MovieChat Forums > Sergeant York (1941) Discussion > she's 16 he is 40

she's 16 he is 40

posted 16 years ago by rpherst
40 replies | jump to latest

i find it interesting that when it came time to cast cooper's(who was 40) love interest they chose an underage 16 yr old joan leslie and nobody raised an eyebrow back in the 40's. that would be like having a love story between miley cirus and brad pitt today. there would be such an outcry and the director would probably be charged with child abuse. the funny thing is that leslie and cooper had real chemistry together.maybe those old black and white movies somehow make everybody look older.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] generalusgrant 13 years ago

I'm always amused by these posts tha Cooper was "too old" for his leading lady. Similar threads are posted on the High Noon board, Love in the Afternoon board and several other Cooper movies. I am sure all these threads are started by men.

Gary Cooper was one of the most gorgeous men to ever draw breath. At 40, he was still handsomer than any other man half his age. I've seen Sgt. York 50 times in my life and it never once occured to me that he's older than Joan Leslie. She should consider herself lucky, even at 16, to have someone like Coop even glance her way. And that's not knocking Leslie.

[–] Sugarminx 12 years ago

Cor! Regardless of her age she was blinking lucky to be kissing Gary Cooper, he makes me swoon! I'm not usually attracted to older men but he's one hot dish.

Look at this, it's a nighty. She would look sexy in that, you'd look like a moose!

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] none-85 14 years ago

Joan Leslie did well with all of the older actors (compard to her) she appeared with- Cooper, Bogart, Dennis Morgan, Cagney. I admire it; gives my confidence in my own relationship with a beauty 29 years younger than me.

[–] indy_go_blue44 12 years ago

Alvin York was born in Dec. 1887, so he would have been 29 or 30 in real life at the time he was drafted. A lot of men had (have) a wife 10-15 years younger than then, and in 1917 a 15 year old was looked at much differently in terms of marriagability than today.

Assuming they ever did a remake, they'd probably pick a male actor in the 25-35 age range and female 18-20, since there'd have to be a mandatory bedroom scene.

[–] manage-932-700755 11 years ago

Joan played against even older actors- Cagney, Bogart and Astaire. At that time, in the backwoods of Tennessee, maube that degree of age diffeence was very common.

[–] arvig 11 years ago

The OP/rpherst posted this in part: "i find it interesting that when it came time to cast cooper's(who was 40) love interest they chose an underage 16 yr old joan leslie and nobody raised an eyebrow back in the 40's...".

IMO you have to consider a few things:

1) The actual Sgt. Alvin York requested Cooper to play him, despite Gary Cooper being about 10 years too old.

2) I don't know the actual age of Alvin York's wife at the time, but in the early 20th century it was more common for women to be married younger then they are now, including in their teens. My grandmother (whom was born in 1920 so thus is much younger then the real Gracie York) was married at 15 or 16 for instance.

3) There's also the politically correct factor. Sure, she was 16 and he was 40, but again since they were playing characters closer in age, people then weren't going to be as politically correct over it. Now if such is for the better or worse now, I'll just leave that up for debate. (IMO I think it's a mixed bag. In some cases yes, but I do think people can be too knee jerk with politically correctness also)

[–] boxerrebellion 11 years ago

If your Grandmother was born in 1920, she was born during WWI and was therefore a bit younger than Gracie who married just after The Great War.

[–] joeparkson 10 years ago

I know teens who are more mature than some 30 year olds. Joan Leslie didn't have a teenager's triviality about her. That's why she was believable opposite older men.

Absurdity: A Statement or belief inconsistent with my opinion.

[–] bari2525 10 years ago

Your statement is perplexing...

First of all, WWI ended November 11, 1918. If this person's grandmother was born in 1920, she was born considerably AFTER the end of WWI, or "THE GREAT WAR," as you so easily confused the titles..

WWI was not called "WWI" until AFTER the Germans invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. BEFORE that, everyone had referred to it as "The Great War..."

After 9/1/39, the hostilities in Europe were called (here in America, at least) "The war in Europe," and the media in many outlets began referring to the ongoing trouble as WWII...

As it continued, the designation stood, and of course, this is what it became known as, even to this day...

I don't act...I react. John Wayne

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] jdwilkins2000-1 8 years ago

One thing I don't see anyone mentioning on this thread is the historical/cultural time frame in which the movie took place. in 1916 rural (Hill Country) Tennessee (or Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, etc.) a 16 year old young woman was often already married with a couple of kids. This would not have been an unusual pairing at all, considering the time and place.
Just my thoughts on it.
Peace,
Jim