There was nothing more for Ford to do with Wayne, at least in the western genre. By killing Liberty Valance, facilitating Stoddard's rise to political prominence and the progressive modernization of the West, Doniphon destroys himself. Tom is highly respected by his peers, because of the laid-back cut of his jib, and because he may be the only man willing to stand up to the violent outlaw Liberty Valance. James Stewart is Ransom Stoddard, an idealistic young lawyer who heads West and quickly runs afoul of an outlaw named Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Besides, there is a complication. Doniphon (who is courting Hallie) is the only man willing to stand up to Valance. As the film opens, U. S. Senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) is arriving in Shinbone by the new railroad with his wife Hallie (Vera Miles). Tom Doniphon is the archetypal Ford hero, the John Wayne of all Ford's westerns. Flashing back, we learn Doniphon saved. Valance can be countered only by Doniphon, but Doniphon is a man too busy with his own affairs to want power or to impose his own beliefs on anybody else. John Ford is regarded as one of the great American filmmakers and has many classics to his name, including Stagecoach, The Quiet Man and The Searchers. Ford would make one more Western (without Wayne),Cheyenne Autumn (1964),the penultimate movie of his career which told the story of the Old-west from the perspective of the Native Americans. Meanwhile, throughout the film, Tom has not 'done the right thing' and stood up to Liberty Valance except in circumstances where he felt he had to. It also seems that Doniphans decision to put Stoddard in as delegate and then offer him a wagon out of town when Valance threatens him is motivated by his desire to keep Hallie to himself. Because he did so in violation of the Western Code, he becomes an alcoholic, burning down his house and losing the woman he loves. However, he was nowhere near good enough as Doniphan proved in ahumiliating display. Doniphon is not a person of any importance around town, just a sorry old man on the fringes, who passed away unnoticed.

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