The Shootist Jack Pulford was shot in the back by Books, and Books, in turn, was shot by Gillom; Wayne maintained that over his entire film career, he had never shot an adversary in the back, and would not do so now. He also objected to his character being shot by Gillom, and suggested that the bartender do it, because "no one could ever take John Wayne in a fair fight". Wayne was also responsible for many casting decisions. Several friends and past co-stars, including Bacall, Stewart, Boone, and Carradine, were cast at his request. Stewart had not worked in films for
The Shootist and "Network". Film critic Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" ranked "The Shootist" number 10 on his list of the 10 best films of 1976. The film was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA film award, and a Writers Guild of America award. The film currently has a 93% "Fresh" rating on the Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The film was nominated by the American Film Institute as one of the best Western films in 2008. Also in 2008, the American Film Institute nominated this film for its Top 10 Western Films list. The Shootist The Shootist