The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) (Blu-ray) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

 

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A great film that should entice those that doesn't have the other Region BD releases to purchase this title at such a low price.

Yes, in as much as I enjoy Donavan's Reef for what it is (a light hearted action comedy), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was the final masterpiece from John Ford.

Can't wait to see the film in high def...ordered!

I watched my German Blu-ray this morning. I kind of teared up during the scene in which Tom Doniphon's wooden casket is on display at the undertaker. It brought back memories of me watching this film for the first time at my local movie theater with the rest of my family. I was a young boy at that time, but the film stuck with me because of the brutal performance by Lee Marvin and John Wayne constantly calling James Stewart, "pilgrim" throughout the film. Also, as an African-American kid, this was the first film I remember seeing an African-American actor, Woody Strode, in a Western film. All of those things greatly affected my appreciation for Western films.


As to this upcoming Blu-ray release, I hope Paramount includes the bonus material from the 2009 DVD Centennial Collection release. If it does, I might but it again for those commentaries and featurettes at such a low price point.

The Paramount imports seem to have a similar trend that is keeping me fairly optimistic...


Marathon Man released overseas. Eventually had a U.S. release.


The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance released overseas. Eventually had a U.S. release.


What I am waiting for next is Paper Moon. Hopefully it will go through the same release cycle. In fact, I would bet on it.

I all but moved-in to the movie theater when THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE played on a double-bill with HELL IS FOR HEROES. At the time, it was apparent that VALANCE was the bottom half of the bill, but to me, it was the greatest western ever made. I still feel the same way.

Robert Crawford said:

I watched my German Blu-ray this morning. I kind of teared up during the scene in which Tom Doniphon's wooden casket is on display at the undertaker. It brought back memories of me watching this film for the first time at my local movie theater with the rest of my family. I was a young boy at that time, but the film stuck with me because of the brutal performance by Lee Marvin and John Wayne constantly calling James Stewart, "pilgrim" throughout the film. Also, as an African-American kid, this was the first film I remember seeing an African-American actor, Woody Strode, in a Western film. All of those things greatly affected my appreciation for Western films.

As to this upcoming Blu-ray release, I hope Paramount includes the bonus material from the 2009 DVD Centennial Collection release. If it does, I might but it again for those commentaries and featurettes at such a low price point.

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Great story Robert. I have loved Woody Strode in just about everything he has been in. He is one of those unique actors, who whenever the camera is on him, demands your attention.

jim_falconer said:

Great story Robert. I have loved Woody Strode in just about everything he has been in. He is one of those unique actors, who whenever the camera is on him, demands your attention.

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John Ford did direct Woody Strode in previous Westerns like "Two Rode Together" and "Sergeant Rutledge", but I didn't see those films until after "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". Of course, one of my favorite films is another Western, Strode was in "The Professionals" which I consider the best written film in that particular genre.

Ronald Epstein said:

The Paramount imports seem to have a similar trend that is keeping me fairly optimistic...

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It does make me curious where this trend has come from, first releasing American films on bluray overseas before putting them out here?

John Maher_289910 said:

but to me, it was the greatest western ever made. I still feel the same way.

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This.

I watched my German Blu-ray this morning. I kind of teared up during the scene in which Tom Doniphon's wooden casket is on display at the undertaker. It brought back memories of me watching this film for the first time at my local movie theater with the rest of my family. I was a young boy at that time, but the film stuck with me because of the brutal performance by Lee Marvin and John Wayne constantly calling James Stewart, "pilgrim" throughout the film. Also, as an African-American kid, this was the first film I remember seeing an African-American actor, Woody Strode, in a Western film. All of those things greatly affected my appreciation for Western films.

As to this upcoming Blu-ray release, I hope Paramount includes the bonus material from the 2009 DVD Centennial Collection release. If it does, I might but it again for those commentaries and featurettes at such a low price point.

Click to expand...

Robert, This is perhaps trivial but I can't but help throw it out there...Woody Strode has a prominent place in my hometown's professional football folklore...he was a star with the Calgary Stampeders 1948 Grey Cup championship team...his team mate and friend from the Hollywood Bears Pacific Coast league, Ezzrett "Sugarfoot" Anderson was also part of that Grey Cup team and is still living today in Calgary...both Woody and Sugarfoot were good friends of the great Jackie Robinson...Woody's team mate from UCLA...

In 1956, Jackie Robinson visited his friend Ezzrett "Sugarfoot" Anderson in Calgary and made a personal appearance at Ezzrett's business, a gas station near downtown...this drew throngs of people to see Jackie (the Dodgers had won the world series the previous fall) and Sugarfoot continues to be a much loved local celebrity...

Woody Strode was a fine actor all along, and finally recognized as such much later than he should have been...

I don't necessarily consider it the greatest western ever made, but it is definitely the most thought-provoking one by a country mile in my opinion.

I think it might have even been John Ford himself who described "Liberty" as being the best hair piece movie ever made

Persianimmortal said:

I don't necessarily consider it the greatest western ever made, but it is definitely the most thought-provoking one by a country mile in my opinion.

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It's a complicated film in which the true hero of the film didn't get the woman and died a pauper, but at the end of the film, it's apparent that the same woman still loved him.

Robert Crawford said:

It's a complicated film in which the true hero of the film didn't get the woman and died a pauper, but at the end of the film, it's apparent that the same woman still loved him.

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This is a movie I only started to appreciate and love as I got older. The sense of loss is palpable, and the ending devastating -

"Who put the desert rose on his coffin?"

then

"Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance." Followed by that shaky shot of the train riding off in the distance.

Peter Apruzzese said:

This is a movie I only started to appreciate and love as I got older. The sense of loss is palpable, and the ending devastating -

"Who put the desert rose on his coffin?"

then

"Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance." Followed by that shaky shot of the train riding off in the distance.

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It might not be the best Western film, but it's the most complicated one in my humble opinion. I've watched it twice over the last 24 hours and I can't believe this film wasn't well received by the critics and general public back in 1962.

Robert Crawford said:

It might not be the best Western film, but it's the most complicated one in my humble opinion. I've watched it twice over the last 24 hours and I can't believe this film wasn't well received by the critics and general public back in 1962.

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Agreed - I think the characters are as complicated and interesting as the ones in The Searchers or just about any other highly regarded western.


EDIT - Ordered!

Wow, this is a pleasant surprise returning from a week offline while on vacation. I have been waiting for this one to get released in the U.S. for a long time. The price is also quite easy on the wallet, too!


As for Woody Strode, I first became aware of him in one of my favorite westerns -- his "cameo" * in Once Upon a Time in the West.


* I say "cameo" because Woody is only in the opening scene, although it is, in typical Sergio Leone fashion, a very long scene.

I like to think about Hallie... at the end of the film does she know who actually shot Valance? It plays both ways... And if she did know why would she keep quiet about it all these years?

"Okay Dude, this time...right between the eyes"

Lee Marvin was such a terrific actor. I'm not sure there has ever been a more despised villain in a John Wayne film, than Liberty Valance (with the possible exception of Bruce Dern's character in "The Cowboys").