Shane (1953)

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

A.B. Guthrie Jr. (screenplay)
Jack Sher (additional dialogue)

Release Date:

24 September 1953 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

The Greatest Story Of the West Ever Filmed [re-release]

Plot:

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act.

Plot Keywords:

Cattleman | Gunfighter | Homestead | Settler | Gun

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Dec. 18

4:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Alan Ladd	...	Shane
Jean Arthur	...	Marian Starrett
Van Heflin	...	Joe Starrett
Brandon De Wilde	...	Joey Starrett
Jack Palance	...	Jack Wilson (as Walter Jack Palance)
Ben Johnson	...	Chris Calloway
Edgar Buchanan	...	Fred Lewis
Emile Meyer	...	Rufus Ryker
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Frank 'Stonewall' Torrey
Douglas Spencer	...	Axel 'Swede' Shipstead
John Dierkes	...	Morgan Ryker
Ellen Corby	...	Mrs. Liz Torrey
Paul McVey	...	Sam Grafton
John Miller	...	Will Atkey, bartender
Edith Evanson	...	Mrs. Shipstead

Runtime:

118 min | West Germany:90 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | New Zealand:G | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1953) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #15895) | UK:PG (2003) | UK:U (1960) (cut) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Filmed between late July and mid-October 1951, the film was held back until its Manhattan premiere at Radio City Music Hall on August 21, 1953, due to director George Stevens's extensive editing.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the buildup to the climax, Shane rides up to Grafton's store, ties up his horse and steps up to the swing doors. We then see little Joey running toward the store and Shane has disappeared. It could be that he has already gone inside, except that in the next shot he is once again standing at the door.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joey: Somebody's comin', Pa!
Joe Starrett: Well, let him come.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: It's Only a Paper Moon (#7.10)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

I Ride an Old Paint (I'm A-Leavin' Cheyenne)

A Western to haunt the memory.

A gunslinger, a farmer, a wife, a little boy, a dog, and some dastardly villains....

I first saw "Shane" from the back seat of a '51 Ford, at a drive-in theater somewhere in Montana. The movie was new, and I was about 4 years old. From that time, I remember quiet male voices and the ring of spurs. Those sounds have lived in my mind for decades.

"Shane" is a classic -- no, not a bang-bang shoot-em-up B Western, but it is a solid Western that gives fans of the genre some something to think about besides "they went thataway." The scenery (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) is grand and was even moreso on the big screen. When well known Western novelist A.B. Guthrie wrote the screenplay, he kept fairly faithful to Jack Schaefer's novel. The movie makes a reasonable attempt, for that time, to look authentic in costume and gear, and gives fans of the movies of the '40s and '50s some interesting cinematic moments (see the small things, like how the camera was used to make Alan Ladd seem more "heroic").

I'd probably recast some of the secondary roles, if I had the chance, but Ladd's soft-spoken, gentlemanly way is just right for Shane, and Jack Palance is subtly evil.

Yes, "Shane" contains a few clichés, but they weren't yet quite so cliché, in 1953. Besides, they were well done clichés, so, while you may recognize them, you probably won't mind them.

But, what's "Shane" about, exactly?...

Courage. Loyalty. Honor. Friendship.

It will leave you wishing you knew what happened next.