Principal cast
John Wayne as Tom Doniphon, James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard, Vera Miles as Hallie Stoddard, Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance, and Edmond O'Brien as Dutton Peabody
Film 180 of 253 on the Screen Path
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Together for the first time
About the film
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1962 film at stop 180 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
Questions arise when Senator Stoddard attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon in a small Western town. Flashing back, we learn Doniphon saved Stoddard, then a lawyer, when he was roughed up by a crew of outlaws terrorizing the town, led by Liberty Valance. As the territory's safety hung in the balance, Doniphon and Stoddard, two of the only people standing up to him, proved to be very important, but different, foes to Valance.
Key craft credits
William H. Clothier (director of photography), Otho Lovering (editor), Cyril J. Mockridge (original music composer), James Warner Bellah (screenplay), and Willis Goldbeck (screenplay)
- Director
- John Ford
- Release
- 1962-04-13
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
- Genres
- Western
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
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