The Shootist was John Wayne’s last ever film as he soon after dies. I was forced to watch this by hubby as it was his turn to pick what we watched. I have to say that it wasn’t too bad and probably the best one I have seen John Wayne in, so far!
John Wayne plays the role of John Bernard ... Read review
The last film of John Wayne,The Shootist, could not have been more fitting, full of ... more
details that can't help but make one reflect upon his legacy in the movies and his life as a star. Wayne plays a career gunfighter in the autumn of his life, trying to ...
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Afflicted with a terminal illness, John Bernard Brooks (John Wayne), the last of the ... more
legendary gunfighters, quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart). Aware that his days are numbered, the tr...
Afflicted with a terminal illness John Bernard Books the last of the legendary ... more
gunfighters quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler. Aware that his days are numbered the troubled man seeks solace and pe...
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The last film of John Wayne,The Shootist, could not have been more fitting, full of ... more
details that can't help but make one reflect upon his legacy in the movies and his life as a star. Wayne plays a career gunfighter in the autumn of his life, trying to hang up his pistols after he discovers he's dying of cancer. Boarding in the house of an attractive widow (Lauren Bacall) and her son (Ron Howard), Wayne's character opts for peace in his final days but is dogged by his reputation when a handful of killers seeks him out for a final fight. Howard is fine as a fatherless boy who needs the strong mentor the hero represents, and James Stewart--who costarred with Wayne in the greatMan Who Shot Liberty Valance--plays the doctor who gives the big man the bad news. Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) thoughtfully directs a very special and sensitive production.--Tom Keogh
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Production Year: 1941 - Westerns - Director: Fritz Lang - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Randolph Scott, Dean Jagger, Barton MacLane, Robert Young
Production Year: 1976 - Westerns - Director: Irvin Kershner - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Gale Sondergaard, Geoffrey Lewis, William Lucking, Jorge Luke, Richard Harris
Advantages: Good story, good acting Disadvantages: A Western, John Wayne!
The Shootist was John Wayne’s last ever film as he soon after dies. I was forced to watch this by hubby as it was his turn to pick what we watched. I have to say that it wasn’t too bad and probably the best one I have seen John Wayne in, so far!
John Wayne plays the role of John Bernard Brooks who finds out that he is dying of cancer. Brooks decided to go back to Carson City where his friend is a Doctor to get a second opinion. Here ... ...the same diagnosis from the second opinion. Dr Hosteter has the hard job of telling his old friend that there is nothing which can be done for him and he only has a short time left to live.
Brooks decided to stay in Carson City much to the disapproval of the Sherriff who believes that trouble will follow him and takes up lodging in a boarding house which is run by widow and her son, played by Lauren Bacall and Ron Howard. Ron Howard’s ... more
The Shootist was John Wayne’s last ever film as he soon after dies. I was forced to watch this by hubby as it was his turn to pick what we watched. I have to say that it wasn’t too bad and probably the best one I have seen John Wayne in, so far!
John Wayne plays the role of John Bernard Brooks who finds out that he is dying of cancer. Brooks decided to go back to Carson City where his friend is a Doctor to get a second opinion. Here he sees Dr Hostetler, played by James Stewart, and gets the same diagnosis from the second opinion. Dr Hosteter has the hard job of telling his old friend that there is nothing which can be done for him and he only has a short time left to live.
Brooks decided to stay in Carson City much to the disapproval of the Sherriff who believes that trouble will follow him and takes up lodging in a boarding house which is run by widow and her son, played by Lauren Bacall and Ron Howard. Ron Howard’s character is happy for the new house guest as he is a big fan of Brooks as he is a well known and legendary gun fighter. The two strike up a friendship.
Brooks decides that he will not die quietly and goes about setting up one last showdown with all the remaining top gunfighters. He has the help of his new friend but there are obstacles in his way as gun men are after him and trying to make a name for themselves by being the man who shot Brooks.
