The final line of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance sees the conductor ensuring the couple of a smooth journey and stating nothing is too for the man who killed Valance. With Valances death, the road is clear for Stoddard to become the delegate to Washington and with Doniphon out of the way, he can also marry Hallie. Once in the town of Shinbone, he finds allies in the form of tough Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) and his fiance, Hallie (Vera Miles). When movies depict the past, that past generally becomes the immediate present of the audience. Stoddard decides that he cannot be entrusted with public service after killing a man in a gunfight and he decides to withdraw. Heartbroken Badass: Tom Doniphon, who lost the woman he loved and his chance to become a heroic, legendary figure, though the last part probably didn't bother him as much as the first part. 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). Stoddard becomes disgusted and leaves, but Doniphon stops him and reveals that it was he who actually shot Liberty Valance. Their opponent? By killing Liberty Valance, facilitating Stoddard's rise to political prominence and the progressive modernization of the West, Doniphon destroys himself. The film opens as Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) arrive at Shinbone to bury a friend, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). 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. Working in the restaurant is young Hallie. He arranges his characters within the frame to reflect power dynamics--or sometimes to suggest a balance is changing. [Valance looks and sees Pompey at the door holding a rifle] Floyd : I'll get it, Liberty! 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. Tom Doniphon and Ransom Stoddard are the two key characters in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, directed by John Ford and filmed in 1962. Much safer to hide behind sarcasm and mockery. Hallie, once Tom's girl, has fallen in love with Stoddard, and in sparing him, Doniphon loses her. Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Follow MANK'S MOVIE MUSINGS on WordPress.com. He goes to the convention and sees Stoddard break down and try to flee rather than stand for election. (Doodie) Tennison, 18, of Texarkana, Texas. I will not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled. In fact, hes severely whipped by Valance after a stage holdup. And Doniphon returns home and burns down the room he was building for the day he and Hallie would marry. Losing the woman he loved to Ransom haunted Tom for the rest of his life and he was never able to move on from it and find love again with anyone else. UPDATE: Whoa, looks like I am two days ahead of an official discussion of this film, my apologies. Next to me., Tom Doniphon, after reading Ransoms Attorney at Law sign: Pilgrim, you really aim to hang that up outside somewhere? 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. Virginia Mayo and Joel McCrea meet a tragic end in this 1949 Western directed by Raoul Walsh and based on his 1941 film, "High Sierra." But it's hard to avoid the feeling that, in retrospect, she loves Doniphon, too. But he is a sort of reluctant hero, who minds his own business, and is roused into action only if his path crosses with the outlaws. Doniphon revealed how he was hidden on a side street with Pompey when the showdown occurred. I was praying that it wouldn't be revealed later that Tom (John Wayne) assisted him. Ford reveals Stoddard as incapable of adjusting to the life of the West: when Tom brings Hallie a "cactus rose," Stoddard, having seen real roses, cannot appreciate the beauty of the desert flower. The Man who shot Liberty Valance (1962) was the last western John Ford made with John Wayne. Beginning with "Stagecoach" (1939), continuing from 1948 through 1950 with the Cavalry Trilogy ("Fort Apache," "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "Rio Grande"), and finally to 1962 and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," together in 10 features they largely formed the templates of the Hollywood Western. He was the one man who would face Liberty Valance come what may. Valance challenges Stoddard to a show-down, although he knows Stoddard can hardly hold a gun. Collin Brendemuehl: Fake history is worthy of exploration if to correct bad history. He asks if she wants to move back to the town when they retire, which makes her delighted as she states her heart belongs there. Yes, but there's more to it than that, and in John Ford's mind, gun ownership is very much an open question. And more importantly, why does he do it in secret? Wayne was always against doing End of the west westerns, because End of the west means end of the western which translates as end of John Wayne. Related: True Grit: How The 2010 Movie Compares To The Book & John Wayne Version. But still he admires Stoddard immensely. It would be easy for him to assume the title of town marshal from lovable cowardly drunk Andy Devine, and yet he has no interest. It was like Gary Cooper inHigh Noonexcept Stoddard