[Task Force (film)|Task Force]]'' (1949), about a retiring [[rear admiral]], who reminisces about his long career as a [[United States naval aviator|naval aviator]] and his role in the development of aircraft carriers.<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 220–22.</ref> Cooper's performance and the Technicolor newsreel footage supplied by the United States Navy made the film one of Cooper's most popular during this period.<ref>Arce 1979, p. 227.</ref> In the next two years, Cooper made four poorly received films: [[Michael Curtiz]]' period drama ''[[Bright Leaf]]'' (1950), Stuart Heisler's Western melodrama ''[[Dallas (film)|Dallas]]'' (1950), Henry Hathaway's wartime comedy ''[[You're in the Navy Now]]'' (1951), and [[Raoul Walsh]]'s Western action film ''[[Distant Drums]]'' (1951).<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 223–34.</ref>
[[File:Kelly-Cooper-Jurado.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|alt=Screen capture of Gary Cooper, Katy Jurado and Grace Kelly|Cooper hugging [[Grace Kelly]] while [[Katy Jurado]] stares at them in ''[[High Noon]]'', 1952]]

Cooper's most important film during the postwar years was [[Fred Zinnemann]]'s Western drama ''[[High Noon]]'' (1952) with [[Grace Kelly]] and [[Katy Jurado]] for [[United Artists]].<ref>Dickens 1970, pp. 235–37.</ref> In the film, Cooper plays retiring sheriff [[Will Kane]], who is preparing to leave town on his [[honeymoon]] when he learns that an outlaw he helped put away and his three henchmen are returning to seek their revenge. Unable to gain the support of the frightened townspeople, and abandoned by his young bride, Kane nevertheless stays to face the outlaws alone.<ref>Dickens 1970, p. 236.</ref> During the filming, Cooper was in poor health and in considerable pain from stomach ulcers.<ref name="swindell-293">Swindell 1980, p. 293.</ref> His ravaged face and discomfort in some scenes "photographed as self-doubt", according to biographer Hector Arce,<ref name="arce-242">Arce 1979, p. 242.</ref> and contributed to the effectiveness of his performance.<ref name="swindell-293" /> Considered one of the first "adult" Westerns for its theme of moral courage,<ref>Arce 1979, p. 238.</ref> ''High Noon'' received enthusiastic reviews for its artistry, with ''Time'' placing it in the ranks of ''[[Stagecoach (1939 film)|Stagecoach]]'' and ''[[The Gunfighter]]''.<ref name="meyers-249">Meyers 1998, p. 249.</ref> Bosley Crowther, in ''The New York Times'', wrote that Cooper was "at the top of his form",<ref name="nytimes-high" /> and John McCarten, in ''The New Yorker'', wrote that Cooper was never more effective.<ref name="dickens-237">Dickens 1970, p. 237.</ref> The film earned $3.75{{spaces}}million in the United States<ref name="meyers-249" /> and $18{{spaces}}million worldwide.<ref name="meyers-250">Meyers 1998, p. 250.</ref> Following the example of his friend James Stewart,<ref>Arce 1979, pp. 238–39.</ref> Cooper accepted a lower salary in exchange for a percentage of the profits, and ended up making $600,000.<ref name="meyers-250" /> Cooper's understated performance was widely praised,<ref name="arce-242" /><ref name="dickens-237" /> and earned him his second Academy Award for Best Actor.<ref>Swindell 1980, p. 294.</ref>{{refn|John Wayne accepted the Oscar for Cooper, who was out of the country at the time, saying, "Coop and I have been friends, hunting and fishing, for more years than I like to remember. He's one of the nicest fellows I know. I don't know anybody any nicer."<ref name="tcm-mcgee" />|group=Note}}