IMDb > The Shootist (1976)
The Shootist
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The Shootist (1976) More at IMDbPro »

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The Shootist (1976) -- A dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.
The Shootist (1976) -- A dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   7,707 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Don Siegel
Writers:
Glendon Swarthout (novel)
Miles Hood Swarthout (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Shootist on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 August 1976 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Western more
Tagline:
He's got to face a gunfight once more to live up to his legend once more. To win just one more time.
Plot:
A dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations more
User Comments:
You Really Should See This Film more (111 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

John Wayne ... J.B.Books aka John Bernard Books

Lauren Bacall ... Bond Rogers

Ron Howard ... Gillom Rogers

James Stewart ... Dr. E.W. Hostetler

Richard Boone ... Mike Sweeney
Hugh O'Brian ... Jack Pulford (faro dealer at Metropole Saloon)
Bill McKinney ... Jay Cobb (owner, Cob's Creamery)
Harry Morgan ... Carson City Marshal Walter Thibido
John Carradine ... Hezekiah Beckum (undertaker)
Sheree North ... Serepta (Books' ex-girlfriend)
Rick Lenz ... Dan Dobkins (reporter, 'Morning Appeal') (as Richard Lenz)
Scatman Crothers ... Moses Brown (liveryman)
Gregg Palmer ... Burly man
Alfred Dennis ... Barber
Dick Winslow ... Streetcar driver
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Additional Details

Runtime:
100 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Filming Locations:
Carson City, Nevada, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The engraved Colt Single Action Army revolvers used by J. B. Books in this film were in reality a pair of 1950's-made replicas presented to John Wayne by the long-defunct Great Western company. Being Wayne's personal weapons, it is unlikely he would have allowed the bores to be restricted to prevent firing with live ammo as most movie guns must be, so it can be assumed that Wayne had the only live-firing weapons on the set. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the opening scene labeled as being set in 1871, a pair of Colt Peacemaker revolvers with 4 3/4 inch barrels is shown. This model was developed for the US Army in 1873. Civilian sales started in 1875, and the 4 3/4 barrel length wasn't available until 1877. more
Quotes:
Gillom Rogers: [Books is giving Gillom gunfighting lessons] Mr. Books, my grouping of shots was tighter than yours. How is it you've killed so many men?
John Bernard Books: First thing is, that target wasn't shooting back at you. Second, most men at that last second will flinch; I won't.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Invasion of the Body Snatchers... An Interview with Kevin McCarthy (1985) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Willow, Tit Willow more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
30 out of 35 people found the following comment useful.
You Really Should See This Film, 20 October 2003
9/10
Author: Dr. Mike from El Paso, Texas

John Wayne is an icon, and so many viewers seem to use his work as a referendum on the larger geo-political issues of our time. I find that distasteful, as this isn't a political movie, and one that doesn't even have an oppressed indigenous person in it. This is a personal story of a man who "has outlived his time", who is dying of cancer, and yet is determined to die with dignity. John Wayne really was dying of cancer when he made this movie... he gathered old friends around him--the widow of Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, John Carradine, and addressed the topic of how legends die. (Selling the rights for his corpse to be displayed by the undertaker for $50 cash in advance was a particularly interesting idea.) I am viewing this film 27 years after it was made, and there is 'something' it had which is absent from movies today. It is a film addressing mature themes for one thing, but it had a pacing, and made time for it's dialouge--it was never dull, never slow, but proceeded towards it's climax with the sort of gravitas you very rarely see in today's cinematic roller coaster rides, which have become little more than special effects vehicles. There is another reason to see this film--it looks back at 1901 with a loving vision. I was impressed with the historical accuracy in which it was filmed--it was impressive to see the town, from the horsedrawn street car and the Stanley Steamer, to little things like the flour dispenser in the kitchen. (Wondered where it was filmed--perhaps the old Old Tucson Studio before it burned down and was rebuilt to be a tourist attraction?) Anyway, this was a lovingly crafted film--I don't know if Hollywood could still pull this off "as real" in 2003. So, for big reasons and small, "The Shootist" is worth your time. It is deeper than it looks.

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