The Shootist (1976)

Director: Don Siegel
Starring: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard

Synopsis:
A gunfighter dying of cancer tries to live out his last days in some measure of peace and comfort, but his reputation means that he will not know any peace.

Impressions:
This is a poignant film both in and of itself and on the meta level. In the twilight of the Old West, a gunfighter—one of the last of his kind—is dying. In real life, the classic Western was fading and John Wayne was at the end of his career (and only three years from his own death). This is one of Wayne's greatest performances. Many actors go out on a low note, but it's somewhat heartening that this wasn't the case for the Duke. There's good chemistry with Lauren Bacall and I liked the mentor/apprentice vibe with Ron Howard's character. I really liked Jimmy Stewart's part as Doc Hostetler and Scatman Carothers role as Moses was also enjoyable. Harry Morgan also hams it up a bit as the downright dickish Marshal Thibido. This is a fine movie, a must-see and something I strongly recommend adding to your collection.

Rating:
Own It