Favorite western movies? I’ve got a few. But if I had to choose, I think it would have to be The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
This Hollywood classic, starring John Wayne as Tom Doniphon, Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance, Vera Miles as Hallie Ericson, and Jimmy Stewart as Ransom “Ranse” Stoddard has just about everything a western cinema fan could hope for: action, romance, right-over-might…and an unforgettable theme song.
Dorothy M. Johnson’s short story was made into a movie in 1962. It’s one of my oldest “movie” memories, as I was five years old when it made the rounds to the movie theaters and drive-ins.
Here’s the description of the movie according to Wickipedia in case you have never seen it:
Elderly U.S. Senator Ransom “Ranse” Stoddard and his wife Hallie arrive by train in the small western town of Shinbone, to attend the funeral of an apparent nobody, a local rancher named Tom Doniphon. Prior to the funeral, Hallie goes off with a friend to visit a burned-down house with obvious significance to her. As they pay their respects to the dead man at the undertaker’s establishment, the senator is interrupted with a request for a newspaper interview. Stoddard grants the request.
As the interview with the local reporter begins, the film flashes back several decades as Stoddard reflects on his first arrival at Shinbone by stagecoach to establish a law practice.
A gang of outlaws, led by gunfighter Liberty Valance, hold up the stagecoach. Stoddard is brutally beaten, left for dead and later rescued by Doniphon. Stoddard is nursed back to health by restaurant owner Peter Ericson (John Qualen), his wife Nora (Jeanette Nolan) and daughter Hallie. It later emerges that Hallie is Doniphon’s love interest.
Shinbone’s townsfolk are regularly menaced by Valance and his gang. Cowardly local marshal Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) is ill prepared and unwilling to enforce the law. Doniphon is the only local courageous enough to challenge Valance’s lawless behavior. On one occasion, Doniphon even intervenes on Stoddard’s behalf, when Valance publicly humiliates the inept Easterner. Valance trips Stoddard who is waiting tables at Peter’s restaurant. Stoddard spills Doniphon’s order causing Doniphon to intervene. Valance stands down and leaves. Doniphon tells Stoddard he needs to either leave the territory or buy a gun. Stoddard says he will do neither.
Stoddard is an advocate for justice under the law, not man. He earns the respect and affection of Hallie when he offers to teach her to read after he discovers, to her embarrassment, she’s had no formal education. Stoddard’s influence on Hallie and the town is further evidenced when he begins a school for the townspeople with Hallie’s help. But, secretly, Stoddard borrows a gun and practices shooting.
Doniphon shows Stoddard his plans for expanding his house in anticipation of marrying Hallie, and reminds him that Hallie is his girl. Doniphon gives Stoddard a shooting lesson but humiliates him by shooting a can of paint which spills on Stoddard’s suit. Doniphon warns that Valance will be just as devious, but Stoddard hits him in the jaw and leaves.
In Shinbone, the local newspaper editor-publisher Dutton Peabody (Edmond O’Brien) writes a story about local ranch owners’ opposition to the territory’s potential statehood. Valance convinces the ranchers that if they will hire him, he can get elected as a delegate to represent the cattlemen’s interest. Shinbone’s residents meet to elect two delegates to send to the statehood convention at the territorial capital. Valance attempts to bully the townspeople into electing him as a delegate. Eventually, Stoddard and Peabody are chosen. Valance assaults and badly beats Peabody after Peabody publishes two unflattering articles about Valance and his gang. The villains destroy Peabody’s office. Valance also calls Stoddard out for a duel later in the evening after Valance loses his bid for delegate. Valance leaves saying “Don’t make us come and get you!” Doniphon tells Stoddard he should leave town and even offers to have his farmhand, Pompey, escort him. But when Stoddard sees that Peabody has been nearly beaten to death, he calls out Valance. Stoddard then retrieves a carefully wrapped gun from under his bed and heads toward the saloon where Valance is. Valance hears he has been called out and justifies going out in self-defense. His wins his last poker hand before the duel with Aces and Eights.
