Senator Ransom Stoddard (Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Miles) make an unscheduled stop in the small town of Shinbone, CO to mourn the death of an old friend. While in town, the local newsmen want an explanation for his visit. Stoddard reluctantly tells them about his origin in Shinbone, 25 years ago.
Shinbone is a wild town. The people, including Marshal Link Appleyard (Devine) are terrified of notorious gunfighter Liberty Valance (Marvin). Valance enjoys the reputation and regularly robs the stagecoach. He robs Stoddard's coach and beats him severely. Stoddard is later found by rancher Tom Doniphon (Wayne), the only man tougher than Valance. Doniphon explains the only way to survive in the west is to carry a gun. Stoddard is a lawyer and believes in the law, not guns.
Dutton Peabody (O'Briend), who runs the local newspaper, invites Stoddard to share his office and practice law. Stoddard also helps at the nearby diner, to thank Peter (Qualen) and Nora (Nolan) Ericson and Halie (Miles) for giving him aide and shelter after the attack. Valance comes back to town and everyone prepares for a showdown, with epic results. But the facts are not as clear as people remember.
The film is based on a 1953 short story written by Dorothy M. Johnson.
The Good:
There are so many things to talk about with this film. It is the type of film that you watch once and remember, and with each subsequent viewings you notice new things. The film is a gritty Western shot in black-and-white. Unlike most Westerns, it does not include sweeping cinematography, and focuses the story in the town of Shinbone.
This film makes the most of it's incredible cast. Lee Marvin is menacing, brutal, and memorable as Liberty Valance. John Wayne receives top billing and is a commanding presence. James Stewart is the focus of the story. The rest of the film is rounded out with talented character actors. The story is not what you expect, especially for a Western, but it works.
The Bad:
Some parts, especially the convention, drag on.
Other Comments:
-Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote the song "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", which was recorded by Gene Pitney, but it was not included in the film.
-The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black and White for Edith Head.
-Nominated for 3 of the American Film Institute's (AFI) lists: 100 Years... 100 Heroes & Villains, 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes (the quote at the start of this post), and AFI's 10 Top 10.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) 123 minutes
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne as Tom Doniphon
James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard
Vera Miles as Hallie
Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance
Edmond O'Brien as Dutton Peabody
Andy Devine as Marshal Link Appleyard
Ken Murray as Doc Willoughby
John Carradine as Major Cassius Starbuckle
Jeanette Nolan as Nora Ericson
John Qualen as Peter Ericson
Woody Strode as Pompey
Denver Pyle as Amos Carruthers
Strother Martin as Floyd
Lee Van Cleef as Reese