Southampton Playhouse Presents First Annual Gary Cooper Festival

The Southampton Playhouse announced today that it will present the first annual Gary Cooper Festival from May 9 through May 11. Highlighted in the festival are Cooper’s classics The Pride of the Yankees, Ball of Fire, and High Noon. The festival also will feature a conversation with Maria Cooper Janis, Gary Cooper’s daughter, accompanied by a signing of her book “Gary Cooper Off Camera: A Daughter Remembers,” and a post-screening book signing and talk with Richard Sandomir, author of “The Pride of the Yankees: Lou Gehrig, Gary Cooper, and the Making of a Classic.”

Additional details and ticket information are included below.

WHAT | Gary Cooper Festival

WHO | Southampton Playhouse

WHERE | 43 Hill Street, Southampton, New York, 11968

WHEN | May 9, 2025 – May 11, 2025 

Hearthrob. Gunslinger. Athletic iconic.

Join us for a special weekend celebrating two-time Academy Award-winning screen legend Gary Cooper and his lasting connection to Southampton, where he spent cherished time and now rests at Southampton Cemetery.

The actor spent his summers with his family in Southampton and was often spotted at the Playhouse. After his death in 1961, he was laid to rest at the Southampton Cemetery a few minutes from our doors. In the years since then, his legacy has only grown more impactful, as individual films provide snapshots of American identity during pivotal moments of its existence.

“Cooper’s filmography provides a template not only for first-rate screen acting, but the enduring power of the movies themselves,” said Southampton Playhouse Artistic director Eric Kohn. “Cinema is a portal to learn more about the world around us, and Gary Cooper’s rich filmography will provide us with an annual opportunity to benefit from the rich themes at the root of his work.”

The first annual Gary Cooper Festival takes place on the actor’s birthday week, celebrating Cooper’s history in Southampton and the lasting value of his artistry. Each screening will provide a starting point for conversations and audience interactivity. We will be joined by family and experts on Cooper’s work to learn more about his life and discuss the lasting themes at the root of his career.

View the Festival Trailer HERE

For more information and to buy tickets, please visit https://southamptonplayhouse.com/

 The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” So said baseball legend Lou Gherig in his farewell speech from Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. Three years later, that speech would provide the tearjerking culmination of The Pride of the Yankees, with Cooper giving one of his most treasured performances as the famed player just one year after his death from the disease that would soon bear his name.

More than a tribute to Gherig’s heartbreaking story, though, Pride of the Yankees is a celebration of the energy and excitement at the center of the ultimate great American pastime. Featuring Babe Ruth and several other real-life Yankee legends as themselves, director Sam Wood’s heartfelt story doubles as a document of baseball culture in all of its intricacies, from rookie season hazing rituals to Gherig’s rousing home-run sensations. Teresa Wright’s poignant performance as Gherig’s lifelong love, Eleanor Twitchell Gherig, adds additional depth to a movie rich with affection for its subject and the legacy of his impact that lasts to this day.

Saturday’s screening will be followed by a conversation with New York Times journalist Richard Sandomir, author of The Pride of the Yankees: Lou Gehrig, Gary Cooper, and the Making of a Classic.

Sunday, May 11th at 3:00 PM

Sunday, May 11th at 6:30 PM

***Pride of the Yankees Tickets Available HERE***

Ball of Fire (1941)

Barbara Stanwyck delivers a domineering performance in Howard Hawks’ delectable romcom, but Cooper provides the innocent sounding board for her screwball antics. A loose (very loose!) adaptation of Snow White, the movie follows Stanwyck’s memorably-named Sugarpuss O’Shea, a cabaret singer who seeks refuge with the mob on her tail. She finds it with a group of geeky professors working on a sprawling encyclopedia project, with Cooper’s Professor Bertram researching American slang.

While Sugarpuss brings some spice to the professors’ existence, Bertram’s brainy, good-natured ways ultimately rub off on the troublemaking performer and lead her to rethink her old life. Cooper’s performance as sweet, lovable bookworm is among his most endearing turns.

Friday, May 9th at 7:00 PM

Sunday, May 11th at 12:00 PM

***Ball of Fire Tickets Available HERE***

High Noon (1952)

Fred Zinnemann’s taut Western is allegorical storytelling at its finest. Cooper’s Oscar-winning performance, which doubled as an indictment of the Hollywood blacklist, stands alongside more contemporary action stars as a truly electrifying big-screen achievement.

Marshal Will Kane is on the verge of retirement when he learns that the murderous outlaw he put in prison will return to town on the noon train. Shrugging off his wife’s insistence that they get out of town, the marshal insists he must confront his foe, but struggles to wind up a posse willing to help out. The result is a riveting one-man-army showdown that doubles as a powerful statement on the need for collective action against adversarial forces. Set to Tex Ritter’s infectious country ballad (“You have forsaken me, oh my darling…”), High Noon transforms Western tropes into a treatise on the nature of American identity itself. As a result, it helped usher in a new chapter for the genre that revitalized its appeal. Cooper maintained a close friendship with Zinneman throughout their lives, and this vital work is a clear reflection of that bond. Both screenings will feature a talk by Cooper’s daughter, Maria Cooper Janis, along with a signing of her book Gary Cooper Off Camera: A Daughter Remembers.

Saturday, May 10th at 12:00 PM

Saturday, May 10th at 3:00 PM

*Book signing Saturday, May 10 at 2:00 PM, in between screenings.

***High Noon Tickets Available HERE***

About the Southampton Playhouse:

The Southampton Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving the community of Southampton and beyond with first-rate cinema, live events, and more. Our four screens include a state-of-the-art IMAX theater, 35mm projection, and a flexible space for parties and performance arts, while our lounge area and bookstore provide additional opportunities to enjoy our unique cultural environment. These resources allow us to create a constant dialogue between the past and preston of the moving image as well as its relationship to society as a whole.

As a historic theater that first opened its doors in 1932, the Playhouse embodies the resilience of the theatrical experience and its ability to inspire audiences for generations. Our programming is designed to appeal to all sensibilities, blending the latest blockbusters with new and exciting discoveries from around the world, alongside eclectic repertory programs that probe the depths of film history. We are committed to providing interactive resources for audiences in many forms, from post-screening Q&As to workshops, lectures, and other bespoke experiences. In our weekly newsletter, The Playhouse Post, our artistic director Eric Kohn blends cultural journalism with film history and industry insights to contextualize our program. Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on showtimes and other upcoming events.