The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

A young lawyer (James Stewart) fresh out of law school is on a stagecoach when it is held up by the notorious Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). When he attempts to rescue a woman (Anna Lee) from being molested, he is brutally beaten and whipped by Valance. When rescued, he is taken in by a family of Swedish immigrants but he is stunned to find the town's populace weak and helpless against Valance's thuggish ways. Directed by John Ford. One of Ford's highly regarded films, I find it a decent film but remain perplexed at the esteem in which the film is held in certain critical circles as well as western fans. There's simply too much that's wrong with it. There's the length for one thing. It feels padded out and could easily lose some twenty minutes. The casting of a 53 year old Stewart as a young law school graduate is impossible to surmount. And a good amount of the acting is just bad. Notably Edmond O'Brien's scenery chewing alcoholic newspaper publisher. He makes John Carradine's pontificating orator almost subtle by comparison and you can add Marvin's snarling villain to the list too. And the dialogue is often stuffed with cliches, John Wayne actually tells Vera Miles, "You look beautiful when you're mad". On the plus side, Wayne is very good in one of his best performances and William H. Clothier's pristine B&W cinematography is to be savored, even if much of its exteriors are filmed on sound stages. Still, I'm in the minority in my lack of enthusiasm. With Andy Devine, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Van Cleef, Woody Strode, John Qualen and Ken Murray.