- Directed by Don Siegel
- August 20, 1976
- Based on the 1975 novel The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout
“I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”
A Western legend spends his last days trying to die with peace and dignity.
As a swansong this is perhaps a bit on the nose in the way it opens. To cover the pre-film events of our main character’s life there’s an opening narration by Ron Howard in character which, for flashback purposes, uses brief moments from other Wayne films to portray the life of his character John Bernard “J.B.” Books. These use clips from Red River, Hondo, Rio Bravo, and El Dorado. All movies that stand tall in the Western genre.
Wayne put character first and acted the hell out of his part as Books in order to turn in one of his better if not best performances. His screen persona/himself is second. I have often said John Wayne was a good actor but needed the right director to force a good performance out of him. The legendary Don Siegel did just that here.
I have seen a great many John Wayne films and depending on the director Wayne could be out shown by other actors in scenes with them. Here he more than holds his own against the likes of Jimmy Stewart or John Carradine or Lauren Bacall whom he worked with before in Blood Alley. I find it noteworthy that Carradine was present for Wayne’s star making performance in Stagecoach and he helped cap off Wayne’s career in this his final film.
One of the things mentioned often is that the pain of Books’s cancer will increase. Wayne never contorts in pain or winces overtly obvious on screen but there are points where he’s either breathless or takes swigs from the bottle of laudanum given to him by his friend and physician Doc Hostetler (James Stewart). His situation is far worse than he is letting on and Wayne lets the observing audience know but does not handfeed it to the characters in the film.
Embodied in this movie are many of the elements of previous Wayne vehicles. Brooks is a man of integrity with a distinct code that he goes by. It’s embodied in the creed uttered more than a few times which the character’s actions are guided by. He is also a larger-than-life figure. His fame has eclipsed the reality of his deeds. This movie is as much about the fictitious John Bernard “J.B.” Books and his perception in the public as it is about John Wayne and his stature among the public.
In The Shootist a romance develops between Mrs. Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) whom Books is renting a room from and Brooks. It’s a very staid romance. Dare I say dignified? For Books it is love at the end of his life. For Mrs. Rogers it’s learning to love again after the death of her husband. But it’s sweet and soft in a way you don’t often see anymore.
And that goes to in a large part how things are handled by Siegel. Much is implied but nothing is outright stated. Love or even animosity between characters like there is between Books and Mike Sweeney (Richard Boone) is something you must watch to fully understand. They imply much in a dance of dialogue that is about sizing each other up as it is about threatening the other without drawing attention.
Or the scene at the end of the film when Books is dressed in his finest and claims to Mrs. Rogers that it is his birthday and he is going to have a drink at the local saloon. Mrs. Rogers says that the weather is beautiful, and it is what they call a “false spring.” It is apparent she is not talking about the weather but rather letting Books know she is aware his statement is a lie and she understands what he is planning to do.
The finale is set from the start almost. It all leads to a point whether it appears to have started that way or not. The Shootist doesn’t stumble around until it needs to come up with an end. The ending is the only conclusion that could’ve come from everything that happened before.
This is an all-star cast of great actors. Legendary performers from film in general and even specifically of the Western genre. Lauren Bacall. James Stewart. Richard Boone. John Carradine. Scatman Crothers. Richard Lenz. Harry Morgan. Sheree North. Hugh O’Brian. And Ron Howard who would go on to much more renown as a director than as an actor. And that’s just in front of the camera.
What we have here is a well-done western that touches on human things. Life and love and death. Coming to terms with the inevitable and going out with dignity. It’s not guns blazing or tough talking. And it’s certainly not action focused. There is no happy ending or feel-good moment in the closing minutes of this. Maybe not 100% realistic but a much more realistic ending than some of Wayne’s other Westerns yet it was not disappointing.
Siegel was known for films with taut plots and individualistic loners. A perfect fit for someone like Wayne who often played loners or stern men. It is a shame the two did not work together sooner. I think if Siegel had directed some of Wayne’s other movies it could have rivaled Wayne’s work with Ford. Certainly improved one or two.
I doubt an actor of any stature could ask for a better final outing in film than The Shootist. It’s emotional and moving and probably one of Wayne’s best if not his very best performance. If you love Westerns with John Wayne or just good movies, then you should certainly watch this!
Warren Watched A Movie 