The man who shot Liberty Valance
1962 USA Black/White 122 minutes
Review
Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance
Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife (Vera Miles) return to the western town of Shinbone in 1910. They have unexpectedly come to the funeral of Tom Doniphon (John Wayne), which piques the interest of a local reporter. Ransom begins to tell how he came to know Tom, and how he, years earlier, arrived in Shinbone, after being robbed and beaten by the notorious outlaw, Liberty
Valance (Lee Marvin).
Tom is the town's unofficial leader, a roughneck cowboy with deadeye aim and the only man in the territory who could possibility stand up to Valance. But Stodard wants to put Valance in jail using the law not a gun. Liberty is offended by Stodards big mouth and baits Ransom into a gunfight. When Ransom refuses to run away with the help of Tom a gun duel takes place in the street.
Cast
- James Stewart .... Ransom Stoddard
- John Wayne .... Tom Doniphon
- Vera Miles .... Hallie Stoddard
- Lee Marvin .... Liberty Valance
- Edmond O'Brien .... Dutton Peabody
- Andy Devine .... Marshal Link Appleyard
- Ken Murray .... Doc Willoughby
- John Carradine .... Maj. Cassius Starbuckle
- Jeanette Nolan .... Nora Ericson
- John Qualen .... Peter Ericson
- Willis Bouchey .... Jason Tully
- Carleton Young .... Maxwell Scott
- Woody Strode .... Pompey
- Denver Pyle .... Amos Carruthers
- Strother Martin .... Floyd
Links and more
You didn’t kill Liberty Valance.
Liberty Valance is the toughest man
When the legend becomes fact.
Go west, young man
Arrest Libert Valance?!
Song lyrics sung by Gene Pitney / James Taylor
Congratulations
This month it would have been James Stewart`s (Ransom Stoddard) 100th birthday.
* May 20, 1908
† July 2, 1997
This month it would have been John Wayne`s (Tom Doniphon) 101th birthday.
* May 26, 1907
† June 11, 1979
Trivia
Release date: April 22, 1962
Oscar Nomination:
Costume Design, Black-and-White
The song Liberty Valance, Only Love Can Break A Heart, the biggest hit for Gene Pitney, was inspired by the movie but the song was never actually sung in the film itself.
Bio
John Wayne
I never trust a man that doesn't drink
Remarkable:
Wayne told a group of friends after a private screening of Midnight cowboy that he thought that actors Hoffman and Voight were great. A few days later he wondered: “Whoever thought I’d say good things about a movie featuring a gigolo, a homeless Italian dwarf, and gang rape”.
Born:
May 26, 1907
Born as:
Marion Robert Morrison
Died:
June 11, 1979
Raised in California, Marion went to USC on a football scholarship. During summer vacations he was employed as a third-string prop man in the Fox-studio's and on the set he became close friends with director John Ford for whom he began doing bit parts.
Wayne got his break winning the the lead in Fox's upcoming Western epic The big trail. He changed his name in John Wayne and became in 1939 a star in the role of The Ringo kid in Stagecoach.
In 1948 for the first time, critics sat up and took notice when the duke starred in Howard Hawks' Red River (1948). The 50s gave Wayne an opportunity to depth and poignancy in films like She wore a yellow ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Searchers (1956) and Rio Bravo (1959).
In real life he was a patriot, an ultra-American who reflected his right-wing political stance in The Alamo (1960) and in The green berets (1968). John won his only Academy Award with True Grit (1969).
Academy awards
1970 Won Best actor for: True grit (1969)
1961 Nominated Best picture for: The Alamo(1960)
1950 Nominated Best actor for: Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Selected Movies:
Books:
S. Zmijewsky and B. Zmijewsky and M. Ricci -> The Complete Films of John Wayne (1983/1995)
Randy Roberts and James S. Olson -> John Wayne, American (1995)
Ronald L. Davis -> Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne (1998)
Emanuel Levy -> John Wayne: Prophet of the American Way of Life (1988/1998)
