Synopsis
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.
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Cast
- John WayneJ.B. Books
- Lauren BacallBond Rogers
- Ron HowardGillom Rogers
- James StewartDr. Hostetler
- Richard BooneSweeney
- Hugh O'BrianPulford
- Bill McKinneyCobb
- Harry MorganMarshall Thibido
- John CarradineBeckum
- Sheree NorthSerepta
Recommendations
- 90
Variety
Don Siegel's terrific film is simply beautiful, and beautifully simple, in its quiet, elegant and sensitive telling of the last days of a dying gunfighter at the turn of the century. - 90
The Telegraph
The Shootist is a fitting memorial to a great star – and leaves his image indelibly fixed on our imagination. - 90
Newsweek
Wayne's proud, quietly anguished performance, one of his very best and certainly his most moving, has a richness that seems born of self-knowledge; he lends the film a tremendous sense of intimacy and a surprisingly confessional mood. [16 Aug 1976, p.68] - 88
Chicago Sun-Times
The cast is excellent because it understands the material, and sympathizes with it: James Stewart, as the doctor, and Lauren Bacall, as the widow, play scenes with Wayne that absolutely make us forget we're watching a movie. - 88
Chicago Reader
A brilliantly crafted work and a remarkably moving experience. - 80
Time Out
A subtle, touching valedictory tribute to both Wayne and the Western in general. - 80
TV Guide Magazine
The Shootist is an uneven, elegiac tribute to a great career. The script leaves a lot to be desired, but is compensated for by some fine performances (especially Wayne's), Bruce Surtees' poignant cinematography, and Don Siegel's carefully paced direction. - 80
Empire
The Duke's last hurrah is one of the very best of a cycle of 70s movies that served as obituaries for the Western itself.
