The Making of High Noon

Gary Cooper starred in the 1952 western “HIgh Noon.” (Woodcut by author)

In 1946, the Allies had just won the war and the United Nations was a brand new entity. Screenwriter Carl Foreman wanted to write an allegory about the need for world unity to defeat unchecked aggression and uphold democracy. The story was about a lawman recruiting local townspeople to fight a gang of violent outlaws. Then the Cold War started. The spirit of cooperation between the United States and Russia was replaced by an era of anxiety and…