THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962)

Fresh out of law school, 54-year-old James Stewart is traveling to the small western town of Shinbone when the stagecoach is held up by local bandit Liberty Valance.  He beats the poo-poo out of Stewart and leaves him for dead on the side of the road.  Luckily, John Wayne happens to find him and takes him into town for some medical attention.  Shinbone is a small town, not much bigger than a tumbleweed, and it doesn't have a lawyer or much of anything for that matter.  Mostly bars, drunks, a one-man newspaper written by Edmond O'Brien and a restaurant waitressed by Vera Miles.

It's Miles who nurses Stewart back to health.  She even gets him a job washing dishes, since there's no need for a lawyer.  As things progress and the locals faces off against the large ranchers in a fight of statehood vs. territorial control by the ranchers, Stewart is obsessed with seeing Valance face the justice of the Law.  At the same time, Valance and his gang continues to terrorize the local population and Wayne sees that his secret love for Miles is in danger of being crushed by her admiration of Stewart.

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE isn't your standard western with the wide shots of the beautiful desert vistas, cattle drives and everybody riding horses non-stop.  Most of the action takes place indoors with people talking.  Now whether that was was done by choice or lack of financing I don't know, but it works thanks to the strong script and the fact that TMWSLV has pound-for-pound one of the most impressive casts ever!  It's amazing!  There's one scene (the steak on the floor scene) where you have John Wayne, Vera Miles, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Strother Martin, Woody Strode, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Van Cleef and John Qualen all in one area together!  Not to mention Andy Devine ducking out the back door.  That's mind-blowing.

Great story, amazing cast, Strother Martin giggling, Montie Montana's horse drinking out of a water pitcher, tons of familiar faces (including Denver Pyle, Willis Bouchey, Robert F. Simon, Carleton Young, Ted Mapes, Jack Pennick and more), good pace, costume design by Edith Head, John Carradine monologuing and one of my favorite Edmond O'Brien performances ever.  I have no idea why this film only received one(!!!) Oscar nomination. 

Highly recommended.

I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (1955)

This is one of the best remakes I've ever seen.  The original HIGH SIERRA is a great film, but I think this retelling of the same story might even be better!  Jack Palance plays the Bogart role as a tough gangster with a noble soul who's sprung from prison by his old friend and mob boss (Lon Chaney Jr.). Chaney wants him to pull a heist on a private resort's safety deposit boxes.  Along the way, Palance falls in love with a crippled woman who's using him for his money.  Added to his problems is the crew of amateurs hired to help him.  One of them even brought a dame!  And to make matters even worse the dame falls for him. 

Being made 14 years later, the subject matter is a little more mature and fleshed out than the original and it helps a lot.  Jack Palance and Shelley Winters' performances were so good that I'm surprised that they weren't both nominated for an Academy Awards, but then again 1955 was a really good year for the movies....MISTER ROBERTS didn't even win!  (MARTY won.)

Beautiful colour photography, faithful retelling of the story, interesting camera angles/movements, cute dog, very strong supporting cast and quick glimpse of a young Dennis Hopper!  Excellent movie that deserves a much wider audience.  Check it out.

Original - High Sierra (1941)
Remake 1 -Colorado Territory (1955)