wasnt Gary Cooper with the gun. His relationship with Wayne was a little strained at the time, mainly because of incidents involving Waynes directorial ventureTheAlamo, in which Ford worked as a second unitdirector. He pays off room and board to her Swedish parents by working in their cafe. Fromthere to Liberty Valance, the character has now changed into a tragic hero, in the mold of Oedipus, who loses everything dear to him and wander off into the wilderness . However, thematically I felt wronged by this outcome. Name the 2010 Western that featured Peter Dinklage of "Game of Thrones" and Jason Priestly of 90210 fame in supporting roles. Tom repeatedly helps Ransom and the two become a competitive force against Liberty Valance. There was nothing more for Ford to do with Wayne, at least in the western genre. Here again Doniphon comes to his rescue. I really enjoyed it but felt somewhat cheated by the 'twist' ending. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he'd like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site. His own conscience clear, Stoddard goes back into the hall and accepts the nomination; Doniphon goes home alone. Denver Pyle Amos Carruthers 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. That and the fact that few present day people in Shinbone seem to remember Tom Doniphon suggests that after the Valance shooting, Tom Doniphon went into a seculsion, probably just stayed at his little ranch and lived like a hermit. Legend is that Ford wanted younger actors for his film, and didnt want to use John Wayne. Rodney King was beaten by the police on March 3, 1991. But Liberty Valance and his guns work for the cattle barons who want to keep the territory for themselves. When a meeting is held to vote on statehood, Pompey sits outside on the porch. The corpse is being held in a plain pine box, and when he views it Stoddard is angered to see the boots have been stolen. John Gotti's ability to avoid the long arm of the law earned him the nickname the Teflon Don. He films mostly on sets, but we're not particularly aware. But, it was in direct opposition to the Western code. A dejected Doniphon, who was hoping to marry Hallie and move into his new house, gets drunk andburns down his house. 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. All his assets that he had accrued in his lifetime has been wiped out; on top of that, he too developed severe health problems (which was later diagnosed as lung cancer), which drove him into deep depression. 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. When someone tried to comfort him that Doniphon was full of ambiguity and his mindset may help his performance, Wayne snapped back, Screw ambiguity I dont like ambiguity. 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). Thom Donovan (born Thomas Joseph Donovan; July 24, 1974 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer.He has released five solo albums and was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Lapush.His international performance career has included concerts across the United States as well as cities around the world. As Tom Doniphon, Wayne just as ideally symbolizes dogged individualism, playing the simple, old-fashioned kind of Westerner who can pat his gun and say "Out here a man settles his own problems," and who replaces community spirit with personal loyalities and friendships. Tom Doniphon was rough-edged, but gentlemanly to all but Liberty Valance and his henchmen. 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. His films appeared very simple and, at times, very simplistic, but they dealt with huge themes: the expansion of American military might, the conflict between the European settlers and native American civilizations, the establishment of law & order in the wilderness, and the coming of religion, trade and commerce; all these themes are reflected in one way or the other in all his westerns. 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). Why does this man, who has no trouble dominating a political meeting while simultaneously refusing to participate in it, skulk in the shadows like a thief, a coward? in Liberty Valance, he just slowly fades away from screen. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. Tom Doniphon shoots the outlaw thug Liberty Valance from the shadows, keeps it a secret, then realizes that his girl Hallie is in love with Ransom Stoddard, whereupon he burns his house to the ground (starting with the new wing hed built for her. Now with his conscious clear, Stoddard returns to the convention, accepts the nomination, and is elected to the Washington delegation. John Wayne as Tom Doniphon, the man who finds Stoddard wounded on the road to Shinbone in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard, fresh off a beating at the hands of Liberty Valance in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Sure, he talks a big game, and he certainly has a certain degree of martial prowess, but he refuses to put it to use, perhaps for fear of failure. And while most of us dont have the talent of Tom Doniphan, perhaps by Gods grace, we can