The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence

"This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." An editor of a newspaper speaks one of the last lines in the 1962 John Ford directed movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, a film considered to be one of the last examples of the classic Western genre, and one of John Wayne's last films as well. Trailer is posted below:



I watched this film the other day for a class of mine, expecting that I wouldn't find it too interesting considering it was a Western, which isn't one of my favorite genres in general. But I was a bit surprised...The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence is essentially about the death of the Western, and even the death of John Wayne's rugged character, both literally and figuratively: as the movie begins with a senator named Ransom Stoddard (played by James Stewart) who returns to the western town Shinbone to attend the funeral of Tom Doniphon (played by John Wayne), a local rancher whom he considered to be an old friend.

Ransom Stoddard is introduced to the audience as someone who has risen to fame and prestige in politics ever since he established his lasting legacy of being the man to shoot and kill Liberty Valence, an outlaw who used to terrorize the town of Shinbone...which is why the editor of the Shinbone newspaper is so curious to find out why Stoddard has returned to town. Finally after man requests, Stoddard agrees to tell the editor the true story of his past and of his now deceased friend Tom Doniphon.

What is finally revealed at the end of the movie is the truth to how Liberty Valence was actually defeated, and it was not by Stoddard's hand but instead by Doniphon, who allowed Stoddard to receive the credit and fame. What's interesting is how the town is affected by their perception of who killed Liberty Valence: Stoddard representing modern civilization with his background in the study of law as a testament to victory over the "lawlessness" of the Wild West as represented by Tom Doniphon's character...when in fact it was Doniphon who saved Stoddard's life.

In many ways, this film concludes that the cowboy has no place in modern society and that it must give over to civilization and progress. Regardless of what really unfolded, that is the consensus that stands as of today...and is perhaps why the editor of the Shinbone newspaper, after learning the truth, uttered the words "This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."