Who Made Gary Cooper's "High Noon" Rig? (with pic)

[Wyatt Burp]

This has to be his personal rig as I see him wearing it in the late 40's to at least 1954, including High Noon. Here he is wearing it in Dallas (1950). You can almost read the makers mark on the billet. The holster has a very wide back skirt with exposed trigger guard and a jock strap style loop. It is slightly angled with butt to the rear. He never uses a tie down. It is single thickness but looks very heavy. The belt has no bullet loops and it appears very dark brown or black. I'm leaning towards Lawrence. Bad guy Steve Cochran wears a pair of real nickel plated 1875 Remingtons. Who do you think made Cooper's rig?

[Kid Sopris]

Andy Anderson Did.

[OIF2]

Andy Anderson Did.

Yes. And my old buddy, Vic Perez in Burbank, CA, is still making his stuff. Vic was raised by Andy, learned leather-making from him and has the old patterns. Vic has made me a couple-dozen holsters, or more.
Bob

[Wyatt Burp]

Andy Anderson Did.

In one of my western movie books is a picture of Cooper clearly wearing this rig in "Along Came Jones" which was made in 1945. In my book "The Films Of Gary Cooper" I don't see it earlier than that. And I just saw "Garden Of Evil" last night and he was wearing it on one of the last holes on the billet (with a stag gripped Colt Bisley) then the rig dissapears from his western films. Maybe he outgrew it a little after that. But was Anderson a known holster maker in 1945? I thought he was a WW2 veteran and later an Arkansaw leather worker after that before coming west. I think it's too early to be one of his.

[OIF2]

In one of my western movie books is a picture of Cooper clearly wearing this rig in "Along Came Jones" which was made in 1945. In my book "The Films Of Gary Cooper" I don't see it earlier than that. And I just saw "Garden Of Evil" last night and he was wearing it on one of the last holes on the billet (with a stag gripped Colt Bisley) then the rig dissapears from his western films. Maybe he outgrew it a little after that. But was Anderson a known holster maker in 1945? I thought he was a WW2 veteran and later an Arkansaw leather worker after that before coming west. I think it's too early to be one of his.

You might be right, Wyatt. I'll try to call Vic and ask him. Great stuff. If it wasn't Andy's holster, Vic might know who made it.
Bob

[turnerriver]

Although I can't make out the maker's mark I've never seen a Lawrence mark like that-oval stamp in that location.
The variety of Western movie holsters & rigs astounds me-many of them really crummy looking. The one that's always intrigued me is the rig Ted de Corsia wore as Shanghai Pierce in the Gunfight at the OK Corral.Floral carved, big Buscadero rig-looks like a high quality rig.
Coop's looks pretty high quality as well.
Regards,
turnerriver

[reconciler]

Unfortunately, I have never seen the movie. This display at The Cowboy and Western Hall of Fame implies this holster and the guns were in the movie. Was it not used in the movie? There is no flash allowed inside this section of the museum, so I had to hold the camera as still as possible and hope for the best.

[Wyatt Burp]

Unfortunately, I have never seen the movie. This display at The Cowboy and Western Hall of Fame implies this holster and the guns were in the movie. Was it not used in the movie? There is no flash allowed inside this section of the museum, so I had to hold the camera as still as possible and hope for the best.

Those are the guns he used in The Northwest Mounted Police. What a great shot of those two guns and rig! Those look like real jigged bone grips. My favorite grips of all time.

[jody johnson]

Perhaps Edward H Bohlin? He was quite active in LA-Hollywood "in those days" and made rigs for quite a few hollywood-types.....

[royal]

The guns and rig in the photo appear to be the ones worn by Robert J. Wilke portraying one of the Miller brothers. The Colt carried by Cooper in the movie was a plain jane model with walnut grips.