The Shootist

"He's got to face a gunfight once more to live up to his legend once more. To win just one more time."

1976 1h 40m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 396

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Afflicted with a terminal illness John Bernard Books, the last of the legendary 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 peace in a boarding house run by a widow and her son. However, it is not Books' fate to die in peace, as he becomes embroiled in one last valiant battle.

“He's got to face a gunfight once more to live up to his legend once more. To win just one more time.”

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Cast

John Wayne
J.B. Books
Lauren Bacall
Bond Rogers
Ron Howard
Gillom Rogers
James Stewart
Dr. Hostetler
Richard Boone
Mike Sweeney
Hugh O'Brian
Jack Pulford
Bill McKinney
Jay Cobb
Harry Morgan
Marshall Thibido

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Siegel
Writers: Miles Hood Swarthout, Scott Hale, Don Siegel
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Don Siegel, shot by Bruce Surtees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Elmer Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Douglas Stewart shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

John Wayne and Lauren Bacall and Ron Howard carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He's got to face a gunfight once more to live up to his legend once more. To win just one more time.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0075213 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Siegel directs. Bruce Surtees behind the camera. Elmer Bernstein scores. Douglas Stewart cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

150 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Don Siegel, shot by Bruce Surtees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Elmer Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Douglas Stewart shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5John Wayne and Lauren Bacall and Ron Howard carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He's got to face a gunfight once more to live up to his legend once more. To win just one more time.".
7IMDB entry: tt0075213 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 20 themes, including "sniper", "based on novel or book", "widow", "nevada".
9Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Bruce Surtees
Original score: Elmer Bernstein
Editing: Douglas Stewart
Production design: Robert F. Boyle
Costume design: Luster Bayless
Makeup / hair: Joe DiBella
Sound: Les Fresholtz
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $13,400,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Shootist (1976)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Don Siegel

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-05-29
★ 8/10
The big man bows out and leaves an indelible mark. Legendary gunfighter J.B. Books rides into Carson City, diagnosed with terminal cancer he has a short time to live. After taking a room at the widow Bond Rogers' house, he becomes something of a mentor to Bond's son, Gillom. Dignified, eloquent, perhaps even incredibly sad, The Shootist mirrors John Wayne's personal situation and closes his career (and life) with a poignant last hurrah. Based around the popular novel from Glendon Swarthout (Where The Boys Are), and directed by the astutely knowing Don Siegel (The Duel at Silver Creek), The Shootist begins with edited scenes from Books' (Wayne's) life, where he literally ages before us during this montage. Cut to his arrival in Carson City in 1901 and we are about to be witness to the end of an era. Wayne is backed up in his swansong by Lauren Bacall (Bond Rogers), James Stewart (Doc Hostelter) and an engagingly important Ron Howard (Gillom Rogers). While a big shout out has to go to Bruce Surtees' cinematography which perfectly captures the elegiac nature of it all. The message well and truly hits home and hard come the bloody finale, where with one nod of his head big John Wayne, alias J.B. Books, says more than words surely ever could. RIP - The Duke. 8/10
barrymost2019-09-07
★ 8/10
I publicly take back every negative thing I ever said about John Wayne. I was so far wrong in claiming that he was just a very famous, highly overrated actor, but I blame my misconceptions on the fact that I was probably introduced to him via some of his lesser movies, or perhaps just not the kind of movie I like or usually bother with. I never have been big on Westerns, but after viewing The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, I thought he was okay. Now having just seen The Shootist, I apologize for everything I've said against him before. He was truly brilliant in this, his final movie, and it was a fitting ending for a memorable career that spanned three decades. Forget everyone else; his performance makes the movie! It really, really could've done without the unnecessary amount of bad language, but the story was great, being alternately tense and touching throughout. And, in the end, John Wayne really could say so much with just a single nod. Here's to the Duke!
CinemaSerf2023-06-03
★ 7/10
John Wayne's final big screen role sees him playing a terminally-ill gunfighter determined to go out with his boots on - and to take as much local riff-raff with his as he goes. He settles down in a boarding house run by a slightly puritanical widow - Lauren Bacall, and her teenage son played by Ron Howard. Once his doctor, James Stewart, has confirmed the worst, he manipulates some of the local ne'er-do-wells into ensuring he gets the send off he desires. His relationship with Bacall thaws, somewhat, and we end with a gentle nod to both of their different sorts of humanity. Make no mistake, this isn't at all soporific, and Wayne and veteran sparring partner Richard Boone have the odd scene to remind us of both of their younger days (Boone only survived Wayne by 2 years). It is a great, fitting send off for a man who in 1976 was as enduring a legend as Hollywood had ever produced.