The Shootist is a novel written by Glendon Swarthout and published in 1975.[1]
The book was made into a 1976 Western film directed by Don Siegel and is noted as being the final film role of actor John Wayne. Scott Hale and Miles Hood Swarthout (son of the author) wrote the screenplay.
Plot
The movie begins with a clip montage of some of John Wayne's earlier western movies.
John Bernard (J. B.) Books (John Wayne) is an aging gunfighter, the most celebrated "shootist" alive. However, both he and the Old West are dying. Arriving in Carson City, Nevada in 1901, Books seeks a second medical opinion from someone he trusts, E. W. "Doc" Hostetler (Jimmy Stewart). Once Hostetler confirms the prognosis of a painful and undignified death from prostate cancer, Books rents a room from the widow Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son Gillom (Ron Howard) and begins making preparations.
News of Books' presence in town spreads, drawing enemies out to settle old scores, such as Mike Sweeney (Richard Boone), and those looking to gain fame by killing him. Books has to gun down two men who try to ambush him in his sleep.
Old flame Sherepta (Sheree North) shows up and asks him to marry her. At first, Books is touched, but then finds out she only wants to use his notoriety to make money from the sensationalized, ghost-written "memoirs" of his widow. He also bargains with some others who plan to profit from his death, Moses Brown (Scatman Crothers) and the undertaker Hezekiah Beckham (John Carradine).
Unexpectedly, a romance blossoms between Books and Bond. However, he informs her that he has little time left. A friendship also develops between a hero-worshipping Gillom and the famous boarder.
On his 58th birthday, Books sends Gillom to inform three gunmen, Sweeney, professional gambler Jack Pulford (Hugh O'Brian), and Jay Cobb (Bill McKinney), that he will be at the local saloon. It is early in the day, and there are no other customers for the bartender besides the four men. One by one, each of the three shoots it out with Books. After the firing ends, Gillom enters the saloon to find Books the last man standing. Then the bartender shoots the old man. Gillom grabs Books' pistol and kills the bartender, then throws the gun away, to the silent approval of the dying Books, and walks out.
Production
The character of J.B. Books (Swarthout based the character on John Wesley Hardin) serves to parallel the final days of John Wayne, who died from stomach cancer three years after production ended. The Shootist would be his final film role, concluding a legendary career that began during the silent film era in 1926. The knowledge of Wayne's health during the production would inspire much of the dialogue and imagery of the film. Lauren Bacall had suffered through the 1957 death of her husband Humphrey Bogart, who died of throat cancer, adding further shading to the parallels of the film.
At the time the movie rights were purchased, John Wayne was not seriously considered for the role, due to questions about his health and his ability to complete the filming. The producers had wanted George C. Scott, but Wayne actively campaigned for the role and made completion of the film a personal mission.
Contrary to popular belief, John Wayne did not have cancer when he made this film. His entire left lung and several ribs had been removed in surgery on 16 September 1964, and in 1969 he was declared cancer free. It was not until 12 January 1979, almost three years after this movie had been filmed, that the disease was found to have returned.
The film was shot on location in Carson City, Nevada and at studios in Burbank, California. In Carson City, the house at 500 N. Mountain Street that doubled for J.B. Books' rooming house (owned by Bond Rogers in the movie) is three doors south from the Nevada governor's mansion. The only change to the house was a portico added on the southern side.
Besides changing the location from El Paso to Carson City, and having his horse Dollor written in, Wayne also changed the ending of the screenplay. Books was supposed to shoot Jack Pulford in the back, and then Gillom Rogers was to shoot Books. Wayne said, "I've made over 250 pictures and have never shot a guy in the back. Change it." He also did not want the young Gillom killing him.
The horse that J.B. Books rides in the film, Dollor ('Ole Dollor), that he gives to Gillom, had been Wayne's favorite horse for ten years, through several Westerns. The horse shown during the final scene of True Grit was Dollor, a two-year-old in 1969. Wayne had Dollor, a chestnut quarter horse gelding, written into the script (although there is no mention in the book of a specific horse) because of his love for the horse; it was a condition for him working on the project. Wayne would not let anyone else ride the horse. Robert Wagner was a rare exception, who rode the horse in a segment of the Hart to Hart television show, after Wayne's death.[2]
Reception
Upon its release in June 1976, The Shootist was a minor success, earning nearly $6,000,000. It received fair-to-excellent reviews, with enormous praise heaped on Wayne by many critics. It was named one of the Ten Best Films of 1976 by the National Board of Review, along with All the President's Men and Network, and was nominated for one Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA award, and a Writers Guild of America award. The film currently holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cast
Awards
- Novel
- Western Writers of America, Spur Award Winner - "Best Western Novel" - 1975 (as: "one of the best western novels ever written." and as: "one of the 10 Greatest Western novels written in the 20th century.")
- Film
References
External links
