A chiaroscuro elegy for the fading frontier where the law's ink meets the gunslinger's lead, mourning the shadows sacrificed for the bright light of progress through a tragic, dusty lens.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
"Together for the first time"
Director:
John Ford
Cast:
John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien
Western
Budget:
$3,200,000
Box Office:
$8,000,000
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details
Easter Eggs
Young Mr. Lincoln Theme
Ford reuses the musical theme from his 1939 film Young Mr. Lincoln (composed by Alfred Newman) during the scene where Hallie views Tom's body, connecting the myth of Lincoln to the myth of the West.
Ford's Stock Company
The film features almost all of Ford's regular character actors (John Carradine, Andy Devine, John Qualen, Woody Strode), serving as a cumulative 'curtain call' for his cinematic family.