“The ultimate Western classic directed by John Ford, ‘THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE’ stars two of the biggest stars of Hollywood – James Stewart and John Wayne. The CENTENNIAL COLLECTION features a new digitally remastered video transfer and new special features. This is the definitive version of this classic Western to own on DVD! An overall, such a wonderful release! Highly recommended!”
© 1962 Paramount Pictures Corporation and John Ford Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
DVD TITLE: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – PARAMOUNT CENTENNIAL COLLECTION #8
DURATION: 123 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Widescreen Version Enhanced for 16:9 TVs, Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround/English Mon, Spanish Mono, Subtitles: English, French and Spanish, 2-Discs
COMPANY: Paramount Home Entertainment
RATED: NOT RATED
RELEASE DATE:Â May 19, 2009
Directed by John Ford
Based on a Short Story by Dorothy M. Johnson
Screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck
Produced by Willis Goldbeck and John Ford
Music by Cyril J. Mockridge
Director of Photography: William H. Clothier
Edited by Otho Lovering
Art Direction by Eddie Imazu and Hal Pereira
Set Decoration by Sam Corner and Darrell Silvera
Costume Design by Edith Head and Ron Talsky
Starring:
John Wayne as Tom Doniphon
James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard
Vera Miles as Hallie Stoddard
Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance
Edmond O’Brien as Dutton Peabody
Woody Strode as Pompey
Andy Devine as Marshal Link Appleyard
Ken Murray as Doc Willoughby
John Carradine as Major Cassius Starbuckle
Jeanette Nolan as Nora Ericson
John Qualen as Peter Ericson
“This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Behind the camera? John Ford, a director whose name is synonymous with “Westerns.” Gathered in front of it? An ideal cast – James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles and Lee Marvin. Now presented on two discs, with all-new special features, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance rides into town as classic entry in the Paramount Centennial Collection. Director Ford brings us to the lawless frontier village of Shinbone, a town plagued by a larger-than-life nemesis, Liberty Valance (Marvin). Stewart plays the bungling but charming big-city lawyer determined to rid Shinbone of Valance, and he finds that he has an unlikely ally — in the form of a rugged, local rancher (Wayne). The two men also share the same love interest (Miles). But when the final showdown becomes inevitable, one of the two will attempt to get the gunman … but the other one will wind up getting the gal.
“THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” is considered one of the greatest Westerns of all time. Directed by longtime and legendary Western director John Ford, the film would bring together two of Hollywood’s top film stars James Stewart and John Wayne.
Paramount has chosen for its latest “CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” releases to feature two westerns. #8 “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” and #9 “EL DORADO”. Both films featuring John Wayne and paired with a top actor but showing two directors known for their Westerns, John Ford and Harold Hawks.
“THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” would become one of the last Western films to be shot in B&W and in Dec. 2007, the film was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as part of the few films deemed as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.
The film begins with a US Senator Ransom “Rance” Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) coming back to the small town of Shinbone. The two are there for a funeral but when a newspaper editor shows up to the funeral demanding for an interview and pressing on the Senator to answer him on why he has returned to Shinbone to bury someone insignificant.
Stoddard decides to talk to the media in hopes that his story will get published.
The story goes back into the past when Stoddard was an attorney who is influenced by law and order.   As he and a few people are riding in a stagecoach, they are stopped and robbed by an outlaw named Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). When Valance’s henchman try to steal one of the women’s pendant given to her by her dead husband, Stoddard tries to defend her and vows that he will bring Valance to the court of law and put him in jail.
The threat to Valance doesn’t come off that well and Stoddard is immediately beaten with Stoddard’s silver whip. The outlaws leave Stoddard alone and beaten but is found later by Dom Doniphon (John Wayne).
Doniphon takes the injured Stoddard to the town of Shinbone where he is being taken care of immediately by Hallie and the restaurant owners Peter Ericson (John Qualen) and his wife Nora (Jeanete Nolan). When Stoddard comes to, he tells them that he is an attorney and will put him in jail. But Doniphon tells him that in the West, there are no laws and one will need a gun if he was going to survive.
