The Shootist  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Related e

Wikipedia
Wiktionary
Shop


Featured:

The Shootist is a 1976 American Western film directed by Don Siegel and based on Glendon Swarthout's 1975 novel of the same name. It is notable as John Wayne's final film role. The screenplay was written by Miles Hood Swarthout (the son of the author) and Scott Hale. The supporting cast includes Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, Harry Morgan, John Carradine, Sheree North, Scatman Crothers, and Rick Lenz.

In 1977, The Shootist received an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction (Robert F. Boyle, Arthur Jeph Parker), a BAFTA Film Award nomination for Best Actress (Lauren Bacall), and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Ron Howard), as well as the National Board of Review Award as one of the Top Ten Films of 1976. The film received widespread critical acclaim, garnering an 87% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Plot

The opening scenes are a narrated flashback of the thirty plus killings by sheriff-turned-gunfighter John Bernard "J.B." Books (actual scenes of John Wayne's past films).

Now an older man, Books arrives in Carson City, Nevada, in late January 1901. Almost immediately he gets into a potentially dangerous confrontation with local dairy creamer Jay Cobb, but his teenaged assistant Gillom Rogers defuses the situation by scoffing that Books looks worn out. Books goes to Dr. E. W. "Doc" Hostetler, a country physician who knows Books from treating his gunshot wounds 15 years before. Books came to seek out Hostetler for a second opinion. Hostetler confirms that Books has terminal cancer and has only weeks to live. Books is prescribed laudanum, but told that eventually the pain will become unbearable. Hostetler obliquely suggests that Books consider suicide.

He finds lodgings at a quiet boarding house owned by Bond Rogers, a widow who lives with her son Gillom. Books attempts to remain anonymous during his stay there, and intends to quietly die there. However, Gillom finds Books' initials and last name on his horse's saddle, and reveals to his mother that he is a famed gunfighter. Bond is upset that Books has lied to her about his real identity and summons Marshal Thibido to order Books to leave town, but he explains his illness is too advanced for traveling. Sympathetic to his plight, Bond tries to interest Books in church to obtain solace and comfort. However, Books maintains he has no need of repentance and has lived a moral life.

Word spreads that Books is in town, causing him trouble from those seeking to profit off his name or to kill him. Among those attempting to exploit him is reporter Dan Dobkins. Serepta, an old flame of Books', shows up; she eventually admits that Dobkins approached her about writing a biography of Books' life, one filled with fabricated, exaggerated details of his gunfights. Books later orders a headstone, but rejects the undertaker's offer of a free funeral, suspecting he would charge the public admission to view his remains. Two strangers seeking notoriety try to ambush Books as he sleeps, but he kills them. Gillom is impressed, but his mother is losing boarders over the incident, and is angry, and also frightened for Books, though she will not admit it. She also grows concerned that the fatherless Gillom will try to follow in his footsteps. Books and Gillom have a dispute over Gillom procuring a buyer, the Carson City blacksmith, Moses, for Books' horse without his permission, but they resolve their differences. Gillom begins spending more time with Books, and Books teaches Gillom to shoot. Gillom shows that he has a natural talent for it.

Books asks Gillom to go see three townsmen with violent reputations: Mike Sweeney, the brother of a man Books once killed in self-defense; Jack Pulford, the Faro dealer at the local Metropole Saloon, known to be a deadly crack shot; and Gillom's boss Jay Cobb. He is to tell each of them that Books will be at the Metropole at 11 am on January 29, Books' birthday. On the morning of January 29, the headstone arrives, which includes Books' death year as "1901", but with no day. Books gives Gillom his horse, bids farewell to Bond and then boards a trolley for the saloon.

Books enters the saloon to find only the bartender and Cobb, Sweeney and Pulford, sitting at different parts of the room. Books orders a drink and toasts his birthday and his three "guests". First Cobb, then Sweeney, and finally Pulford, fire at Books, but the wounded Books manages to kill all three. A crowd fills the street outside the Metropole after hearing the gunshots, including Gillom, who eventually enters the bar. His shouted warning is too late, and the bartender fires both barrels of a shotgun into Books' back, mortally wounding him. Gillom rushes over, picks up Books' revolver and kills the bartender. When Gillom realizes what he has done and throws the gun away, Books smiles in approval and then dies. As Gillom takes off his coat and covers Books with it, Doc Hostetler walks in. Gillom walks out of the Metropole to his waiting mother. He walks past her, and she turns and follows him.

Cast

}}



Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "The Shootist" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

Personal tools