Gary Cooper: Lou Gehrig vs. Will Kane

Gary Cooper

One actor. Two film roles. You tell us which portrayal was the best. The most memorable. Or iconic. Or simply your favorite.

But before you pass judgment, a few words defending the “character” of each…

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The case for Will Kane

We’re talking about character, right? Character. If there’s anybody who is the personification of that term it must be Will Kane. Townsfolk to a man abandon Marshal Kane who is left alone to fight a vengeful desperado at High Noon. Gary Cooper’s reluctant hero could’ve easily skipped town leaving its citizens to deal with the dangerous situation. But he didn’t. Know why? That’s right. Character.

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The case for Lou Gehrig

The problem with voting for Will Kane is that…well, he is a character. Fiction. Not so with Lou Gehrig. The real life New York Yankees first baseman was portrayed by the Coop so well in The Pride of the Yankees that many now see his face instead real Iron Horse. Gehrig will probably always be known for his streak of 2,130 consecutive baseball games played. And, of course, how that streak ended. He was, as they say, a dead man walking. Yet he had enough courage to say publically “today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” So what was that about character?

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Now that you’ve heard the arguments for both it’s time to render your verdict!