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The Shootist

1976 · 100 min

A quiet, elegiac Western that lingers on mortality and legend, building to a bittersweet, inevitable reckoning.

Directed by
Don Siegel
Genres
Western
Starring
John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard
Tagline
He's got to face a gunfight once more to live up to his legend once more. To win just one more time.
Overview
Afflicted with a terminal illness John Bernard Books, the last of the legendary gunfighters, quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler. Aware that his days are numbered, the troubled man seeks solace and peace in a boarding house run by a widow and her son. However, it is not Books' fate to die in peace, as he becomes embroiled in one last valiant battle.

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Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Don Siegel
Genres
Western
Starring
John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 3 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • death
  • aging
  • redemption
  • violence
  • family
Places
  • small town
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror1
Humour3
Realism8
Romance2
Tension6
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
western
Directed by
Don Siegel
Written by
Scott Hale, Don Siegel, Miles Hood Swarthout
Starring
John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, Bill McKinney, Harry Morgan
Music
Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography
Bruce Surtees
Runtime
100 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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