When the bumbling, lazy and overweight Marshal Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) is brought to hear Stoddard’s story, he says that since it happened outside of Shinbone, he has no jurisdiction. So, nothing can be done. Doniphon tells Stoddard that there is one quick gun in the town that Liberty Valance can’t keep up with and that’s him.
Stoddard helps the Ericson’s and Hallie at the restaurant as a dishwasher, meanwhile Doniphon who is very much in love with Hallie brings her a cactus when flowers on them. She loves them. When Stoddard looks in his law books about jurisdiction, he learns that the Marshal does have jurisdiction and can get involved. He tries to show Hallie the book but we learn that she is illiterate (it turns out that many of the people in Shinbone are illiterate). And Stoddard agrees to teach Hallie how to read and others who want to learn as well.
As Donaphon sits down in his seat at the restaurant awaiting his food, he talks to the town’s publisher Dutton Peabody (Edmond O’Brien) about the rumors circulating about Liberty Valance (about him robbing and what he did to Stoddard).
Meanwhile, Liberty Valance and his henchman come into the restaurant and take a table and food from people who were eating. Everyone sits in fear except Tom Doniphon who eyes him carefully. When Stoddard comes out to take Doniphon’s food to him, Valance and his henchman see him and Valance trips him and spilling Doniphon’s food all over the floor.
This leads to a confrontation between Doniphon and Valance in which Doniphon asks for Valance to pick up his food that he spilled. The two engage each other’s eyes as they look as if they will shoot each other down. Stoddard disgusted by what he sees, picks up the spilled food and can’t believe people will kill each other for a steak.
Dutton Peabody is surprised by Stoddard standing up for his belief and gives him inspiration to write the news about what he saw. He talks about Stoddard sharing an office for him and even putting his sign of “Attorney-at-Law” at his office. Even using the space to teach people to read and Stoddard decides to stay longer in the town of Shinbone. Hallie is very happy and Doniphon is a bit jealous of what he sees. He tells both Peabody and Stoddard that if they print any news about Valance, they will be dead men.
Meanwhile, Doniphon leaves the town for business and we see Stoddard become good friends with Peabody, as Stoddard admires his written work. Even the school is successful as adults and children have come to learn to read and have learned a little about the US government. Hallie starts to grow closer to Stoddard because of his kindness and helping her and the townspeople to read.
Doniphon arrives and is shocked the whole town is now trying to learn to read including his workhand Pompey (Woody Strode) which upsets him.   He tells the townspeople that Valance has killed two homesteaders (the Homestead Act in the 1860’s gave an applicant freehold title to 160 acres of undeveloped land outside of the original 13 colonies).
Stoddard now gets the idea that the law in the West is about using a gun and not the law. He borrows Peabody’s gun and learns to shoot. Doniphon tells Peabody to follow him to his ranch and tries to teach him how to shoot a gun. When Doniphon tries to size him up, he learns that Stoddard can’t shoot. He then tells Stoddard to place three paint cans on top of the posts and immediately Doniphon shoots the paint cans which explode paint on him. Stoddard not too happy, punches Doniphon.
We learn that Doniphon has Pompey and a few men building a house for Hallie. Doniphon intends to marry Hallie and live on their ranch. Telling Stoddard that Hallie is his woman and that ever since he came into town, he has interfered.
Meanwhile, a convention is being held for two delegates that would go to the territorial capital city and Valance who works with cattle land barons and against statehood wants to be voted in and even bullies the townspeople.   But the people choose Stoddard and Shinbone Star publisher Dutton Peabody. Valance then challenges Stoddard to a gunfight.
Peabody gains courage and prints a story on the Shinbone Star about Valance. When he enters his newspaper office at night, Valance and his henchman are in there waiting for him. They beat him severely and destroy his printing press. Stoddard runs into the printing press and can’t believe that Valance has beaten him so badly. He asks the townspeople to get a doctor but tells the Marshal that he is ready to get into a gunfight against Valance.
“THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” is a film that features a well-written screenplay but most of all John Ford’s experience of getting the best of his talent for this film.  What happens in the final 15-minutes of the film is amazing and when you get to the final moments of the film, you literally are left in awe.  Overall, a magnificent film!