be more like Ransom Stoddard in our towns and communities. Liberty Valance, who supports cattle barons opposed to statehood. Stoddard believes so firmly in the law that he is willing to lose his life for his principles. He then throws down a challenge to Stoddard: leave town or face him in a gunfight. It is made clear in "Liberty Valance" that segregation was the practice in the territory. However, he was nowhere near good enough as Doniphan proved in ahumiliating display. Ford's greatest films are his westerns, a uniquely American art form he helped create, and a genre of which he is undisputed master. [Valance looks and sees Pompey at the door holding a rifle] Floyd: I'll get it, Liberty! He even takes on the duty of helping out with waiting tables. Was Hollywood, at that time, incapable of leaving us a more complicated, conflicted ending? But what if Doniphon is lying, what if Stoddard really is the man who shot Liberty Valance? This is important as an election for two delegate to the territorial convention are to be held. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancefinds Wayne playing a local man named Tom Doniphon in a small Western town. One of John Fords most effective later films, told flashback fashion as the senator and his wife arrive unannounced in Shinbone to pay tribute to an old friend who has passed. So why then does he shoot 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. Doniphon and Valance, then, represent the individuals of Ford's West, Doniphon standing for order, Valance for anarchy. Besides, there is a complication. 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). Christ there was no place for me. John Wayne Tom Doniphon document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Now you can rate you favorite and least favorite Westerns, too. Jeanette Nolan Nora Ericson Stoddard has come to town with a satchel full of law books, and hangs out his shingle at the newspaper office. Stoddard and Hallie then sit in silence as the politician reflects on the life he built on a myth and John Wayne's Doniphon sacrificing his own happiness for him and Hallie. Subscribe to our email newsletter. > did Tom Macdonald was born on November 22, 1900 and on! No problem: It became a hit anyway. However, he is rescued by Doniphan. Or perhaps, Doniphan didnt care about everyone else, but for whatever reason, Doniphan avoided the conflict. They were playing dual archetypes of the myth: the grizzled veteran cowboy and the idealistic, young, city-slicker lawyer. Its much more explicit in Sergeant Rutledge, which transposes the incident involving rape and murder in medieval Japan to the American frontier west. (LogOut/ The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance paired James Stewart and John Wayne but here's who killed the title villain, and the final twist explained. Some of this motivated by his desire for Hallie (Vera Miles) whose heart was slowly moving towards Stoddard. It's Doniphon, offscreen, who breaks our hearts, a man shrunken and made smooth by decades of slow erosion. Tom Doniphon, rancher and longtime resident of the small western town of Shinbone, has died.He was well-regarded around the region, but was by no means a man of great distinction. I just had to wander around in that son of a bitch and try and make a part for myself. Instead, we are left with the typical 'John Wayne was an amazing hero' ending. Without Ransom Stoddards courage and convictions, there is no movie. Everyone similarly assumes he and Hallie will get married, but he never asks her. There is a purity to the John Ford style. His world is diffused by time, by memory and nostalgia, by folklore and myth. And Miles is also effective as the young woman eager to learn under Stewarts tutelage and hoping that his vision of a West where law and order prevail comes to be. This would make him a tragic figure, even if he lived the rest of his days honorably under the 'law and order' creed. It takes place in the town of Shinbone, in an unnamed territory that is moving toward a vote on statehood. 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. The film flashes forward to the present, where Stoddard sums up the rest of his story. Almost no traces of the old Shinbone can be found at the beginning and end of the film. Doniphon finally does kill does kill Valance. There are here to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). The newspaper editor prints the truth about Valance, and for his pains has his office trashed and is whipped nearly dead. There's a lot in the film if we care to notice. Of these "Liberty Valance" was the most pensive and thoughtful. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. That Stoddard, thus relieved of the sin of murder has no problem committing the sin of dishonesty says as much about the nature of politicians as it does his own character. As opposed to his other films, this film begins on a sad note, and as it goes on, it becomemore tragic and dark and finally ends on a very pessimistic note. Valance can be countered only by Doniphon, but Doniphon is a man too busy with his own affairs to want power or to impose his own beliefs on anybody else. Ransom: Thats why I painted it. His mental downfall afterwards still makes sense if he didn't secretly shoot Valance. Throughout the film, he tells us that hes tougher than Liberty Valance, that he can beat Liberty Valance and he makes us believe. Tom could stand up to Valance, but it would suit him to have Stoddard out of the way so that he could bring Hallie home to that porch with its rocking chair. The age factor was a bigger problem with Stewart, because he was playing aguy half his real age for most part of the film, but with Wayne, he was again playing a personality, a symbol which represents some abstract values, so it was not a problem for him. Authorities hoped to learn the answer today as they continued an investigation of the poison death of H. B. Tom Doniphon came to the rescue and saved Ransom's life. Harvard College Accepts 3.41% of Applicants to Class of 2027. In this sense, the ending is eerily similar to The Searchers, except there he walks back into the mythical wilderness that he came from, here he is just silently absorbed by history. TakeFort Apache (1948) for instance, which is a strong polemic on American military intervention against the Native Americans. Now obviously this revelation makes the frame story of Old Senator Stoddard work better. This famous aphorism (One of the most famous lines in Movie history) is spoken by the character of a newspaperman in Fords 1962 western,The Man who shot Liberty Valance. In this scenario, Doniphon is not simply a radical individualist who refuses to partake in community out of a twisted kind of idealism, rather hes simply a coward. As played by Jimmy Stewart, Stoddard spends much of the film wearing an apron and washing dishes in the restaurant, sending a hardly ambiguous message about a man who doesn't wear a gun. Another turn off was the fact that James Stewarts Ransom Stoddard is the fulcrum of the plot and, for 99 percent of the picture, is also the man who shot Liberty Valance. 3 Stagecoach (1939) Stream now on Prime Video, Max, Roku, Tubi, and DirecTV ; In the 1930s, Wayne mostly worked as an extra or had small roles in films. An ending where Stoddard finally breaks down and miraculously kills Valance, ironically catapulting him to political success, strikes me as far more interesting. All three spend much of their time hanging out in the restaurant kitchen. He had no hope of success. John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles and Lee Marvin star in this compelling story of secrets, lies, fame, fortune and redemption.. Personality chivalrous, calm, and tough as all hell. On the page, Tom Doniphon was more of a mentor to Ranse Stoddard, easing him along the road from frontier lawyer to state senator. 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. [Doniphon kicks Floyd in the face as he bends down to retrieve the tray] 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. Director John Ford has been a pioneer, not only of the Western genre, but also the art form of cinema itself; he is an inspiration to some of the greatest filmmakers all around the world; Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, David Lean,.. Have all expressed their admiration and debt to Ford in developing their own cinematic technique. Waynedid not use any scenes shot by Ford in the film (much to the chagrin of Ford) while Wayne was angry with the general impression that was created that it was Ford, and not him, who directed The Alamo; others believed Ford was jealous of Dukes increasing success compared to his own sudden decline. Out of either James Stewart or John Wayne, who was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and how does this alter the ending? [sic Arkansas] For two years police of two states have been unable to solve five slaying at the state-line city. Wayne is seen by many as the hero because he realized the only way you could deal with someone like Liberty Valance was through force and he did the deed that had to be done. Doniphon: Well, take some advice, pilgrim. His westerns were all optimistic in nature and concentrated on building a myth, rather than showing the gritty reality. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. But Stoddard is a powerless man; powerless before Valance; and powerless before Doniphon; and Doniphon lets Stoddard have his woman, his town, and his West. Usually, when John Wayne fans count the number of films in which Wayne had died, they always miss out Liberty Valance, because he dies off-screen; but that only makes the character more insignificant; as opposed tofilms he died on screen, likeRide the whirlwind, The AlamoorTheCowboys, where Wayne always got a heroic death: he dies saving somebody else, or he dies for a greater cause. 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. Valance toys with Stoddard, shooting his arm and laughing at him. First from the subjective perspective of Stoddard, and then an objective version, depicting the fact; that it was Doniphon who killed Valance, and not Stoddard.

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