In the showdown, Valance toys with Stoddard by firing a bullet near his head and then wounding him in the arm, which causes Stoddard to drop his gun. Valance allows Stoddard to bend down and retrieve the gun. Valance then aims to kill Stoddard promising to put the next bullet “right between the eyes,” when Stoddard fires and miraculously kills Valance with one shot to the surprise of everyone, including himself. Hallie responds with tearful affection. Doniphon congratulates Stoddard on his success, and notices how Hallie lovingly cares for Stoddard’s wounds.
Sensing that he has lost Hallie’s affections, Doniphon gets drunk in the saloon and drives out Valance’s gang, who have been calling for Stoddard to be lynched for Valance’s “murder.” The barman tries to tell Doniphon’s farmhand Pompey (Woody Strode) that he cannot be served (due to his race), to which Doniphon angrily shouts: “Who says he can’t? Pour yourself a drink, Pompey.” Pompey instead drags Doniphon home, where the latter sets fire to an uncompleted bedroom he was adding to his house in anticipation of marrying Hallie. The resulting fire destroys the entire house.
Stoddard is hailed as “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and based on this achievement, is nominated as the local representative to the statehood convention. Stoddard is reluctant to serve based upon his notoriety for killing a man in a gunfight.
At this point, in a flashback within the original flashback, Doniphon tells Stoddard that it was he (Doniphon), hidden across the street, who shot and killed Valance in cold blood, and not Stoddard in self-defense. Stoddard finds Doniphon and asks him why he shot Valance. He did it for Hallie, he says, because he understood that “she’s your girl now”. Doniphon encourages Stoddard to accept the nomination: “You taught her to read and write, now give her something to read and write about!”
Stoddard returns to the convention and is chosen as representative. He marries Hallie and eventually becomes the governor of the new state. He then becomes a two term U.S. senator, then the American ambassador to Great Britain, a U.S. senator again, and at the time of Doniphon’s funeral is the favorite for his party’s nomination as vice president.
The film returns to the present day and the interview ends. The newspaper man, understanding now the truth about the killing of Valance, burns his notes stating: “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
Stoddard and Hallie board the train for Washington, melancholy about the lie that led to their prosperous life. With the area becoming more and more civilized, Stoddard decides, to Hallie’s delight, to retire from politics and return to the territory to set up a law practice. When Stoddard thanks the train conductor for the train ride and the many courtesies extended to him by the railroad, the conductor says, “Nothing’s too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance!” Upon hearing the comment, Stoddard and his wife stare off thoughtfully into the distance.
As a side note, one of the many reasons this film holds a special place in my heart is because I remember it as being the first time I made the connection between a scene onscreen representing a flashback. Remember the “flashback within a flashback” that the Wikipedia article mentions? The smoke from John Wayne’s cigarette moves and flows to take over the screen as he tells Jimmy Stewart, “You didn’t kill Liberty Valance. Think back, Pilgrim…” That smoke took us back to the truth of what had happened, and my five-year-old brain was shocked—and enamored, even then, with the idea that time passage, or remembrances could be shown through the haze of cigarette smoke. It was the moment of truth for Ransom Stoddard. John Ford was a genius for so many reasons.
For me, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance embodies the core of the west—good and evil, and how sometimes “the point of a gun was the only law”—and it all depended on the man who held the weapon.
Liberty represented the purest evil. Ranse was determined to fight him with the law he treasured—the desire to do things the legal way blinding him to the fact that Liberty didn’t respect that. In the beginning, his naivete is almost painful to watch, providing Liberty some rich entertainment. Though Tom finds it amusing, his growing respect for Ranse’s perseverance is portrayed to perfection by that familiar downward glance of John Wayne’s. Accompanied by the half-smile and his slow advice-giving drawl, the character of Tom Doniphon is drawn so that by the point at which he sees the handwriting on the wall and burns down the house he built for Hallie, the viewer’s sympathy shifts, briefly, to the circumstances Tom finds himself in.
