The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

A senator returns to a western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

James Warner Bellah (screenplay), Willis Goldbeck (screenplay)

Stars:

James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Tom Doniphon
James Stewart	...	Ransom Stoddard
Vera Miles	...	Hallie Stoddard
Lee Marvin	...	Liberty Valance
Edmond O'Brien	...	Dutton Peabody
Andy Devine	...	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

Storyline

When Senator Ransom Stoddard returns home to Shinbone for the funeral of Tom Doniphon, he recounts to a local newspaper editor the story behind it all. He had come to town many years before, a lawyer by profession. The stage was robbed on its way in by the local ruffian, Liberty Valance, and Stoddard has nothing to his name left save a few law books. He gets a job in the kitchen at the Ericson's restaurant and there meets his future wife, Hallie. The territory is vying for Statehood and Stoddard is selected as a representative over Valance, who continues terrorizing the town. When he destroys the local newspaper office and attacks the editor, Stoddard calls him out, though the conclusion is not quite as straightforward as legend would have it.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | funeral | outlaw | stagecoach | pistol | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Rance is running the class he asks Pompey what is the governing document that is changed from time to time with amendments. Pompey replies, correctly, "The Constitution." Rance corrects him and says, "The Declaration of Independence." Rance is wrong. Pompey says the one written by Thomas Jefferson, which was the Declaration of Independence.

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Goofs

In front of the Tom's coffin, Marshal Link's hat appears and disappears between shots on the box which he holds.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in Bates Motel: Plunge (2014)

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Soundtracks

A Hot Time in the Old Town
(1896) (uncredited)
Music by Theodore A. Metz
Played in the saloon and often in the score

User Reviews

Man of words vs. Man of actions

IMDb Top 250: 238

I came to a realization about John Ford watching this film. He's a legendary director who can create interesting plots, fill them with meaning and themes, provoke strong performances from his cast, and keep a viewer interested for 2 hours. But between this and The Searchers, I felt something missing. This film is shot in a very conventional manner, so visually it didn't stand out. And there was just a lack of... heart. The minimal soundtrack played a role in that matter. So to conclude, this is a well-made movie with strong features, that played it safe and didn't take many risks.

There's very little to spoil in this movie: you know how it ends from the title. There's only really one plot point worth hiding. But knowing that puts me in a different state of movie-watching mind: the point of the film is not what happens, but why and how. The great beginning, set much after the bulk of the film, cemented that idea. We know the fate of all the characters. But how did they get there?

This brings me to the strongest point: the dynamic between Ransom and Doniphon, played by the legendary James Stewart and John Wayne, respectively. Ransom is the man of words, a lawyer who wants to solve his problems diplomatically. Doniphon is the man of action, who realizes the importance of guns and confidence in the West. Between them is Hallie, and a sort of triangle develops. It's interesting to see how that love plays out, especially when the other tug-of-war, Ransom's struggle to maintain his principles also unfolds.

As I've said, the cast is excellent. The two leads are excellent, in a cool conflict with each other. Vera Miles is, as Wayne says, "kinda cute when she's angry", and has some good scenes. Mr. Peabody and the Marshall are excellent characters fully realized to their comic, and dramatic, potential. But the acting star is Lee Marvin, in the role of the titular Valence. He's a bad, bad man and supremely played.

I like to review Ford's films, as the meaning he puts into them make great analysis and reviews. If you like westerns, you probably love him, and if you don't know him you need to see his films. They could just be that much better if he would take a risk. 8.1/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Ford Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min 113 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1