Western

The Shootist

The De Laurentiis Company

Paramount Pictures

United States of America

English

John Wayne

Lauren Bacall

Ron Howard

James Stewart

Richard Boone

Hugh O'Brian

Bill McKinney

Harry Morgan

John Carradine

Sheree North

Rick Lenz

Scatman Crothers

Gregg Palmer

Alfred Dennis

Dick Winslow

Melody Thomas Scott

Kathleen O'Malley

Jack Berle

Johnny Crawford

Chuck Dawson

George Dunn

Duke Fishman

Christopher George

Jonathan Goldsmith

Leo Gordon

Charles G. Martin

Jim Michael

Ernesto Molinari

Darren Patrick Moloney

Ricky Nelson

James Nolan

Nick Raymond

Henry Slate

Bob Steele

Ralph Volkie

John Zimeas

Bruce Surtees

Miles Hood Swarthout

Don Siegel

Glendon Swarthout

William Self

Douglas Stewart

Robert F. Boyle

Scott Hale

Elmer Bernstein

Dave Sutton

Jerrold L. Ludwig

Richard A. Mention

Douglas Kirkland

Dino De Laurentiis

Timothy E. Wade

Thomas Del Ruth

Richard Lawrence

Terry Leonard

Luster Bayless

Vivienne Walker

Arthur Piantadosi

Denny Arnold

Michael Minkler

Arthur Jeph Parker

Jerry Whittington

Moss Mabry

Augie Lohman

David Domeyer

Ted Koerner

Joe Florence

Joseph C. Cavalier

Edna Taylor

William Cruse

Chuck Roberson

Roydon Clark

Joe DiBella

Jim Burk

Chuck Holmes

Betsy Norton

Al Overton Sr.

Dave Grayson

Les Fresholtz

M.J. Frankovich

The big man bows out and leaves an indelible mark.

Legendary gunfighter J.B. Books rides into Carson City, diagnosed with terminal cancer he has a short time to live. After taking a room at the widow Bond Rogers' house, he becomes something of a mentor to Bond's son, Gillom.

Dignified, eloquent, perhaps even incredibly sad, The Shootist mirrors John Wayne's personal situation and closes his career (and life) with a poignant last hurrah. Based around the popular novel from Glendon Swarthout (Where The Boys Are), and directed by the astutely knowing Don Siegel (The Duel at Silver Creek), The Shootist begins with edited scenes from Books' (Wayne's) life, where he literally ages before us during this montage. Cut to his arrival in Carson City in 1901 and we are about to be witness to the end of an era. Wayne is backed up in his swansong by Lauren Bacall (Bond Rogers), James Stewart (Doc Hostelter) and an engagingly important Ron Howard (Gillom Rogers). While a big shout out has to go to Bruce Surtees' cinematography which perfectly captures the elegiac nature of it all. 

The message well and truly hits home and hard come the bloody finale, where with one nod of his head big John Wayne, alias J.B. Books, says more than words surely ever could.

RIP - The Duke. 8/10

I publicly take back every negative thing I ever said about John Wayne.  I was so far wrong in claiming that he was just a very famous, highly overrated actor, but I blame my misconceptions on the fact that I was probably introduced to him via some of his lesser movies, or perhaps just not the kind of movie I like or usually bother with.  I never have been big on Westerns, but after viewing The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, I thought he was okay.  Now having just seen The Shootist, I apologize for everything I've said against him before.  He was truly brilliant in this, his final movie, and it was a fitting ending for a memorable career that spanned three decades.  Forget everyone else; his performance makes the movie!  It really, really could've done without the unnecessary amount of bad language, but the story was great, being alternately tense and touching throughout.  And, in the end, John Wayne really could say so much with just a single nod.  Here's to the Duke!

CinemaSerf

John Wayne's final big screen role sees him playing a terminally-ill gunfighter determined to go out with his boots on - and to take as much local riff-raff with his as he goes. He settles down in a boarding house run by a slightly puritanical widow - Lauren Bacall, and her teenage son played by Ron Howard. Once his doctor, James Stewart, has confirmed the worst, he manipulates some of the local ne'er-do-wells into ensuring he gets the send off he desires. His relationship with Bacall thaws, somewhat, and we end with a gentle nod to both of their different sorts of humanity. Make no mistake, this isn't at all soporific, and Wayne and veteran sparring partner Richard Boone have the odd scene to remind us of both of their younger days (Boone only survived Wayne by 2 years). It is a great, fitting send off for a man who in 1976 was as enduring a legend as Hollywood had ever produced.

Original Trailer

John Landis on THE SHOOTIST

The Shootist 1976 theatrical trailer

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The Shootist

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Cast

John Wayne

Lauren Bacall

Ron Howard

James Stewart

Richard Boone

Hugh O'Brian

Bill McKinney

Harry Morgan

John Carradine

Sheree North

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