Shane

Shane (1953)

Runtime: 118 minutes

Directed by: George Stevens

Starring: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde, Jack Palance

From: Paramount

The main reason for me finally seeing this classic Western: as means of comparison with what I'll be reviewing tomorrow night. But it was about time I saw something I've known of for years. This is a mature entry in the genre, one where violence was not portrayed as actions done in a heroic manner but rather something started by villains or as retaliation done by the heroes.

The titular Shane was a gunslinger who happened to be passing through rural Wyoming (where this was filmed) and stops at the homestead of the Starrett family, featuring parents and one young-sometimes annoying-son. They became buddies so Shane stays there to work on their property, while the son idolizes this new man in his life. As this was also based on the Johnson County War in Wyoming that was portrayed in Heaven's Gate, the Starrett clan and others in the area have a legal right to their parcels of land but a cattle baron is a real SOB about it and tries real hard to drive them away, including hiring a gunslinger of their own in Walter Jack Palance, as he was known back then. Despite Shane wanting to stay out of trouble, he gets roped right into it.

For someone who is not a tall imposing figure-he would have been dwarfed by John Wayne-Alan Ladd was great as an ace gunslinger who now prefers a more placid life. The rest of the cast is solid overall (including Jean Arthur in her last role) but Van Heflin in a rare heroic role is more a focus of this tale than you might expect. He rallies everyone else to not back down from the villains and is admirable in trying to defend both his land and his family. Little son Joey may love Shane but he should be proud of his old man, which was appropriate for a Father's Day viewing; thankfully Heflin's performance is also aces.

Mix in a solid score, gorgeous 1.66.1 cinematography (a first for Paramount) and a classic ending & this is a classic Western for good reason. In addition, those that love Logan... from what I've heard this was a big inspiration for that. Ironically, the production filming in Jackson Hole, Wyoming was appropriate for me as right now I know someone who is vacationing in nearby Yellowstone National Park.