But Ranse is determined to vanquish Valance one way or the other—with a lawbook or a gun—whatever it takes. In the final showdown, the lines of resignation are etched in Tom Doniphon’s face, and we know he is honor-bound to do the thing he’ll regret forever: save Ranse Stoddard’s life and lose Hallie to him.
I love the twist. Ranse truly believes he’s killed Valance. Again, to do the honorable thing, Tom tells him the truth about what really happened.
What do you think? If you were Ranse, would you want to know you really were not the man who shot Liberty Valance? Or would you want to be kept in the dark? If you were Tom, would you have ever told him? It’s a great movie! Speaking of GREAT MOVIES, what’s your favorite western movie?
GENE PITNEY SINGS THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
Now you can sing along! (I promise, this song will stay with you all day long…)
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE
When Liberty Valance rode to town the womenfolk would hide, they’d hide
When Liberty Valance walked around the men would step aside
’cause the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin’ straight and fast—he was mighty good.
From out of the East a stranger came, a law book in his hand, a man
The kind of a man the West would need to tame a troubled land
’cause the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin’ straight and fast—he was mighty good.
Many a man would face his gun and many a man would fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all.
The love of a girl can make a man stay on when he should go, stay on
Just tryin’ to build a peaceful life where love is free to grow
But the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When the final showdown came at last, a law book was no good.
Alone and afraid she prayed that he’d return that fateful night, aww that night
When nothin’ she said could keep her man from goin’ out to fight
From the moment a girl gets to be full-grown the very first thing she learns
When two men go out to face each other only one retur-r-r-ns
Everyone heard two shots ring out, a shot made Liberty fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all.
The man who shot Liberty Valance, he shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all.
A native Oklahoman, I've been influenced by the west all my life. I love to write short stories and novels in the historical western and western romance genres, as well as contemporary romantic suspense! Check my Amazon author page to see my work: http://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson
I live in Oklahoma City with my husband of 40 years. I love to hear from readers and other authors--you can contact me here: fabkat_edit@yahoo.com
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I’d probably want to know I didn’t do it.
Hi Denise, I think I would want to know, too! Glad you stopped by today!
I would want to know the truth
Me too, Rhonda. I would always think about it and wonder if I did the right thing, so it would be good to know I didn’t do it at all.
I love this movie because it has real psychological conflict. It isn’t just a “shoot-em’up,” and it isn’t just the white hats against the black. Jimmy Stewart has to live with his choices. It begs the question, do you lie for the greater good? It’s the last vestiges of the Old West (Tom) against the progressive New West (Rance). And every actor in the movie delivered their best. Lee Marvin was never meaner, Vera Miles was never more gracious. Jimmy Stewart stammered his way into perfection. John Wayne WAS Tom. Love it.
Kathy, I’m totally with you on all of this. I think every actor did a consummate portrayal of their character. Actually, this is one movie I loved so much better than the short story it came from. I was disappointed in that short story, compared to the movie. WONDERFUL MOVIE! Loved the actors and their characters so much. I don’t see how it could have been improved on. Thanks for stopping by today!
I love this movie and song, too!! I don’t know that I’d seen it before I saw it on GRIT. I might have, though. I think I’d want to know the truth, though I’d hate to know everything I did after was based on a lie. Especially since at the end he’s no longer sure that Hallie would have chosen him, which to me is the saddest thing of all.
Yes, Trudy, I agree with you there. That was a very poignant moment at the end. And in my mind, he had to reconcile himself to the fact that Hallie might have cared for Tom, to some degree, all through their marriage. This movie was truly a masterpiece, IMO.
Yes, it was!! It has everything, and you feel all of the emotions. The scene where Hallie leaves the plant for Tom, was soooo good, too, that you know she felt something for him all those years.
Yes, for sure! I’ve thought what a hard time she must have had, leaving behind the man she had thought she’d marry to marry someone else, so different, so unexpected.
