Gary Cooper had starring roles in three more movies after The Hanging Tree, but none showcasing his talents better than this western. While not given a producer's credit for the movie, this movie was the first under Cooper's new production company, Baroda. Just as with Along Came Jones, the only movie Cooper officially produced, The Hanging Tree has great talent in front of and behind the camera, starting with the screenplay writers. The only person now alive who can tell how much of a production role Cooper had is Karl Malden, whom IMDb identifies as an uncredited fill-in director as well as co-star.
Whatever production role Cooper had, this movie looks like it was a real tough location shoot, filming on steep trails and having to create a mining camp set in an isolated national forest. This movie has one interesting distinction, concerning the character of Society Red, one of the miners. (Possible Spoiler) John Dierkes, who played the part and formerly worked for the U.S. Treasury department, has the last full line of dialog in the in the move: "Frenchy said it (the mine) was worth a million." Dierkes, 6'6" and over 7' tall with the stovepipe hat he was wearing, has the best lines in the movie at the very end. It is not often that a supporting actor gets to a chance to end a movie as Dierkes did this time.
The Hanging Tree is a story about people who, for whatever reason, are on the edges of society and trying to make a go of it. The only things this movie needs (as of this writing) are a wide screen restoration and a DVD release in the United States.
Whatever production role Cooper had, this movie looks like it was a real tough location shoot, filming on steep trails and having to create a mining camp set in an isolated national forest. This movie has one interesting distinction, concerning the character of Society Red, one of the miners. (Possible Spoiler) John Dierkes, who played the part and formerly worked for the U.S. Treasury department, has the last full line of dialog in the in the move: "Frenchy said it (the mine) was worth a million." Dierkes, 6'6" and over 7' tall with the stovepipe hat he was wearing, has the best lines in the movie at the very end. It is not often that a supporting actor gets to a chance to end a movie as Dierkes did this time.
The Hanging Tree is a story about people who, for whatever reason, are on the edges of society and trying to make a go of it. The only things this movie needs (as of this writing) are a wide screen restoration and a DVD release in the United States.