Southampton Village Declares May 7 Gary Cooper Day with Festival

The movie theater will screen timeless Cooper classics such as A Farewell to Arms, Meet John Doe, Friendly Persuasion, and The Hanging Tree from May 1-3. Then on May 7, which is Cooper’s birthday, the cinema will offer a free screening of High Noon, which earned Cooper his second Academy Award in 1952.

“Gary Cooper was not only one of the most iconic figures in American cinema, but also someone who shared a genuine and longstanding connection with Southampton Village,” said Southampton Mayor William Manger. “He spent meaningful time here, drawn to the character and natural beauty of our community, and in doing so became part of its history. Establishing ‘Gary Cooper Day’ is a way for us to recognize both his extraordinary contributions to film and his personal ties to our village.”

Manger will also install a commemorative paver at the Southampton Playhouse for the inaugural Gary Cooper Day.

“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. “We are thrilled to welcome back the Gary Cooper Festival to not only celebrate his filmography and talent, but to honor his ties to the greater Southampton community.”

The cinema icon’s daughter, Maria Cooper Janis, will also be on hand for a Q&A at the film festival for the second year in row, along with Patrick Hemingway Adams, the great-grandson of renowned author Ernest Hemingway, who penned A Farewell to Arms.

“My father’s work has meant so much to audiences around the world,” Janis said. “Events like the Gary Cooper Festival keep his spirit alive in a special way, bringing together fans, historians, and new generations who are discovering his films for the first time.”