Firecreek made it possible for audiences to see what it would have been like had High Noon been a James Stewart Western. Easily one of the most iconic Westerns of all time, High Noon is Gary Cooper’s best-known work in Hollywood. Released in 1952, High Noon starred Cooper and Grace Kelly in a Western tale that wound up with a slew of Academy Award nominations and wins.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, High Noon received praise for its unique take on the Western formula. In the movie, Cooper plays married town marshal Will Kane, who realizes that he’s completely on his own against a gang of outlaws. Will’s story sees him try to rally the townspeople to help, but his neighbors and friends aren’t willing to take a stand. It’s a darker look at the setting than many Western movies of the 1950s provided, but the arc it offered to its male and female lead characters made it a special entry into the genre. However, it’s far from only movie to take this route.
Firecreek Borrows Heavily From High Noon
Firecreek Almost Feels Like A High Noon Remake But With James Stewart
16 years later, James Stewart starred in Firecreek, a Western that paired him with fellow Western icon Henry Fonda. Stewart took on the role of Johnny Cobb, a sheriff who has earned his livelihood without really having to do much to keep the peace in his small town. That changes when a group of outlaws (led by Henry Fonda’s Bob Larkin) come onto the scene, prompting Johnny to step up and try to be courageous. But much like Will Kane in High Noon, he finds that the people who he has called his friends for years don’t share his interest in ridding the town of the criminals.
Even the showdown at the end of the film between Johnny and Larkin draws comparisons to
High Noon,
specifically in regards to how the film’s female main character plays a hand in the villain’s downfall.
From start to finish, the James Stewart Western makes no secret of the influence it’s taken from High Noon. Johnny Cobb’s journey perfectly mirrors that of Will Kane’s, with the supporting cast of characters evidently being inspired by the townsfolk in High Noon. Even the showdown at the end of the film between Johnny and Larkin draws comparisons to High Noon, specifically in regards to how the film’s female main character plays a hand in the villain’s downfall.
Firecreek Proves James Stewart Would Have Been A Great Fit For High Noon
Though it did not earn the critical acclaim that High Noon did in the 1950s, Firecreek exists as proof of how well Stewart suits this type of story. While that’s not to say that he should have been cast in High Noon over Gary Cooper, it feels like a story almost tailor-made for Stewart, an actor renowned for his ability to play likable everymen who just want to do the right thing.
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Similar to the majority of Stewart’s characters, Will Kane isn’t perceived as the typical Western tough guy in the same vein as John Wayne’s Ringo Kid or Clint Eastwood’s The Man With No Name. Rather, he’s a much more subdued person, someone who who feels forced into action. Through Firecreek, Stewart demonstrates that he too could have played this iconic Western hero.
Firecreek
Firecreek is a Western film featuring a peace-loving, part-time sheriff played by James Stewart. Set in the small town of Firecreek, the story unfolds as the sheriff faces a moral dilemma when a gang of outlaws, led by Henry Fonda’s character, takes control of the town.
- Director
- Vincent McEveety
- Release Date
- January 24, 1968
- Cast
- Henry Fonda , James Stewart , Inger Stevens , Gary Lockwood , Dean Jagger , Ed Begley , Jay C. Flippen , Jack Elam , James Best , BarBara Luna , Jacqueline Scott , Brooke Bundy , Robert Porter , Morgan Woodward , John Qualen , Louise Latham , Athena Lorde , Slim Duncan , Kitty Kelly , Lovyss Bradley
- Character(s)
- Bob Larkin , Johnny Cobb , Evelyn Pittman , Earl , Whittier , Preacher Broyles , Mr. Pittman , Norman , Drew , Meli , Henrietta Cobb , Leah , Arthur , Willard , Hall , Dulcie (midwife) , Mrs. Littlejohn , Fyte , Mrs. Sawyer (uncredited) , Townswoman (uncredited)
- Runtime
- 104 minutes