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” get the “CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” treatment from Paramount and that means the film gets the digitally remastered treatment. The picture quality on DVD is absolutely magnificent and video is presented in Widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TV’s). The black and white picture seems to look clean without any imperfections and like many “CENTENNIAL COLLECTIONS”, the film definitely received fabulous treatment as blacks are nice and deep and for a 1966 film, no sign of that “aged” look of older films.
Audio is presented in Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround and English and Spanish Mono. The film is primarily a dialogue-driven film and aside from a few gunshots and a little action in the beginning and near the end of the film, this film is front and center channel driven. But dialogue is crystal clear.
With that being said, “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” looks and sounds great due to the digitally remastered treatment it received. Because it has been restored, I can only hope for a High Definition 1080p treatment on Blu-ray because if Paramount went this far in making this film look so good (and include all these new features), a cinema fan can only wish for this classic to get the HD treatment (as of all the CENTENNIAL COLLECTION releases).
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” is strong on features and informative interviews from John Bogdanovich’s audio recordings with John Ford, James Stewart and Lee Marvin.
Disc 1:
- Commentary by Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, along with his archival recordings with John Ford and James Stewart – John Bogdanovich always has informative director commentary for his films but he also has a lot to say about Westerns since he had done interviews with John Ford and the talent (note: Bogdanovich offers commentary also on the Vol. 9 “EL DORADO – CENTENNIAL COLLECTION”). Bogdanovich has a lot of knowledge about the film and during the commentary, he would have his audio interviews with Ford and Stewart playing during the commentary.
- Selected Scene Commentary by Dan Ford, along with his archival recordings with John Ford, James Stewart and Lee Marvin – The following scenes below have commentary that focuses on the experiences of Director John Ford but also James Stewart and Lee Marvin working on a John Ford film. The commentary is not about a certain scene but mostly experiences.
– Stagecoach Holdup
– Bringing Injured Ransom Back to Town
– Showdown at Peter’s Place
– Town Meeting
– Ransom Shoots Liberty
– Who Really Shot Liberty Valance
– Leaving Shinbone
Disc 2:
• The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth: 7 -Part Featurette – (50:52) An informative featurette about “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” broken down to seven parts. Interviews with John Ford’s son Dan Ford, Peter Bogdanovich (include audio from his interviews with John Ford, James Stewart and Lee Marvin), interviews with critics, former Paramount execs and more. Here is what to expect from this featurette:
– CHAPTER 1: CHANGING OF THE GUARD – (2:53) The change that was happening during the time with the late 60’s and civil unrest.  Hollywood was changing and people who worked in the silent era and the contract system was now ending. Television was taking away audiences and it was a blow to the industry. So, the directors and talent had to adjust to the new Hollywood.
– CHAPTER 2: THE IRASCIBLE POET – (4:41) “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” was based on Dorothy M. Johnson’s short story but John Ford executed things differently. In the book, Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) nudging and coaching Stoddard but in the film, Donophan’s character is less proactive in helping Stoddard’s character.  How John Wayne’s had a ten picture deal with Paramount and John Ford trying to get the financing for the film.
– CHAPTER 3: THE HERO DOESN’T WIN, THE WINNER ISN’T HEROIC – (10:39) “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” was John Ford’s last great film. How it was different from past Ford films. How a lot of the film was shot at MGM and how Ford’s shots were economical. Why John Ford wanted to shoot in black and white. Focusing on the filmmaking and the characters of the film.
– CHAPTER 4: MOST THINGS HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT – (13:52) How Director John Ford would say the good things on screen would happen by accident. How John Wayne was fascinating to watch. And behind-the-scenes on how Ford dealt with people on set with interviews with Lee Marvin by Dan Ford (recorded in 1970). Also, how John Ford will pick on some of his actors and the biggest story that came from “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” and with three days left, how John Wayne said to Jimmy Stewart how he never been under the barrel (picked on by Ford) but it was until Jimmy Stewart made a dumb, racist comment in regards to the outfit of Woody Strode (Pompey), that is when Ford got the whole film crew together and admonished Stewart in front of everyone for his comment. The actual audio interview from 1965 between John Bogdanovich and Jimmy Stewart about this incident is featured. The two respected each other despite the admonishing by Ford. Also, discussion about Vera Miles and how important she was to the film.
