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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
I am a fan of John Wayne and enjoy his movies. This is one of his best

John Ford and John Wayne's eighth and penultimate Western together, an elegy for the passing of the Old West!
The critics panned THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE when it was first released in April 1962, Not least because it went over much of the same ground explored in FORT APACHE (1948). But the general public thought otherwise and the test of time has proved the latter right. Shot in black and white, with two obviously over-aged stars and mostly studio-bound the only concession to its day was the wide-screen aspect! Gene Pitney also had a huge hit with a song of the same name released at the same time but omitted from the soundtrack because John Ford was said to have hated it! <
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> This dark-tale is of the Old West versus the advancing 20th Century. A train draws into the small western town of Shinbone the only passengers to get off, are Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) they are accosted by local reporter for `The Star' young Charlie Hasbrouck (Joseph Hoover) followed by his editor Maxwell Scott (Carleton Young). Stoddard reveals that they are in town for the funeral of an old friend Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). In the funeral parlour they find Doniphon's coffin guarded by his faithful black servant Pompey (Woody Strode). Scott persuades the Senator to give his account. Meanwhile ex-town-marshal Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) takes Hallie on a buckboard ride out to Toms burnt out old house, here they find masses of cactus roses in bloom, Link steps down and picks one for her. <
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>Now back in Shinbone the story is then revealed in flashback - A gang led by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) ambushed Stoddard's stagecoach. He tries to defend a fellow female passenger but suffers a savage beating in the process and is left for dead. Tom Doniphon brings him to his girl friend Hallie Ericson at PETER'S PLACE (a venue for home cooking) at Shinbone after finding him on the trail! On discovering who attacked him Doniphon told Stoddard "Liberty Valance's the toughest man south of the Picketwire [River] - next to me". Stoddard is a lawyer by profession and is determined to bring Valance to justice he elicits the reluctant help of Marshal Link Appleyard and Shinbone Star founder and editor Dutton Peabody (Edmund O'Brien) in the meantime he helps out washing dishes and serving tables at PETER'S PLACE, he also runs a class teaching people to read and write, whilst telling them that `the pen is mightier than the sword'. One night Valance and two of his henchmen Floyd (Strother Martin) and Reese (Lee Van Cleef) burst into PETER'S PLACE hijack a table and generally causing trouble, Floyd gleefully points out to Valance, that he has spotted Stoddard waiting on tables. Valance trips Stoddard causing him to drop Doniphon's steak dinner on the floor. Doniphon and Valance square up for a gunfight after Doniphon ordered Valance to pick up the steak, but Stoddard picks up the steak to ease the situation, all concerned know sooner or later Valance will be back. <
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>As the tension continues to mount Stoddard is helping out Editor Peabody who allows Ranse to hang his Attorney at Law sign outside the Star Newspaper Office, he is also going off and practicing with a six gun twice a couple of times a week. Tom Doniphon tells Hallie that he going north of the Picketwire [River] for some time horse-trading on his return he reports trouble brewing with the big ranchers who have recruited Liberty Valance and his henchmen to mess up the coming Territorial Convention for Statehood, Stoddard and Peabody are finally selected as the two delegates required whilst Valance was completely rejected. In an editorial Peabody blackens Valances name. Later Valance, Floyd and Reese beat Mr Peabody to within an inch of his life, Ranse sends the marshal to find Valance for a final showdown. Although Liberty wounds Ranse with his first shot - Ranse somehow manages to get off a shot, Valance falls to the ground and is pronounced "dead" in the street by Doc Willoughby. Stoddard is plagued by guilt and is only relieved when Doniphon fills in the missing details. Following the shooting of Valance, the wounded Stoddard is elevated to super hero known to all as "The man who shot Liberty Valance" he also wins Hallie's hand in marriage and goes back East to pursue a life in politics. Whilst having lost Hallie, a disappointed Tom Doniphon steps aside and retreats to into reclusive obscurity. <
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>Stoddard having completed his story to the press was surprised when the editor tears up the script Ranse asked Scott "You're not going to us the story Mr Scott". "This is the West, Sir". Scott said. "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend". Finally Hallie left a cactus rose on Toms coffin as a symbol of their lost love. So with Donophin buried and their business concluded in Shinbone the Stoddards catch the train back to Washington they are welcomed onboard once again by the conductor Jason Tully (Willis Bouchey) Ranse thanks Jason for all his help and Jason replies "Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance". <
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>A fine cast with some great performances all round although the likes of Lee Marvin, Edmound O'Brien, Ken Murray and John Carradine "Ham it up a little". Whilst the two leads were in reality too old for their parts with the love interest Vera Miles being some twenty-odd years their junior, she however gives a beautiful restrained performance as the woman torn between two men! Ford too was on top form with the domestic scenes in Peter's Place cooking and serving up the dinner plate sized steaks to a full house followed up by the enevitable washing up - BRILLIANT! <
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>It was near the end now for the most successful Director / Star relationship in making Western Movies. Ahead lay. "The Civil War" chapter of HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962) and finally a non-Western DONOVAN'S REEF (1963). But Big John Wayne was far from finished, increditably over the next dozen or so years, another twenty-one films lay ahead, fourteen of them Westerns including his Oscar winning TRUE GRIT! <
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>This Widescreen Collection DVD includes Sub Titles, Theatrical Trailer and Scene Selection. This film really deserves the full treatment of a Special Two Disc Edition with extras including Gene Pitney's title song. Nevertheless a must for all Western fans, others should enjoy it too! <
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