The Texan

I truly thought this film lost and I'm sure glad it was restored. Gary Cooper stars in The Texan based on an O Henry short story. Some similarities here to that more famous O Henry story the Cisco Kid.

I guess allowances have to be made for Emma Dunn believing that Cooper is her long lost son. I guess she feels he lost his Mexican speech pattern and accent being in America too long. But she wants to have a son again so she'll believe anything.

Which is what Oscar Apfel is counting on. Cooper is on the run from the law in Texas in the person of bible quoting sheriff James Marcus. Apfel's proposition is to have Cooper portray her long lost son who ran away over 15 years ago. There's a big reward out from his mother Emma Dunn, butApfel has schemes for bigger things than just that reward.

As for Coop he's gotten interested in Fay Wray his 'cousin' and companion to Dunn. There's getting to be more and more reasons why Coop might not want to go through with this plan.

Paramount remade this film about a decade later with Mexican star Tito Guizar and this film went into mothballs. For awhile it was thought lost. As a big fan of Gary Cooper I'm glad it's not.

Good performance here by Oscar Apfel who's a real bottom feeder. Apfel's career goes back to the earliest of silent screen days with Cecil B. DeMille.

I saw a real good print of this restored classic. A must for Gary Cooper fans.