In addition to the role of Will Kane in High Noon , Gary Cooper almost ended up with another role meant for John Wayne. Like John Wayne, Gary Cooper was an A-list actor during the Golden Age of Hollywood and one of the industry's most prominent Western actors .

Having become famous long before "the Duke," Gary Cooper was a major star during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, pumping out a long list of successful films. And like the situation Wayne's career, Gary Cooper's Westerns make up the vast majority of the actor's best movies.

Of course, Gary Cooper made several great movies from other genres, such as Sergeant York and Mr. Deeds Goes To Town , but what is arguably his crowning achievement in Hollywood was the character of Will Kane in High Noon.

After all, High Noon is

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