"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford. The story is framed as a flashback told by U.S. Senator Ransom "Ranse" Stoddard, who returns to his hometown Shinbone for the funeral of his old friend Tom Doniphon. Stoddard recounts how, as a young lawyer, he came to Shinbone hoping to establish a law practice but found the town terrorized by the outlaw Liberty Valance. Stoddard is initially beaten and robbed by Valance but is rescued by Doniphon, a rugged local rancher, and taken to Hallie, Doniphon's girlfriend, who nurses him back to health. Stoddard tries to bring justice through the law, but Valance's reign of terror continues. Stoddard learns to shoot under Doniphon's tutelage and eventually faces Valance in a gunfight, in which Stoddard shoots and kills Valance. This event makes Stoddard a local hero and launches his political career. However, the truth revealed later is that Tom Doniphon was actually the one who fired the fatal shot that killed Liberty Valance, allowing Stoddard to take credit and build his legend. Despite Stoddard's confession, the press prefers to keep the myth alive, famously summarized by the line, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend"
. The film explores themes of myth versus reality in the American West and is considered one of John Ford's greatest works, notable for its somber and poetic tone, and its subversion of traditional Western heroic archetypes
. The cast includes James Stewart as Stoddard, John Wayne as Doniphon, Vera Miles as Hallie, and Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance
