The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

James Warner Bellah (screenplay) and
Willis Goldbeck (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 May 1962 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Together For The First Time - James Stewart - John Wayne - in the masterpiece of four-time Academy Award winner John Ford

Plot:

A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend and tells the truth about his deed.

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Funeral | Law Book | Outlaw | Friend

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

John Wayne	...	Tom Doniphon
James Stewart	...	Ransom Stoddard
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 - Conductor
Carleton Young	...	Maxwell Scott
Woody Strode	...	Pompey
Denver Pyle	...	Amos Carruthers
Strother Martin	...	Floyd
Lee Van Cleef	...	Reese
Robert F. Simon	...	Handy Strong
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Herbert Carruthers
Paul Birch	...	Mayor Winder
Joseph Hoover	...	Charlie Hasbrouck - Reporter for 'The Star'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Akins	...	(uncredited)
Mario Arteaga	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor	...	(uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Leonard Baker	...	Man (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Rudy Bowman	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Robert Donner	...	(uncredited)
Larry Finley	...	Bar X Man (uncredited)
Shug Fisher	...	Kaintuck (uncredited)
Duke Fishman	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ben Frommer	...	Cantina Bartender (uncredited)
Helen Gibson	...	(uncredited)
Herman Hack	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Convention Committee Member (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy	...	Buck Langhorn (uncredited)
William Henry	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Bryan 'Slim' Hightower	...	Shotgun (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Clute Dumphries (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	(uncredited)
Jimmy Horan	...	Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	...	Drummer (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Party Member at Convention (uncredited)
Anna Lee	...	Mrs. Prescott - Widow in Stage Holdup (uncredited)
Jacqueline Malouf	...	Lietta Appleyard (uncredited)
Ted Mapes	...	Highpockets (uncredited)
Rod McGaughy	...	Statehood Council Member (uncredited)
Montie Montana	...	Politician on Horseback (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	...	Roughrider (uncredited)
Charles Morton	...	Drummer (uncredited)
Eva Novak	...	(uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Jack - Barman (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
Dorothy Phillips	...	(uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
Stephanie Pond-Smith	...	(uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Robert Robinson	...	Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
Buddy Roosevelt	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Phil Schumacher	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Charles Seel	...	Election Council President (uncredited)
Tom Smith	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Cap Somers	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Rudy Sooter	...	Statehood Audience Member (uncredited)
Slim Talbot	...	(uncredited)
Jack Tornek	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Poker Game Dealer (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Williams	...	Henchman (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
James Warner Bellah		(screenplay) and
Willis Goldbeck		(screenplay)
Dorothy M. Johnson		(based on the story by)

Produced by
Willis Goldbeck	....	producer
John Ford	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(music scored by) (as Cyril Mockridge)

Cinematography by
William H. Clothier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Otho Lovering		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Eddie Imazu
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)
Ron Talsky		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Don Robb	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wingate Smith	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Ayres	....	illustrator (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Philip Mitchell	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
Sarah McGrail	....	image processing specialist (uncredited)

Stunts
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bryan 'Slim' Hightower	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted Mapes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louise Montana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Montie Montana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denis Cameron	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Stu Linder	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Irvin Talbot	....	conductor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (The John Ford Production)
• John Ford Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Release)
• Paramount (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• CIC Victor (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Encore Avenue (2010) (Canada) (TV)
• CIC Video (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min | Brazil:124 min | West Germany:113 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | South Korea:12 | UK:U | West Germany:12 (w) | Spain:T | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (Certificate No. 20128) | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:12 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Several reasons have been put forward for the film being in black and white. John Ford once claimed it added to the tension, however others involved with production said Paramount was cutting costs and so they had to make the movie on sound stages at the studio. Without the budget restraints, Ford would have been in Monument Valley using Technicolor stock. It has also been suggested that since both John Wayne and James Stewart were playing characters thirty years younger than they actually were (Wayne was 54 when the movie was filmed in the autumn of 1961 and Stewart was 53), the movie needed to be in black and white because they would never have got away with it in color. The age difference was particularly noticeable in Stewart's case, since he was playing a young lawyer who had only just graduated from law school and had moved West without even practicing law back East.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the last scene on the train, as Stewart is returning to Washington with his wife, the scenery outside the train repeats two and a half times...including a painted crosswalk which is unlikely to have existed at that time in a rural area.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ransom Stoddard:[descending from railway carriage and consulting pocket watch] Thanks, Jason. On time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967)

Soundtrack:

Main Theme

"That was MY steak, Valance!"

... so says John Wayne's character "Tom Doniphan" in this remarkable film to Lee Marvin's character "Liberty Valance" after Valance tripped Jimmy Stewart's character "Ransom Stoddard" while Ransom was bringing John Wayne his steak dinner. This film is undeniably the best western film ever made. Best story line, best acting, best filmed- and most irony.

There were so many memorable lines like the above in this film, i'm surprised that not more of them haven't made it into American slang.

John Wayne, always the perfect choice as a rough & rugged individualistic cowboy. Lee Marvin as the bad guy works every time, too. Jimmy Stewart, the frail idealist, works great in this film as well. Vera Miles gets the job done. My choice for best supporting actor in this film was the actor who played "Pompey", for his strong but understated performance. The scene where Tom was getting drunk and tries to force Pompey to drink with him was a great allegory- he was miserable and wanted everybody to be miserable with him.

If there's a better western out there, lemme know what it is!