Gary Cooper was demonstrably the greatest star of his era and one of the two or three greatest stars in the history of the sound film, writes legendary film critic and historian Richard Schickel. One hard, simple fact proves the validity of this claim on Cooper’s behalf: Between 1936 and 1957, his name appeared no fewer than 18 times on the annual poll of motion picture exhibitors, in which they are asked to name the stars who bring the most customers into their theaters. And there’s also his two Academy Awards for Sergeant York and High Noon. Here’s Gary Coopers surprising story.
