Eloquent last hurrah for a man who superseded mere movie-star status to become an icon of American culture, with Wayne playing aging, legendary gunfighter J.B. Books. Opening with a black-and-white montage of scenes from Wayne's earlier westerns, the film traces Books's career from 1871
to 1901, when THE SHOOTIST is set. As we move through scenes from RED RIVER, HONDO, RIO BRAVO and EL DORADO, Wayne ages before our eyes until he rides up before the camera and the film turns to color. During this sequence a voice-over spoken by Howard tells us that Wayne has killed 30 men in 30
years but was never an outlaw--he even spent time as a lawman. Wayne's credo: "I won't be...
Released:
1976
Rated:
PG
Length:
100 mins