But what if Doniphon is lying, what if Stoddard really is the man who shot Liberty Valance? Hes the toughest man in town, admired by all, the only one brave enough, strong enough, fast enough to stand up to Valance, except he wont do it. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Next: The Barbarian And The Geisha Had John Wayne Literally Fighting His Director. John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles and Lee Marvin star in this compelling story of secrets, lies, fame, fortune and redemption.. When he recovers, the college-education lawyer goes to work as a dishwasher in the hotel that took him in. But in addition to drawing on Americana, Ford created it; the characters and situations in his westerns, from The Iron Horse to Stagecoach to Ford Apache to The Searchers to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, have become as much a part of American tradition as those on which Ford originally drew. They would make one more film together, the lighthearted comedyDonovans Reef (1963), and call it quits. The tall, confident Woody Strode appeared in five Ford pictures, all the way from "Stagecoach" to Ford's final film, "7 Women" (1966). In a film with Lee Marvin's snarl, Andy Devine's squeaky voice and the accent of the Swedes, John Wayne as usual provides the calm center, never trying for an effect. Now that's out of the way, a brief introduction. (LogOut/ Both Ford and Wayne were extremely depressed by this, seeing the American values that they held so dear, and which they propagated so passionately through their movies, slipping away. His illiterate students include Hallie. Indeed Hallie and Nora Ericson (Jeanette Nolan) are the only two noticeable women in town; little wonder Tom's love for Hallie is intense. The movie becomes about making a sacrifice for the greater good, and includes an element of chance or fate. Fords westerns portrayed truth, honor, courage, family and community as the chief weapons by which the American West was won. I think even if Tom had lied to Stoddard about the shooting to ease Stoddard's conscience, it would strike me as more profound. I just had to wander around in that son of a bitch and try and make a part for myself. But the plans of statehood for the territory upset the cattle barons, who recruit Liberty Valance to sabotage the delegation. They soon learn that their father gambled away the family ranch, leading to his own murder. Either way, the film ends with the question of whether Doniphons nature is individualistic or cowardly (or whether theres really any difference between the two) deemed irrelevant. Pompey had thrown Tom a rifle and at the exact moment of Valance's fourth and potentially-fatal shot, Doniphon killed Valance from a side angle, without anyone knowing at the moment of the blast. When Hallie says to Stoddard at the end, "This country used to be a wilderness. It asks the question: Does a man need to carry a gun in order to disagree or state an opinion? The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Wikipedia Ransom: Thats why I painted it. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance from 1962 was one of their final projects together, though John Wayne was cast by the studio against Ford's wishes. The drunken marshal won't protect him. Asked by the Shinbone Star editor why an important Senator should return to a small town to bury an unknown man, Stoddard tells his story; a long flashback begins. What happened Tom Doniphon? Did Doodie Do It - Texas Psychiatry Tom repeatedly helps Ransom and the two become a competitive force against Liberty Valance. On the page, Tom Doniphon was more of a mentor to Ranse Stoddard, easing him along the road from frontier lawyer to state senator. John Ford died in 1973, and even though they didnt make any more films together, John Wayne would remain close to his mentor till his death. Add to that the fact that he kills the villain, not face to face, but pretty much shooting him from the back- something that he abhorred and always criticized Clint Eastwood for doing. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Who Fired The Shot & Final Twist The body of Tom Doniphon is at rest in a plain, wooden casket. A man of action and few words (note his instinctive hatred of the rhetoric in the Convention speeches), Doniphon is very much an individual who minds his own business. When Liberty Valance was finally released, it met with mixed critical reaction, the American critics didnt think much of it, but the European critics called it one of Fords masterworks. (LogOut/ As a young lawyer, he comes to practice law in a lawless Western town and on the way into town, hes on a stagecoach thats robbed by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). His own conscience clear, Stoddard goes back into the hall and accepts the nomination; Doniphon goes home alone. Adam Graham is a follower of Christ and currently a political Independent. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. He and two sidekicks (played by Lee Van Cleef and Strother Martin) wreck the newspaper office and badly beat Peabody. John Gotti's ability to avoid the long arm of the law earned him the nickname the Teflon Don. Now obviously this revelation makes the frame story of Old Senator Stoddard work better. Then there was also the fact that with the advent of 60s, the social climate in Hollywood (and in America)was changing drastically. Stoddard is recovered by Tom Doniphon (Wayne), a rancher, and taken to the local eating establishment, the home of Hallie and her Swedish parents, Peter and Nora Ericson. The rough and tough Doniphon later tries to teach Stoddard to defend himself and shoot a gun, all to little success. Next to me., Tom Doniphon, after reading Ransoms Attorney at Law sign: Pilgrim, you really aim to hang that up outside somewhere? He arranges his characters within the frame to reflect power dynamics--or sometimes to suggest a balance is changing. It was exacerbated by his failing health and his drinking problem, as the cantankerous Ford became even more of a misanthrope, thus alienating the big studios from hiring him. But his luck finally ran out on April 3, 1992 when a jury found Gotti guilty of arranging the assassination . In this movie Ransom Stoddard is a well