Although The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) is an atypical John Ford film in many ways, it is also seen as his valedictory effort, summarizing as it does the final steps involved in civilizing the Wild West.  It is atypical in that it is largely filmed inside on soundstages in black and white, as opposed to the rugged color outdoor shoots that Ford produced in his beloved Monument Valley, Utah locations.  It also boasts a pair of leading actors much older than their characters are alleged to be, plus an odd gaffe that occurs when John Wayne’s drunken character burns down his half-built ranch house while somehow managing to alternate different shirts in consecutive shots.

Yet for all that, this film is a masterpiece of content above style.  Wayne, in the role where he calls James Stewart “Pilgrim,” is a tower of strength, decisiveness and, later, buried moral anguish.  Lee Marvin is dastardly as the character named in the title and the supporting cast must be seen to be believed:  Edmond O’Brien, Vera Miles, Woody Strode, Andy Devine, Strother Martin, Lee Van Cleef, John Carradine, Denver Pyle, John Qualen, Jeanette Nolan, Ken Murray, Paul Birch and Willis Bouchey.

Its main theme is that progress eventually tames wildness, and not always for the better.  Classic scenes include Marvin’s beating of Stewart, Wayne’s paint-messy method of teaching Stewart how to shoot, the death of Marvin on a dark street and the final rites for the man who really shot Liberty Valance.  But the best scene is the lengthy diner scene which climaxes with Wayne casually kicking Strother Martin in the face and challenging Marvin to punish him for it.  This is a great movie about larger-than-life characters, the price of progress and history’s legacy.  “When legend becomes fact, print the legend.”  My rating:  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆.  (10:4).