– CHAPTER 5: THE GREAT PROTECTOR – (5:17) Interview with Peter Bogdanovich of how there was no way to prepare an interview with John Ford. Featuring an interview in 1966 when John Ford doesn’t like the questions from Peter Bogdanovich. Also, an interesting behind-the-scenes who John Ford, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin and Woody Strode were military veterans and how John Ford would beat up on John Wayne because he could take it but more because these actors fought in wars while John Wayne got credit as a film actor. Reflecting on why John Wayne would let John Ford treat him this way but the respect John Wayne had for Ford.
– CHAPTER 6: SPOTLIGHT – LEE MARVIN – (8:02) How Lee Marvin and John Wayne worked together in one film and how John Wayne recommended him to John Ford. How Lee Marvin was excited to be part of a John Ford film. How Ford respected him because of his military experience. Audio interview from 1970 by Dan Ford with Lee Marvin about working with John Ford. A featurette celebrating the career of Lee Marvin.
– CHAPTER 7: PRINT THE LEGEND – (5:59) “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” did not receive critical appreciation when it was released in theaters back in 1962 and thought about as passe and a tired Western. Bogdanovich talks about how he went to a screening and only four people showed up but over the years, it received critical support worldwide. Europeans appreciated John Ford and John Wayne films and eventually Americans started to appreciate the film around the mid-to-late 70’s and became known as the last great Western by John Ford.
• Original Theatrical Trailer – (2:44) The original black and white theatrical trailer.
• Galleries: – This still photo gallery features Lobby Cards, Production photos, John Ford photos and Publicity photos.
Included with “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” is a short booklet with information on the film, providing a few tidbits of the talent, Director John Ford and more.
“THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” is truly an awesome John Ford film unlike many Westerns that focused on the gun battles and outlaw exchange. Although, “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” does include some elements of the standard Western but in a way, it’s more of a tragedy. Saying anything more than beyond that would spoil the film.
But with such a strong screenplay under the directing of John Ford, you get powerful performances from John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles. Actually, there are a bunch of other talents with their own characters who also shine in this film that stick in your mind and how these characters contributed to making the town of Shinbone come alive.
I am absolutely delighted with Paramount giving this film the “CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” treatment. Not only do you get the film digitally remastered, the picture quality and the audio quality is very well done. Again, because it has been remastered with all new special features, one can hope this day and age to see such a film get the High Definition treatment on Blu-ray.
For those who are just becoming cinema fans and want to enjoy a Western and have never seen a John Wayne film, these two “CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” releases (vol. 9 – “EL DORADO”) are just amazing. Paramount gives us two distinct styles of Western films from both legendary directors John Ford and the other with Harold Hawks and hopefully, will usher in a new generation of movie fans who can appreciate these classic Westerns.
There is nothing bad that can be said about this release. Paramount continues to give cinema fans definitive versions of these classic films through the “CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” and I just have to point out that for so long, especially with situations that have happened behind-the-scenes of “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE”, we only learn about these situations from what we have read.
It’s absolutely wonderful that Peter Bogdanovich and Dan Ford has shared a lot of their audio recordings through the commentary and special features because with many of these great talent no longer with us, it was definitely special to have Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin and even John Ford discuss their experiences several years after the film was released in theaters. There have been a few books and publications that have featured the story of Jimmy Stewart’s comment about Woody Strode’s outfit and what John Ford had to say afterward. But it’s very good to hear it come from Jimmy Stewart’s mouth and hear his tone that he knew he said something dumb and regretted it.
The 7-part featurette “The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth” is absolute magnificent and an amazing tribute to Ford’s last great Western. But also a tribute to the talent who were involved in the film. So, very informative and enjoyable to watch.
I absolutely enjoyed this release and I really enjoyed the film. I watched it once and watched it again the following day with the various commentary and I’ll be the first to tell you that I have not watched many John Wayne films, nor have I watched many John Ford films but after watching “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE”, it gave me an appreciation for the Western film genre and makes me want to go back and watch other classic Western films featuring the collaboration between the two. “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE” is absolutely wonderful!
Overall, “THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE – CENTENNIAL COLLECTION” is highly recommended!