Ep #61 - Andrew Sarris's 60s Pick: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

 

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

 
 

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Continuing our series of posthumous interviews, Cinema60 summons up Andrew Sarris from beyond the grave to talk about one of his favorite films: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Best known for having popularized the auteur theory to the English speaking world, Sarris was a powerhouse film critic in the 1960s who wrote primarily for The Village Voice.

In this episode, Bart and Jenna discuss Sarris’ career and his unique voice in the world of film criticism before they get lost in a tangle of wildly differing opinions on the John Ford film of the hour. See, Jenna rides into town with a specific view on how things should be going down in this film, while Bart, with decades of teaching and rewatching experience, defends its honor in a more traditional way. Then Lee Marvin gets shot in the crossfire and everything really goes to hell!

The following film is discussed:

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine, Jeanette Nolan, John Qualen, Woody Strode, Strother Martin, Lee Van Cleef

Also mentioned:

The Informer (1935)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)
Directed by Frank Capra
Starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains

Stagecoach (1939)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine

The Long Voyage Home (1940)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter

They Were Expendable (1945)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed

Fort Apache (1948)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple

3 Godfathers (1948)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carey Jr.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar

Rio Grande (1950)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ben Johnson

Winchester ‘73 (1950)
Directed by Anthony Mann
Starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea

High Noon (1952)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell

The Quiet Man (1952)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald

The Searchers (1956)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles

The Wings of Eagles (1957)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Dan Dailey

The Hanging Tree (1959)
Directed by Delmer Daves
Starring Gary Cooper, Maria Schell, Karl Malden

Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode, Constance Towers

Donovan’s Reef (1963)
Directed by John Ford
Starring John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Elizabeth Allen

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Directed by Sergio Leone
Starring Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volontè, Marianne Koch

7 Women (1966)
Directed by John Ford
Starring Anne Bancroft, Sue Lyon, Margaret Leighton

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Directed by Sergio Leone
Starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale

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