The Shootist The Shootist The Shootist is a 1976 American western film directed by Don Siegel and based on Glendon Swarthout's 1975 novel of the same name. It marked John Wayne's final film role. The screenplay was written by Miles Hood Swarthout (the son of the author) and Scott Hale. The supporting cast includes Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, Hugh O'Brian, Harry Morgan, John Carradine, Sheree North, and Scatman Crothers. In 1977, "The Shootist" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction (Robert F. Boyle, Arthur Jeph Parker), a BAFTA Film Award nomination for Best Actress (Lauren Bacall),
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance a few lengthy, slow periods in his story-telling, but for the most part the old, reliable Ford touches are there." "Harrison's Reports" gave the film a grade of "Very Good", but Brendan Gill of "The New Yorker" was negative and called it "a parody of Mr. Ford's best work." More recent assessments have been more uniformly positive. The film is considered one of Ford's best, and in one poll, ranked with "The Searchers" and "The Shootist" as one of Wayne's best Westerns. Roger Ebert wrote that each of the 10 Ford/Wayne westerns is "... complete and self-contained in a way