John Ford crafted iconic westerns like The Searchers, Stagecoach, and in a way, The Grapes of Wrath. However, John Ford's best western doesn't have a ride into the sunset, a big shootout, or much of anything dealing with travel, be it coach or car. His best western is slow-moving, political, and perfect. It is known by the name The Man who Shot Liberty Valance.In 1962, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance was the bottom half of a double bill. The film stars Jim Stewart, John Wayne, and Vera Miles, which is a top-notch cast for a bottom half. Was the film too boring, perhaps? Less than 10 shots are fired in the whole movie, and John Wayne was a supporting actor, not a lead. Perhaps the film defied 'the myth of the Old West'.
1956 brought The Searchers, a movie synonymous with the Old West. It was technicolor, VistaVision, and glorious. The Man who Shot Liberty Valance was black and white, and spent most of its time in a town named Shinbone. Shinbone is dominated by the cynical Liberty Valance, the sheriff is constantly drunk, and most everyone is illiterate. A bone is typically strong, but Shinbone isn't.
This film isn't your typical western. It begins with a flashback, with presidential nominee Ransom Stodard visiting Shinbone for the funeral of a mysterious marksman Tom Doaphin, played by the iconic John Wayne. Ransom is accompanied by his wife Hallie. Journalists from Shinbone ask why Ransom is going to this funeral. He starts his story and the past swims onto the screen.