educated attorney from the East who comes to the West to find new opportunity and a place to practice law. John Wayne Western Collection (dvd) : Target With that one line of dialogue, John Ford pretty much dismantles the entire mythology of the American west that he had created over a course of 40 years. He's super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. Tom is highly respected by his peers, because of the laid-back cut of his jib, and because he may be the only man willing to stand up to the violent outlaw Liberty Valance. Carleton Young Maxwell Scott, Edmond OBrien as Dutton Peabody, the man who lets Stoddard set up a law office and school in his newspaper building in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Woody Strode as Pompey, backing up Tom Doniphon as Hallie (Vera Miles) looks on in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Tom Doniphon: Liberty Valance is the toughest man south of picket wire. James Stewart Ransom Stoddard He quickly makes an enemy out of local bully and killer Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin, The Dirty Dozen), who tries to force him to leave town. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Now you can rate you favorite and least favorite Westerns, too. Stoddard has come to town with a satchel full of law books, and hangs out his shingle at the newspaper office. Stoddard believes that hes a real man, a tough and violent character who can handle himself, and that Stoddard is a tenderfoot who is pretty much useless in the real world. Stoddard was inept but courageous. Want to keep up with breaking news? By putting John Wayne in a coffin right at the beginning of the film, Ford makes his intentions very clear. Wayne was furious for allowing himself to get roped in to play such a passive character, which he found very difficult to play, and Fords behavior didnt help. The 10 best screen cowboys - in pictures - The Guardian John Ford and John Wayne together created much of the mythology of the Old West we carry in our minds. Four sons reunite in their Texas hometown to attend their mother's funeral. [Spoilers] My thoughts on the ending of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Even the impact of this noble deed is lessened by Doniphan indulging himself in bitterness and self-pity. Regardless, it was a great movie, but perhaps could have been greater. Ford would repeatedly use Marvin (and Stewart, who also served in WWII) as a stick to beat John Wayne, who hadnt served in WWII, something that always offended Ford. To Ford, Stoddard represents blind progress. And so Stoddard tells them the story, one they decide not to print because, in this case, legend has become fact. It should be clear from that line-up that he often worked alongside John Wayne too, who credited the filmmaker with making him a star. Woody Strode Pompey Meanwhile, John Wayne was reeling from the financial setbacks caused by his dream projectThe Alamo (1960), which he directed, produced and starred in. After this film, his career would see a meteoric rise and, by the mid 1960s, he would become one of the top stars in the industry. It is made clear in "Liberty Valance" that segregation was the practice in the territory. There are here to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). You put that thing up, youll have to defend it with a gun. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance movie review (1962) - Roger Ebert After a brutal assault by Valance, Stoddard is saved by Doniphon and nursed back to health by Hallie, who form a romantic connection. Now Stoddard accepts Valances challenge (ignoring Doniphons advice to leave town) to shoot it out with him. His sympathy for the townspeople is real, but not enough to motivate him to take action on their behalf. In fact, hes severely whipped by Valance after a stage holdup. It also seems that Doniphans decision to put Stoddard in as delegate and then offer him a wagon out of town when Valance threatens him is motivated by his desire to keep Hallie to himself. The main conflict in the film, then, is not that between the gunslinger Tom Doniphon and the outlaw Liberty Valance; the real conflict is that between "the Old West" (Doniphon and Valance) and the forces of "progress" (Stoddard). But things are not that easy. Stoddard continues to defy Valance and earns the respect of the townsfolk, by first opening a law practice in town and then starting a school for teaching illiterate townspeople. Now Hallie has started to like this lawyer-man from the East, who starts up a one-room schoolhouse to teach people how to read. As a showdown between Stoddard and Valance Ford begins to seem inevitable, Ford creates considerable tension. The Man who shot Liberty Valance (1962) was the last western John Ford made with John Wayne. What Doniphon craves most is domesticity, but by finally shooting Valance, he loses that opportunity; thismakes Doniphon the most tragic character that John Wayne has ever. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, made by the 67-year-old Ford in 1962, is unmistakably the director's final statement on the West. Setting aside the question of why Stoddard thinks its morally acceptable to base his career on a lie, but not on the real killing (hed rather have people think he killed Valance than actually do it), rewatching the film this most recent time its Doniphon that fascinates me. in Liberty Valance, he just slowly fades away from screen. Liberty Valance cannot abide anyone standing up to him, and the shingle is an affront. Doniphon - calling Stoddard 'Pilgrim', an epithet . Out of either James Stewart or John Wayne, who was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and how does this alter the ending? [Spoilers] My thoughts on the ending of The Man Who Shot - Reddit Ford would make one more Western (without Wayne),Cheyenne Autumn (1964),the penultimate movie of his career which told the story of the Old-west from the perspective of the Native Americans. He even takes on the duty of helping out with waiting tables. Denver Pyle Amos Carruthers Lee Marvin Liberty Valance His mental downfall afterwards still makes sense if he didn't secretly shoot Valance. In response to TIME making Greta Thunberg their 2019 Person of the Year, Shane Vander Hart