As John Wayne usually played heroes, he needed an excellent villain to fight, and the best appeared in his movieThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. John Wayne movies are almost a genre of their own, and his influence on the Western movie genre cannot be understated, through playing some ofthe greatest Western movie characters of all time. While themovies that defined John Wayne’s careeroften had him playing the same character archetype, he branched out with more nuanced roles in his later films, likeThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis mostly told through the flashbacks of U.S. senator Ransom “Ranse” Stoddard (James Stewart), who is attending the funeral of a poor rancher, Tom Doniphon, played by Wayne. The story is about howTom helped Ranse stand up for himself and learn to shoot after he was mugged by the outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).Western movies are often simple stories of good people standing up to bad ones, butThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis considered a Western masterpieceas it is a much more nuanced story, with an unforgettable villain.
Why The Best John Wayne Movie Villain Is In The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Is Extremely Unusual For A John Wayne Movie
Liberty Valance isthe best John Wayne movie villain of all time, thanks to Lee Marvin’s excellent portrayal of the character. Marvin was well-versed in playing tough guy archetypes and villains, which was helped by his low voice and intense stare. As a sadistic and dangerous outlaw who is terrorizing a small town,Liberty Valance is a classic Western movie villain. The movie’s infamous steak scene perfectly embodies the way that Valance gets worse as the story progresses, with the outlaw snatching a man’s chair from under him and claiming his steak while challenging fellow diners to stop him.
The identity of the man who really shot Liberty Valance is not known until nearer to the end of the movie.
Meanwhile, Wayne’s characters are generally well-respected in-story, getting credit for their actions throughout their movies. That said,The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis extremely unusual, asthe identity of the man who really shot Liberty Valanceis not known until nearer to the end of the movie.The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancehas a twist endingthat reveals that it was not Ranse but Doniphon who fired the final shot. This means that for most of the movie, Wayne’s character allows another man to take credit for his heroic action.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Has An Iconic John Wayne Team-Up
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Was Not Supposed to Be A John Wayne Movie At All
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancecontains some of the best Western movie stars of all time, including the first team-up between John Wayne and James “Jimmy” Stewart. The two men were opposites in terms of their usual roles, with Wayne being the larger-than-life hero and Stewart being the relatable everyman.John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart worked on three Westernstogether, but their first collaboration was their best as it emphasized their differences while developing their characters' friendship. That said, this iconic team-up was almost missed, as the movie was not supposed to star Wayne at all.
10 John Wayne Movies For Western Beginners
From breakthrough classics to late-career gems, these essential John Wayne Westerns provide the perfect introduction to The Duke’s legendary career.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis a rare John WayneWestern in which the villain stole the show. However, it was never supposed to be a John Wayne movie, as reported byThe Express. The studio had insisted that Wayne was cast to play Doniphon, even though John Ford had wanted to cast a younger man. Ford was reportedly unhappy with this, taking his frustration out on Wayne by ridiculing him throughout the filming process. Despite the troubled production,The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis a Western masterpiece for its iconic team-up and unforgettable villain.