Will Brooks be able to set up his gunfight and finally go out with a bang or will he die before this can happen.
I have to say that I think this is probably the best John Wayne film I have seen to date. I am lead to believe that he was seriously ill during the filming of this and I think due to that fact he put more emotion and feeling into his character who was dying. I think I maybe also enjoyed it more as I know it was his last film. He did pay a good character and suited the role and he came across as very sincere on screen.
James Stewart was a good character as the Doctor and the chemistry between him and John Wayne was good and natural. Lauren Bacall also played a good part as the widow who ran the boarding house. She too had a great chemistry with John Wayne and their affection for each other was very genuine and sincere. Ron Howard was also a great addition to the cast and I liked his role and think he added a lot to the film.
The setting for the film was good and a lot of time and attention to detail was done for all the sets and scenery. Everything looked very authentic and realistic. I have to say that I was pleased to see John Wayne in a different set of clothes as all his other films I have watched seem to only ever have him in trousers and a red top with a dodgy waistcoat! I thought that he showed his age well and liked the fact that he was not portrayed as being much younger than he really was.
The music throughout the film was great and added a lot of emotion and tension to the film. I think that Elmer Bernstein deserves a lot of credit for all of the music which he wrote and created.
The DVD which we have does not have any added bonus features which I am pleased about!
The running time of this film is 95 minutes which I feel is just the right length as any longer would have made the story drag out for too long and I would have been loosing a lot more interest. The certificate on this film is a PG as there is some moderate language and violence and I do agree with this.
We paid £5 for our DVD over a year ago now but it is the special 100th Anniversary edition. I believe that it is now available for less on both Amazon and EBay.
Overall I do recommend this to all fans of westerns as it to me is the best one I have seen John Wayne in so far!
Advantages: It is a classic. Perfect Sunday afternoon film. Disadvantages: Hard to believe that this was made nearly 50 years agao.
to such an extent that it is referenced in other more recent films such as True Romance, Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers, with actual clips from the film shown within Get Shorty, both versions of Assault on Precinct 13 and John Wayne's last film The Shootist as tribute to the actor who passed away shortly after filming had completed in June 1979.
The picture quality on the DVD is excellent for a film that was made nearly 50 years ago, the picture is crisp and sharp throughout the playing of the film and is not let down by the quality of the print or the DVD transfer at all. I am unsure as to whether the DVD has been restored as it really does look that good.
This is 141 minutes of good, enjoyable Western action.
--- Extras---
When the DVD was released the first time round, the extras were basically a menu with some music ...
Timbo3107 04.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rio Bravo (DVD)
The last of the legendary gun-fighters is dying from a terminal illness. He seeks what medical care he can from the doctor in Carson City and rests up in the local boarding house. However one last battle still awaits him...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DIST. SERVICES
Release date
06/06/2005
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
PHE 8809
Barcode
5014437880932
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Aspect Ratio
1.78 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Mono
Dubbing Sound
Mono English
DVD Description
John Wayne, in his last film appearance, stars as famed gunfighter J.J. Brooks. After learning from Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart) that he's dying of stomach cancer and has no more than two months to live, he moves into a boarding house in Carson City run by Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son, Gillom (Ron Howard), to die quietly. But when word gets around that the old gunslinger is in town, curiosity seekers come out of the woodwork to get a look, and the ridiculous local marshal (Henry Morgan) contemplates a showdown with the legend. Annoyed by the attention and realizing that if he waits long enough, he'll die in great pain, Brooks decides to seek out his enemies and go down with guns blazing. Yet he works to persuade the hero-worshiping Gillom to foreswear the life of violence he's led. Director Don Siegel fashions a poignant, gracious farewell to the great star, who, like his character, was dying of cancer as the film was being shot. A stellar cast, which includes Western stalwarts such as Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, John Carradine, and Johnny Crawford, adds much to the film's resonance. As much a meditation on the burden of celebrity as an elegy for the Old West, it's most revealing in its star's final renunciation of violence.
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