Man of the West

film by Mann [1958]

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Man of the West is a 1958 Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Gary Cooper. Cooper plays a former bank robber who is taken hostage by his old gang. The film is noted for its brutal and well-staged drama, and it is considered Mann's last great western. Gary Cooper, known for portraying homespun characters, was a highly popular and beloved star in Hollywood, winning two Academy Awards for best actor.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Anthony Mann
The 1950s: westerns of Anthony Mann
…were no such compromises in Man of the West (1958), a brutal but superbly staged drama starring Gary Cooper as a former bank robber who is held hostage by his old gang. The film was not a box-office success but came to be recognized as Mann’s last great western.
Read More
…were no such compromises in Man of the West (1958), a brutal but superbly staged drama starring Gary Cooper as a former bank robber who is held hostage by his old gang. The film was not a box-office success but came to be recognized as Mann’s last great western.
Read More