The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with John Wayne & James Stewart Rides onto DVD - Movie Review

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Released on DVD on May 19

On May 19th Paramount Home Entertainment released two more DVDs from the Centennial Collection: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and El Dorado. Originally released in 1962, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance stars John Wayne, James Stewart Lee Marvin, and Vera Miles.

Ransom "Rance" Stoddard (James Stewart) is an aspiring attorney who follows Horace Greeley's advice and heads West to practice law in the town of Shinbone. However, on his stagecoach ride into town, a band of outlaws holds up the stagecoach. When Stoddard stands up to the outlaws, led by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), he is brutally beaten by Valance. He is found unconscious on the rode and taken into town by Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). In Shinbone, Stoddard is nursed back to health by Hallie (Vera Miles), the woman Doniphon plans to marry.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is an interesting study in the taming of the Wild West. Doniphon is himself a law-abiding citizen, but he believes every man must carry a gun and be prepared to use it. Stoddard, on the other hand, believes in the law and justice through the court system and voting. When Stoddard begins to educate the people of Shinbone and to encourage them to vote for statehood which will bring law and order to the territory, he becomes a threat to the cattle barons and their hired gun -- Liberty Valance. Stoddard also becomes the love interest of Hallie, which causes some animosity on Doniphon's part. When Valance calls Stoddard out, intending to shoot him in the street, the only one who could possible save him is Doniphon.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is an excellent movie. More than 4 decades after the movie came out, it is still an exciting film and an interesting Western. High points include the stellar contributions of John Wayne and James James Stewart, the solid plot, as well as seeing Mayberry alumni Denver Pyle (Briscoe Darling) as Amos Carruthers, as well as Robert F. Simon as Handy Strong and Willis Bouchey as conductor Jason Tully.