I remember the song, but not the movie.
I have seen this movie so many times, at so many different stages of my life, and every time I watch it I notice something else I missed before! It is really wonderful–if you have time, sit down and watch it!
This was a fantastic movie. I have watched it many times. And of course I loved Gene Pitney. I seen him in person and it was a great concert. John Wayne movies are my favs, I would have to say my fav western of his would be… all of them.
HA! I agree, Kathleen. I love all of them, too! Wow, how cool that you got to see Gene Pitney in concert! He had a strong, wonderful voice. I found a book of his songs in the music store a few years back in the clearance bin and bought it. They don’t sound nearly as good on the piano, but they were fun to play.
A fabulous movie, wonderfully acted; a terrific song, sung virtually a capella! And nothing was black and white except the movie. Considering the good they show Ranse doing throughout his career, I suspect it was best he did NOT know, at least until after he’d agreed to run for election. That he fought at all, against his principles, in the context of time and place, carried with him throughout his life–a huge number of very subtle messages throughout the film. As I was remembering the movie, I clicked all the links you so graciously include in your article, and even dove a bit further, discovering this article: https://philosophynow.org/issues/134/The_Man_Who_Shot_Liberty_Valance
I guess, as a seeker of truth, I would want to know exactly what happened; but timing is important, too, and the delay in the revelation was probably as critical as the fact of it. HUGE philosophical discussions flapping through my brain! Thank you for sharing this with us!
YES, Elissa! That struck me too–the a capella (practically) feel of that song–his voice was so strong and so true to pitch he pulled it off and made it sound easy! Oh, I am soooo glad you included the link to that article. I am definitely going over to read it, and I sure appreciate you putting the link in your comment for all of us to be able to check it out!
I totally agree with you. Timing is everything. In the end, Ranse knew the truth, but if he’d known earlier, it would have changed everything, and everything for Tom and Hallie, possibly, too. So interesting to think about! Thanks for your input–you have given me a lot to think about!
I would want to know, & I would want to tell the truth, regardless of the outcome.
I agree, Ami. I would too. But the timing of when I found it all out would make all the difference. I am so glad that Tom waited to tell him.
I really enjoyed watching this movie, it is so so good! Have a great week.
Alicia, I agree–it is a wonderful piece of work, isn’t it? I just love it too! You have a great week, too, and thanks for stopping by today!
I have heard of the movie but never watched it. After reading what you shared, I’m going to have to make it a point to watch it.
Oh, I sure hope you will. Every actor in that movie was at his/her finest! You will enjoy it, I bet!
I loved this movie. I love all of John Wayne’s movies.
I agree, Linda. I don’t think there is a bad one. I like some more than others, but will watch them whenever they’re on!
Hi Cheryl! I’d want to know the truth, too. I remember that song. We grew up on Westerns, both movies and TV shows. There’s so many good ones! I love the old ones, but when they do the remakes of some the effects are awesome to behold. This is a great post!
Hi Karen! I’m so glad you enjoyed it–I’ve posted this before but like to run it again from time to time in case people missed it the first time around. I was born in 1957, so was the perfect age for the old westerns and the western movies. SOOOO many good ones! Now I’m glued to the GRIT channel to watch the ones I might have missed before–and there are a lot of them that were “just before” my time. LOL Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
oh my I love these actors. Especially John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. Thanks for sharing. Memories
Lori, I am so very grateful for the technology we have that preserves these wonderful films from the past and makes them available for our viewing over and over again! Same with music recordings. Wouldn’t it be awful to see something only one time, and love it, and not ever be able to see it again? I’m so glad you stopped by and that you enjoyed the post! I love all those actors, too!
I really do need to watch this movie one of these days. I did not and still don’t go to the movies very often. I guess my favorite “western” movie is SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. Though not a true “cowboy” movie, it does contain many of the elements of the western.
You would really love it, Patricia! I hope you will find time to watch it–I think you would really like it.