Screening of The Shootist (1976)

Throughout 2019, audience members voted for their favorite Western. Their selection featuring John Wayne’s final role is a cinematic love letter to the Western, even as the genre was fading from the neighborhood movie house. Adapted from Glendon Swarthout’s novel, The Shootist reflects on the past, while acknowledging the coming of a new West. When the film was released in 1976, Variety summed it up by stating, “The Shootist is simply beautiful and beautifully simple.” Introduced by Courtney Joyner, former film editor for True West magazine and co-author of Western Portraits: Unsung Heroes and Villains of the Silver Screen. Directed by Don Siegel | Starring John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and Ron Howard