Set in 1901, John Wayne plays John Bernard Books - an ornery, aging gunfighter who returns to his old hometown, where his presence is unwanted and his way of life deemed obsolete. Informed that he has terminal cancer in advanced stages, Books determines to die quietly and with dignity, but several enemies decide to settle old scores before Books passes on. Boarding with a widow and his son, both of who form an attachment to him, Books tries to deter the hero-worshipping son from adopting his dangerous way of life. The film’s story serves as a parallel to Wayne’s own stellar career as a hero of the Western genre (and Wayne had cancer whilst shooting his final film). In this revisionist Western, Siegel frames the narrative within a series of identifiable dichotomies of the old/new West, horse power/machine engines, buggy/automobile and 19th/20th century mores. Also stars Jimmy Stewart as Books’ aging doctor and Lauren Bacall. Original music by Elmer Bernstein.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
317098
Languages
English
English
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Machismo
Feature films → Feature films - United States
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Machismo
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
DVD; Access Print (Section 1)