ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY
Inside High Noon is a 55-minute documentary about the 1952 motion picture High Noon. PBS describes the program as an examination of the film and the story behind its troubled production. The documentary was distributed nationally in the United States by American Public Television and aired on PBS stations. It has also aired on PBS America in the United Kingdom.
The film is narrated by Matthew Rhys, written and directed by John Mulholland, produced by Shannon Mulholland and Richard Zampella, and edited by Zampella.
THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH NOON
High Noon was directed by Fred Zinnemann from a screenplay by Carl Foreman and released by United Artists in 1952. The production was completed on a tight schedule and budget. According to the documentary, the picture cost about $750,000 and was shot in 28 days.
Foreman was under investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee while the film was being made. The documentary examines how the blacklist period affected the production and later interpretations of the film.
GARY COOPER AND THE CAST
Gary Cooper stars as Marshal Will Kane, with Grace Kelly, Katy Jurado, Lloyd Bridges, Harry Morgan and Lon Chaney Jr. Cooper was not the first actor considered for the role, but his participation helped secure the financing needed to make the picture.
Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Actor for High Noon. The film also received Academy Awards for film editing, original score and the song “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’.”
PARTICIPANTS
The documentary includes interviews with President Bill Clinton, Prince Albert of Monaco, Brian Garfield, Jonathan Foreman, Tim Zinnemann, Maria Cooper, Lee Clark Mitchell, Stephen Prince and M. Z. Ribalow.