The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

84K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:38

Classical Western Drama Western

A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

84K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,575

873

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 4 wins & 3 nominations total

Trivia
John Wayne suggested Lee Marvin for the role of Valance after working with him in The Comancheros (1961).

Goofs
Ransom Stoddard, at the school scene, makes a reference to "truck farmer." This phrase refers not to the motorized vehicle, but to the much older use of "truck" meaning barter or commerce.

Quotes
Ransom Stoddard: [after he tell Scott who really shot Liberty Valance] Well, you know the rest of it. l went to Washington, and we won statehood. l became the first governor.
Maxwell Scott: Three terms as governor, two terms in the Senate, Ambassador to the Court of St James, back again to the Senate, and a man who, with the snap of his fingers, could be the next vice president of the United States.
Ransom Stoddard: [Scott burns his notes] You're not going to use the story, Mr Scott?
Maxwell Scott: No, sir. This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.

Connections
Edited from Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)

Soundtracks
Main Theme
(The Dew Is On the Blossom) (1939) (uncredited)
from Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Music by Alfred Newman

User reviews330

Review

Featured review

8/10

A fine example of film-making

This was a film that my class had to watch in a High School Literature class, so it has been a little while since I watched it. Although it is classified as a western film, it does not really follow through with what most would consider a western; it takes place in the western states, and the characters are cowboys, but it is a civilised film following the different characters and their fate. I could not find anything to fault with this film whatsoever. It was engaging and entertaining and was shown to us in school as an example of good film-making. I cannot agree more with that comment. I think that everyone should watch this film and think about what this film teaches.