Shane

1953  NR  WESTERN  1h 58min

CAST— Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, (Walter) Jack Palance, Brandon de Wilde, Ben Johnson, Edgar Buchanan, Emile Meyer, Elisha Cook, Jr.

MUSIC— Victor Young  DIRECTOR— George Stevens  BASED ON— Shane (novel), by Jack Schaefer

     Another dramatic Western that hits the bull’s eye. Van Heflin is a rancher with a small homestead outside of town. It seems as though numerous settlers (including Heflin) have been persecuted by a cattle baron and his crew. Enter Alan Ladd as Shane, a somewhat mysterious loner just drifting along. He sees the plight that Heflin is in and decides to peacefully intervene. Heflin hires him on as a farmhand; but Ladd becomes more than just hired help; he becomes a friend to Heflin and his wife, whose son idolizes Ladd. Soon the cattle baron ups the ante by hiring a notorious gunslinger to join his gang of ruffians. How will Ladd and Heflin cope with this new wrinkle? Fine performances and panoramic vistas highlight this classic of the genre. Oscar-winner for Best Cinematography, Color. Later developed into a television series. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

OUR RATING— ***