Shane (1953)

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act.

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

A.B. Guthrie Jr. (screenplay), Jack Sher (additional dialogue)

Stars:

Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Ladd	...	Shane
Jean Arthur	...	Marian Starrett
Van Heflin	...	Joe Starrett
Brandon De Wilde	...	Joey Starrett
Jack Palance	...	Jack Wilson (as Walter Jack Palance)
Ben Johnson	...	Chris Calloway
Edgar Buchanan	...	Fred Lewis
Emile Meyer	...	Rufus Ryker
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Stonewall Torrey
Douglas Spencer	...	Axel 'Swede' Shipstead
John Dierkes	...	Morgan Ryker
Ellen Corby	...	Mrs. Liz Torrey
Paul McVey	...	Sam Grafton
John Miller	...	Will Atkey - Bartender
Edith Evanson	...	Mrs. Shipstead

Storyline

Shane rides into a conflict between cattleman Ryker and a bunch of settlers, like Joe Starrett and his family, whose land Ryker wants. When Shane beats up Ryker's man Chris, Ryker tries to buy him. Then Shane and Joe take on the whole Ryker crew. Ryker sends to Cheyenne for truly evil gunslinger Wilson. Shane must clear out all the guns from the valley.

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Plot Keywords:

admired by a child | drink thrown into someone's face | cemetery | bare chested male | settler | 

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Taglines:

There never was a man like SHANE. There never was a motion picture like SHANE.

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene when Shane first enters the bar, he answers a question from Chris with "you speakin' to me" to which he gets a reply from Chris "I don't see nobody else standin' there" - very much an influence for dialogue used by Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver (1976).

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Goofs

Marian's wavy blonde bob (actually a wig) would have been just what you might expect from an attractive younger woman on Sunset Blvd. in 1952, but is about as inappropriate as you can get for a middle-aged pioneer woman in the wilderness with no nearby beauty salon to maintain the color, the length, and the curl.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Joey: Somebody's comin', Pa!
Joe Starrett: Well, let him come.

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Crazy Credits

Introducing Brandon De Wilde

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Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure an 'U' rating. All cuts were waived in 1986 when the film was granted an 'PG' certificate for home video.

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Connections

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006)

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Soundtracks

Taps
(1862) (uncredited)
Written by Daniel Butterfield
Played on the harmonica at a funeral

User Reviews

A Western to haunt the memory.

A gunslinger, a farmer, a wife, a little boy, a dog, and some dastardly villains....

I first saw "Shane" from the back seat of a '51 Ford, at a drive-in theater somewhere in Montana. The movie was new, and I was about 4 years old. From that time, I remember quiet male voices and the ring of spurs. Those sounds have lived in my mind for decades.

"Shane" is a classic -- no, not a bang-bang shoot-em-up B Western, but it is a solid Western that gives fans of the genre some something to think about besides "they went thataway." The scenery (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) is grand and was even moreso on the big screen. When well known Western novelist A.B. Guthrie wrote the screenplay, he kept fairly faithful to Jack Schaefer's novel. The movie makes a reasonable attempt, for that time, to look authentic in costume and gear, and gives fans of the movies of the '40s and '50s some interesting cinematic moments (see the small things, like how the camera was used to make Alan Ladd seem more "heroic").

I'd probably recast some of the secondary roles, if I had the chance, but Ladd's soft-spoken, gentlemanly way is just right for Shane, and Jack Palance is subtly evil.

Yes, "Shane" contains a few clichés, but they weren't yet quite so cliché, in 1953. Besides, they were well done clichés, so, while you may recognize them, you probably won't mind them.

But, what's "Shane" about, exactly?...

Courage. Loyalty. Honor. Friendship.

It will leave you wishing you knew what happened next.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1953 (Japan)

Also Known As:

George Stevens' Production of Shane

Filming Locations:

Teton Range, Wyoming, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 90 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) 3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1