nominates Baby Yoda and Conan the war hero dog instead. John Ford's Funeral Oration: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance In How Green Was My Valley, Ford's adaptation of Llewellyn's novel of Welsh coal miners, the story resembles a dream, seen in retrospect by a man who has had his entire life to romanticize the past: his childhood and his family. He always wanted to play heroes and he always looked at cinema as a medium for the audience to believe in heroes; there is the famous story where he chastised Kirk Douglas for playing a mad and tragic Van Gogh inLust for Life. A newspaper reporter and editor begin asking questions about why the senator is back in town; Doniphon, after all, did not die as a man of any significance. Thirty years ago the swaggering, tough-talking leader of the Gambino crime family was found guilty of murder and racketeering after eluding prosecutors at three previous high-profile trials. Yes, but there's more to it than that, and in John Ford's mind, gun ownership is very much an open question. Was Hollywood, at that time, incapable of leaving us a more complicated, conflicted ending? And as they swarm around the senator for details, Stoddard starts recalling the events leading up to that day and, the film cuts to a flashback. Strother Martin Floyd This is why he can make a scene at the town meeting, mocking the participants and the rules (the Law says the bar is closed!) while turning down appointment to the delegation: if appointed, he might embarrass himself, perhaps showing himself to be ignorant of the rules or other social expectations. He films mostly on sets, but we're not particularly aware. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Trivia - IMDb Escena del funeral de Tom Doniphon tomada del hombre que mato a Liberty Valance. Perhaps, the existence of Valance gave Doniphan a status of importance and made him an indispensable man in a lawless community. Tom Doniphon: You aim to help me find some?, Strother Martin as Floyd, a sidekick to Liberty Valance in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Lee Van Cleef as Reese, one of Liberty Valances sidekicks in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Mr. Scott, to Ransom Stoddard: This is the West, sir. However, he is rescued by Doniphan. None of his recent films have been big hits, even the ones he made with John Wayne likeThe Horse Soldiers were failing to find favor with the audience. And confessed that it was he who, out of love for Hallie, fired from the shadows that.. To inflict and how did tom doniphon die violence t feature Tom or Jerry committing suicide film. Stoddard becomes disgusted and leaves, but Doniphon stops him and reveals that it was he who actually shot Liberty Valance. And more importantly, why does he do it in secret? John Wayne Was 'Ready For a Fight' With His 'The Man Who Shot Liberty By the end of Liberty Valance, it was more than obvious that Ford and Wayne had come to the end of their long association, which started when Ford cast Wayne as an Odysseus like courageous hero in his western odysseyStagecoach. Or perhaps, Doniphan didnt care about everyone else, but for whatever reason, Doniphan avoided the conflict. Recognizing that that kind of cowardice is his own and not Stoddards, he gives him a pep talk and tells him what he wants to hear: that he did not violate his belief in non-violence, that he is the man he always thought he was. His world is diffused by time, by memory and nostalgia, by folklore and myth. From thereon, he goes onto even more heights in his political career, and now he is expecting a nomination to be the vice-president of the country. The first time we see it, James Stewart is bullied and wounded but miraculously shoots Valance, who seems to have woefully underestimated him. Here, he is practically rendered motionless. Doniphan, while still doing dishwashing work, hangs. He then throws down a challenge to Stoddard: leave town or face him in a gunfight. I will not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck contains one of the best-known lines of dialogue in any Ford movie, spoken to Stoddard years later by the town's new newspaper editor: "This is the West, sir. As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) is arriving in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles). Flashing back, we learn Doniphon saved. When Stoddard nominate Doniphan for delegate, he refuses the post which would bring him into conflict with Valance. Stoddard is saved by Doniphon, a local farmer and horse trader, who observes: Liberty Valances the toughest man south of the Picketwirenext to me. Stoddard is nursed back to health by Hallie (Vera Miles). He makes a positive first impression when he brings Stoddard in. Does this make sense? The other could easily bring order, but doesnt because hes so busy taking care of number one and his crowning heroic moment is shooting down a distracted man in the city streets. Stoddard decides that he cannot be entrusted with public service after killing a man in a gunfight and he decides to withdraw. A * Tom Doniphon, we need to EACH BECOME Tom Doniphon, need. Ford takes us into the past, to Shinbone before the coming of the railroad modernized the town. He is everything Doniphon wishes he could be. We also meet Link Appleyard (Andy Devine), the drunken town marshal; Doc Willoughby (Ken Murray), the drunken town doctor, and Dutton Peabody (Edmond O'Brien), the editor of the paper. Ransom Stoddard, a young Eastern lawyer traveling West on Horace Greeley's advice, is in the stagecoach held up just outside of Shinbone by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), "the toughest man south of the Picket Wire." Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Follow MANK'S MOVIE MUSINGS on WordPress.com. The story sees James Stewart's idealistic younger lawyer Stoddard arriving in a remote town with the intention of introducing law, order and education to the townspeople. This is all to be seen: The role of a free press, the function of a town meeting, the debate about statehood, the civilizing influence of education. Personality chivalrous, calm, and tough as all hell. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.
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