The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

- Thank you, Jason. On time. - You bet!

Link.

Link Appleyard!

- Oh, Miss Hallie. - Hello, Marshal.

- Howdy, Mr Senator. - No, no. Rance. Rance.

Rance... Sure glad you could come.

Your wire caught us in Saint Louis. Thank you.

My buckboard's right over there. Now, Jason, give me that box.

You knew they were coming!

That's the first time you ever kept a secret! Blabbermouth!

Who was that, Jason? Anybody worth a line in the paper?

A line?

You blasted fool, that's Senator Stoddard and his wife.

You can fill your newspaper with them!

Hi, Lydia. Charlie Hasbrouck. Emergency!

Tell the editor Senator Stoddard and his wife just got here!

That's right! Thanks!

Hey, that's a nickel!

Charge the Shinbone Star!

Hey, Senator! Senator Stoddard, ma'am.

Could you give me an interview? Exclusive, like. A scoop!

Shinbone Star...

Well, now, son, I... All right.

I'll give the interview, but only for one reason.

One reason... Dutton Peabody,

founder, publisher, editor-in-chief of the Shinbone Star once fired me.

I'll be fired if I don't get this interview.

Is it true you're going to...

Here he comes now.

Senator Stoddard, this is a surprise and an honour, sir!

- Maxwell Scott, editor of the Star. - How do you do, Mr Scott?

- This is Mrs Stoddard. - A pleasure, ma'am.

What brings you back, sir? Is it true you're going to run...

Oh, no. Hold on, Mr Scott.

Who am I giving this interview to? You or this young fellow here?

- Who asked first, by the way. - I sure did.

If you're a good reporter you'll invite them into our office,

out of the sun and dust.

He's right. Best way to make a man talk is to make him comfortable.

Well, it's back in business again, politics.

Link, why don't you take Hallie for a little ride around town?

Lot of changes, huh?

I'll go with these fellows and mend a few political fences.

I notice you're not wearing the star.

Oh, shucks, Miss Hallie.

They haven't elected me Town Marshal for a dog's age.

I reckon the only one of us from the old days

still working is the senator!

Place has sure changed.

Churches, high school, shops.

Well, the railroad done that.

Desert's still the same.

The cactus rose is in blossom.

Maybe...

Maybe you'd like to take a ride out desert way

and maybe look around.

Maybe.

You knew where I wanted to go, didn't you?

Well, you said you wanted to see the cactus blossoms.

There's his house down there, what's left of it.

Blossoms all around it.

He never did finish that room he started to build on, did he?

No.

Oh, well, you know all about that.

There's a lovely one there.

Whoa!

Well, gentlemen, I promised myself this trip I would not talk politics,

and look here, that's just about all I've been doing.

Surely you're going to Capitol City and talk to the assembly?

Not this trip. This is purely personal.

Purely personal? That isn't good enough for my readers.

Why did you come to Shinbone? No mystery, is there?

No.

No, there's no mystery.

I'm here to go to a funeral.

Funeral?

Who's dead, sir?

No, sir. I...

A man by the name of Tom Doniphon.

Oh, there's my good wife. I'll...

I've enjoyed the visit, gentlemen.

Tom Doniphon?

- Hello, Clute. - Why, Rance!

Ransom Stoddard! And Miss Hallie!

Gosh, Senator, I didn't think...

Why didn't you let me know they was coming?

Gosh, I'd have had a real bang-up funeral.

Folks from all over, everywhere, would have come.

The county's gonna bury him, you know. I won't make a nickel out of it.

Pompey?

Miss Hallie.

Pompey, I'm sorry.

Maybe you'd like to...

Where are his boots?

Well, I thought...

They was an awful nice pair of boots, almost brand-new, and I thought...

Put his boots on, Clute, and his gun belt and his spurs.

He didn't carry no handgun, Rance. He didn't for years.

Yeah, sure.

Sir, I don't wish to intrude,

but a United States senator is news.

I'm the editor of a newspaper with a state-wide circulation.

I've got a responsibility to know why

you came all the way down here to bury a man.

You can't say his name was Tom Doniphon and leave it at that.

Who was Tom Doniphon?

He was a friend, Mr Scott, and we'd like to be left alone.

Scott, let's go.

I'm sorry, Senator. That's not enough.

I have a right to have the story.

Yes, I guess maybe you have.

Of course, this story not only concerns me.

Old Pompey in there, Link, they were part of it.

But I suppose I'm the only one who can tell it through.

I read about the old days in the paper's files.

- There was no mention... - You're a young man!

A young man.

You only know it since the railroad came.

A lot different then. A lot different before, Mr Scott.

A lot different.

First time I came to Shinbone, I came by stagecoach.

A lot like that one right there.

Well...

Could be the same one.

Could be the same one.

Overland... Say, I think it is the same one!

Well, I declare.

Well, I declare.

I was just a youngster, fresh out of law school,

bag full of law books and my father's gold watch,

$14.80 in cash.

I had taken Horace Greeley's advice literally,

"Go west, young man, go west,

"and seek fame, fortune, adventure."

Stand and deliver!

Shotgun, shuck your shells.

Throw down the cash box.

Now!

All right. Get the passengers out of the coach.

Looks like slim passenger pickings, but lift their wallets anyway.

- I'll take that pin, too. - No. Please.

My dead husband gave it to me.

- Please! - A widow, huh? I'll take it anyway.

Take your hands off! What kind of men are you?

This kind, dude!

Now, what kind of man are you, dude?

I am an attorney-at-law, and I'm duly licensed by the territory.

You may have us now, but I'll see you in jail for this!

Jail?

- Stop it! You'll kill him! - Get him out of here!

Get in that coach! Go on, move!

Get in there! You, too!

- Come on, inside! - He could die out there!

We'll send him flowers!

Chico, cut the leaders!

Get going!

Put that stuff in here and get to your horses. Hurry!

A book?

Law?

Lawyer, huh?

Well, I'll teach you law...

Western law.

Let's get out of here.

Come on. Come on!

Hallie!

Hallie! Wake up, gal!

Tom Doniphon!

It's 5:30 in the morning! What's wrong with you?

We've got a man down here ambushed. And bushed!

Like to die if we don't get care for him.

Oh.

- It's the man from the hold-up. - That's right.

How did you know?

Stagecoach stopped by to notify the marshal.

Link Appleyard?

Don't stand there gossiping. Get him inside. Pompey!

Think you can make it, pilgrim?

Pick him up, Pompey.

Put him on the couch.

Tom, he's hurt real bad.

Thanks, Pompey.

Poor man.

Beaten, whipped, and kicked, and just for trying to protect a woman.

- How's that again? - Stage driver told us all about it.

Well, Pompey, looks like we got ourselves a ladies' man.

Hallie, we...

- Get some bandage. - But...

I'll take care of him.

Hey...

Pilgrim, you're gonna need a couple of stitches.

Pompey, go find Doc Willoughby.

If he's sober, bring him back.

Oh.

Nora, sorry to bust in on you like this.

He's in trouble.

Such a beating.

This is just simply terrible.

By golly, I'm going to get the marshal.

You want coffee? I make some breakfast. Hallie?

Whoa! Take her easy there, pilgrim.