My husband and I don't always see eye to eye on what movie to watch, he likes the action flicks and I enjoy the romantic comedies. When we both have some time to spare, we compromise by watching a classic. One of our all time favorite movie stars is Gary Cooper. Of course only part of that favor comes from his acting ability, the other part is that Cooper was a native of Helena, Montana. Tour guides on the Last Chance tour train always mention Cooper when they pass near the house where he resided as a young man.
Although Cooper began his life in Montana, he really didn't spend much time here. He and his brother were sent to school in Great Britain until the first World War broke out and their parents felt they would be safer at home. He left Montana again to attend college in Iowa but did not graduate. In 1924 he returned once again to Montana to manage the family ranch. While he was home in Montana he contributed cartoons to the local newspaper. (I am looking forward to a trip the Research Center at the Montana Historical Society so I can see if I can find some of them on microfilm.)
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| Gary Cooper in High Noon, 1952 |
When his parents moved to Los Angeles, he followed them, working at several jobs before breaking into the movie industry. Although he spent most his life making a name for himself somewhere else, Montanans are proud that he came from here.
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