Shane

To be shown: 15 January 2007
Patron's Choice to be introduced by David Gainsborough Roberts

USA 1953
118 minutes
Director: George Stevens
Starring: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin.

Synopsis

Beautifully shot in the shadows of the Grand Tetons director George Stevens produced a masterpiece in one of the finest westerns ever made.

Diminutive Alan Ladd comes the rescue of some homesteaders being terrorised by Jack Palance, at his most evil best, and producing hero worship from a young Brandon de Wilde.

By today's standards it is a slow paced western with the photography by Loyal Griggs, who won an Oscar for his work, being the main attraction.

In the 40s and 50s Alan Ladd was one of Hollywood's biggest stars despite his size but is hardly heard of today.

A drink problem, an unhappy marriage and the knowledge that his mother committed suicide probably forced his own early death.

Only politics in the industry stopped the film's stars – Ladd, Palance, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin - from being academically acclaimed, or perhaps the studio had heard only too clearly of young de Wilde's splashing mud over the stars which caused some friction on the set.

Many myths have sprung up after ‘Shane' was released, particularly the gun fighting sequences which showed how a fast draw gunfighter can outdraw his opponents which is all bunk.

I shall be displaying several real life weapons used by real western gunmen and the audience can judge for themselves as to the accuracy and weight of such instruments of death. But despite this I still rate ‘Shane' as one of the best directed and photographed westerns of all time.