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. His mood made life difficult for all the actors involved but he was especially tough on Wayne, who found himself in the direct firing line again. He had married Hallie in the interim, and now, they have come to pay their final respects to The real Man who shot Liberty Valance. But Pompey won't drink. He even takes on the duty of helping out with waiting tables. Meanwhile, John Wayne was reeling from the financial setbacks caused by his dream projectThe Alamo (1960), which he directed, produced and starred in. Of course, the pick of the lot was Lee Marvin who portrayed the anger, maliciousness, and sadism of a man who symbolized all the lawlessness of the old west, and who refused to step gently aside to encroaching civilization. It was like Gary Cooper inHigh Noonexcept Stoddard wasnt Gary Cooper with the gun. He also hated, what he called, intellectual snobbishness, but, this film is the most intellectual of all his films, not to mention cynical, political, pessimistic and subversive. Rarely do we find the influence of other directors in Fords movies. His films begins on an optimistic note and ends on an optimistic note; even if the they would detour into darker, pessimistic territory in between, his films always end on a note of hope and glory. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Once Upon a Time in a Western 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. Doniphon teaches Rance Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) how to shoot and fight. But it's hard to avoid the feeling that, in retrospect, she loves Doniphon, too. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - INSP TV | TV Shows and Movies When the fact becomes legend, print the legend," Ford's films show the legend. When Doniphan and Valance prepare to have a shootout over who will pick up the food, Stoddard intervenes, humbles himself, and picks up the food. His magnificent Western landscapes are always there, but as environment, not travelogue. Miraculously, Stoddard kills Valance, wins Hallie (Tom's former girl), and goes to the political convention. The Man who Shot Liberty Valance--Doniphan is the fallen angel - Reddit In this film, it is related to the killing of Liberty Valance, which is shown from two different perspectives. His own conscience clear, Stoddard goes back into the hall and accepts the nomination; Doniphon goes home alone. Tom Doniphon tells him that without a gun in his hand and the experience to use it, he will sooner or later certainly be killed by Valance. Denver Pyle Amos Carruthers I really enjoyed it but felt somewhat cheated by the 'twist' ending. They soon learn that their father gambled away the family ranch, leading to his own murder. 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. Did Hallie love Tom Doniphon? Stoddard has none of this embarrassment. 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. Stoddard was inept but courageous. 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. The story focuses on Ransome Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart), an American senator arriving at the town of Shinbone with his wife, Hailey (Vera Miles), to attend the funeral of Tom Doniphon (Wayne). Scan this QR code to download the app now. 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. Tom Doniphon: My boy, Pompey; kitchen door. Has anyone else felt this way upon viewing The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance? Stoddard becomes disgusted and leaves, but Doniphon stops him and reveals that it was he who actually shot Liberty Valance. 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. Here, Doniphon is a horse trader while the bad guy Valance is a stagecoach robber; within the framework of the film, both are from the same world and are pretty much allies; both are trapped in obsolescent careers, neither seems willing to adapt; they represent the best and worst of that old-world. Most of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance's story is told in flashback, as Stoddard and Hallie return to the town over 25 years later to attend Doniphon's funeral. Mr. Connors died in Peterborough, Ont., at the age of 77 from "natural causes," according to spokesman Brian Edwards. To Ford, Stoddard represents blind progress. By killing Liberty Valance, facilitating Stoddard's rise to political prominence and the progressive modernization of the West, Doniphon destroys himself. 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. Stoddard thus fascinates and shames Doniphon. The Man who shot Liberty Valance (1962) was the last western John Ford made with John Wayne. However, when Stoddard decides to face Valance, she sends Doniphans servant Pompey to let him know because she scared of what will happen to Stoddard. He then asks about a cactus rose that was placed on Doniphon's coffin, and she reveals she placed it there; Tom had earlier given Hallie a cactus rose, with the strong implication being that she never stopped loving him. 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 in Liberty Valance (as well as in his previous filmSergeant Rutledge) I find a strong influence of Kurosawas Rashomon; especially, dealing with the exploration of a particular event (involving a crime) from multiple vantage points. 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. Entering the then-unincorporated territory as a young lawyer, Ranse is beaten and robbed by infamous outlaw Liberty Valance and his gang. Shinbone is the only Western town I've seen in a movie with no prostitutes. Tom Doniphon is a local farmer, who observes, "Liberty Valance's the toughest man south of the Picketwire--next to me." The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is Ford's deeply personal farewell to a period in American history he loved, a folklore he helped create. Here again Doniphon comes to his rescue. 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. The film flashes forward to the present, where Stoddard sums up the rest of his story. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance focuses on the love triangle between Stoddard, Doniphon and his girlfriend Hallie (Vera Miles, Psycho). That he does this by mixing in history, humorous supporting characters and a poignant romance is typical; his films were complete and self-contained in a way that approaches perfection. This makes Doniphon a very passive character with respect to Valance, which explains why a direct confrontation never takes place between them, though at many points in the film, they come close. Harvard College Accepts 3.41% of Applicants to Class of 2027. All slaying were attributed to a "phantom." Cattlemen do not. 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. Doniphon: Well, take some advice, pilgrim. Trying to defend a woman passenger, Stoddard is beaten by Valance, left for dead, and brought to town by Tom Doniphon. 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. Stoddard's first confrontation with Doniphon reveals absolutely no understanding between them; they eye each other as if the other were a strange animal. Tom Doniphon tells him that without a gun in his hand and the experience to use it, he will sooner or later certainly be killed by Valance. He and two sidekicks (played by Lee Van Cleef and Strother Martin) wreck the newspaper office and badly beat Peabody. Christ there was no place for me. Ford uses a flashback structure to tell the story; Fords films are usually very linear, and he seldom uses a scattered narrative. Answer, Bart Allison (Randolph Scott) to rancher Morley Chase in 1957's. Their opponent? I said you, Valance; you pick it up. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Doniphan, while still doing dishwashing work, hangs. Fortunately James Stewart, one of Waynes closest friends, was the other star of the picture, and he afforded Wayne some moments of light relief. Change). how did tom doniphon die - vyrosier.org His chief victim was Woody Strode, with whom he very nearly came to blows. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Rotten Tomatoes 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). Waynes idea of himself always involved action and movement. Some of this motivated by his desire for Hallie (Vera Miles) whose heart was slowly moving towards Stoddard. Its much more explicit in Sergeant Rutledge, which transposes the incident involving rape and murder in medieval Japan to the American frontier west. [Valance looks and sees Pompey at the door holding a rifle] Floyd: I'll get it, Liberty! The Man who shot Liberty Valance: In his final Western with John Wayne In fact, hes severely whipped by Valance after a stage holdup. The tall, confident Woody Strode appeared in five Ford pictures, all the way from "Stagecoach" to Ford's final film, "7 Women" (1966). He led the police on a short chase because he knew if he got pulled over it would violate his parole for a prior robbery. Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Follow MANK'S MOVIE MUSINGS on WordPress.com. This was a breakout role for Marvin, who has been struggling in supporting parts and TV roles. The body of Tom Doniphon is at rest in a plain, wooden casket. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Ford was very angry about it, having to secure a favor from his protge and he doubled down on his venom on Wayne during the shooting. Liberty Valance is a film about death, about a sad but inevitable transition from an old social order to modern society as we know it today. Did Doodie Do It - Texas Psychiatry The rough and tough Doniphon later tries to teach Stoddard to defend himself and shoot a gun, all to little success. It turns out an unseen Doniphon shot Valance with a rifle from across the street and he later came to regret saving Stoddard as he lost Hallie to the lawyer, but he pushes him to pursue a career in politics to make Hallie proud. He makes a positive first impression when he brings Stoddard in. He finds out real soon while traveling to the town of Shinbone that the West doesn't really care about law or . The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Filmsite There was nothing more for Ford to do with Wayne, at least in the western genre. Next to me., Tom Doniphon, after reading Ransoms Attorney at Law sign: Pilgrim, you really aim to hang that up outside somewhere? I will not go into details because the suspense should not be spoiled. Name the 2010 Western that featured Peter Dinklage of "Game of Thrones" and Jason Priestly of 90210 fame in supporting roles. There is no formally enforced law and order; Doniphon says, "Out here a man settles his own problems.". In a long flashback involving most of the film, Ford recalls the events leading up to that day. But as he would come to reveal in Liberty Valance, he was just printing the legend all along, leaving out the hard facts. 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. Four sons reunite in their Texas hometown to attend their mother's funeral. 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. He would also emerge victorious (at least temporarily) in his fight against cancer as well,and he would go on to enjoy more than a decade and half of solid superstardom, before he would finally succumb to cancer. But what if Doniphon is lying, what if Stoddard really is the man who shot Liberty Valance? An ending where Stoddard finally breaks down and miraculously kills Valance, ironically catapulting him to political success, strikes me as far more interesting. Tom Doniphon is played by John Wayne, while Ransom Stoddard is played by Jimmie Stewart. The entire film has been Stoddard struggling to remain devoted to law and order, while Tom berates and humiliates him for it. A Thought on the Ending of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 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. in Liberty Valance, he just slowly fades away from screen. When Stoddard nominate Doniphan for delegate, he refuses the post which would bring him into conflict with Valance. Ford had pestered Wayne to take up the role, because without him there would be no film. After hearing all this, the newsmen decide not to print the story, as the mythology that propelled Stoddard has to be protected at any cost. And the scene where Stoddard (James Stewart) confronts Valance was incredible. 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. They're just too good to be stopped. The drunken marshal won't protect him. As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) arrives in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) to attend the funeral of a man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). Just finished watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. 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. Post-Liberty Valance, John Wayne would continued to be the most dependable American movie star of his times. Ken Murray Doc Willoughby 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. 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. Its not just a matter of printing the legend: it really makes no difference. Indeed Hallie and Nora Ericson (Jeanette Nolan) are the only two noticeable women in town; little wonder Tom's love for Hallie is intense. No problem: It became a hit anyway. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Now you can rate you favorite and least favorite Westerns, too. 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). Tom Doniphon is the archetypal Ford hero, the John Wayne of all Ford's westerns. Besides, there is a complication. Ford's westerns represent one of the most significant achievements in the history of American art. Doniphon is not a person of any importance around town, just a sorry old man on the fringes, who passed away unnoticed. 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. 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. But today I saw it and came away with a different conclusion. Wayne had every right to be pissed at the character he was assigned; Tom Doniphon is the most Anti-Johnwayne character that Wayne has ever played. He strides around as the quickest gun on the side of right, calling Stoddard pilgrim, standing up to Valance when the need arises. Out of either James Stewart or John Wayne, who was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and how does this alter the ending? Ford's greatest films are his westerns, a uniquely American art form he helped create, and a genre of which he is undisputed master. Related: True Grit: How The 2010 Movie Compares To The Book & John Wayne Version. In its tone, structure and visual style, the film is very different from other John Ford Westerns. Hallie attends to Stoddards wounds and it appears to Doniphonthat she has fallen in love with Stoddard. This is fascism against democracy: the tyranny of the strongman over the ordinary people. The Hero of the Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Caffeinated Thoughts Thus buoyed, Stoddard rushes off to become the heroic figure that will dominate the politics of the territory, and then state, for decades to come.
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