But it's not like Stewart wore one of those hats with a buckle on it: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"

So this is where that whole John Wayne shtick comes from. I had been wondering ....

OK, so I hadn't been wondering. Still, it's good to know.

Consider this No. 28 in the "Westerns I Should See" category. While my dear old dad is a big fan of the genre, it takes a little effort for me to get up for a swing through the Pecos, even if it's a classic. It probably doesn't help when I tell Dad things like, "You know, 'Silverado' actually is all right!"

Even one of the so-called all-time greats didn't reel me in based on the thumbnail description. I mean, how pumped can you get while reading about how a tenderfoot lawyer tames an outlaw? Really ... "tenderfoot?" When's the last time you heard someone use that term? Probably the last time someone said they had to buy some new dungarees.

But you know what? "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is pretty good.

Our story, told in flashback, has James Stewart as said tenderfoot lawyer, ambushed en route to the town of Shinbone -- great name -- by the title villain, well-played by Lee Marvin. Once in town and recovered, Stewart talks about how to bring Valance to justice. Lending his insight is the local tough guy with a heart of gold, played by Mr. Wayne. As it turns out, both good guys have an eye for the same girl, a would-be spitfire played by Vera Miles. It's no mystery who she ends up with, since we see her with Stewart's character before the flashback begins. Still, some decent romantic tension throughout the film, and ultimately what makes this a decent story.

Directed by the legendary John Ford, "Liberty Valance" doesn't have all that much action. True, there's the ambush early on, and some other gunplay by Marvin and Wayne. But for the most part, this is a tale of tension -- between the righteous and the vicious, and the professor and protector. It's surprisingly subtle for a Western, which may be due to its being made in 1962. That threw me off a bit. Given the stars, Wayne and Stewart, I thought it was released a good 10-15 years earlier. Then, when I saw it came out in '62, I figured it was in color. Nope, black and white. Why, you ask? A few theories abound, but it doesn't matter too much because the B/W works just fine. Still, kind of odd.

Yeah, I guess you can say I was surprised by this movie -- the lack of bang-bang, the love triangle, the overall depth of the characters, the ruthlessness of Valance. And, of course, I was transfixed by seeing The Duke in a role that would be lampooned for years to come. Sure, the "pilgrim" stuff could be a little much at times. But somehow, the big guy whose real name was Marion makes it work. I mean, he has some good lines. My favorite, even if it didn't make IMDB, might be his advice to the local newspaper guy: "You print that, he'll kill ya, sure as hell." Don't I know it, pilgrim.