‘The Cowboy and the Lady’ (1938)

When you think of Gary Cooper, what movies come to mind? Perhaps you think of him as the title character in “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936) or “Meet John Doe.” What about Merle Oberon? If this classic actress’s name is familiar to you at all, you probably know her from “Wuthering Heights” (1939). However, these well-known classic films are just a drop in the ocean of the long careers these two classic actors had.

For instance, “The Cowboy and the Lady” from 1938 is a charming romantic comedy, which stars these two actors in their only screen pairing. As the title suggests, it features Cooper as a cowboy and Oberon as the refined young lady with whom he falls in love, despite their different backgrounds.

A Princess and the Pauper Tale

Mary Smith (Oberon) is the daughter of wealthy politician Horace Smith (Henry Kolker), who is vying for the presidential nomination. Her lively uncle Hannibal (Harry Davenport) thinks she needs to have some fun, so he takes her to a New York nightclub, which ends up getting raided for gambling. To avoid scandal, her father sends her to his Florida mansion, where her only company is the two resident maids, Katie (Patsy Kelly) and Elly (Mabel Todd).