The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

A solid, if overrated, Ford western, one with its share of cliches and predictability. It's still fascinating to watch Wayne and Stewart deal with hellion Marvin in a changing West. The movie opens after the story is all over, when Sen. Ransom Stoddard (Stewart) and his wife (Miles) return to the western town of Shinbone in 1910. They have unexpectedly come to the funeral of Tom Doniphon (Wayne), which piques the interest of a local reporter. Ransom begins to tell how he came to know Tom, as the movie flashes back to Shinbone's wild and woolly days. A fledgling lawyer, Ransom must contend with local nasty Liberty Valance (Marvin). He is waylaid by Valance and his m...