The Shootist

Actors:  John Wayne, James Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Harry Morgan, Richard Boone, Ron Howard, Hugh O’Brian
Rating: 9 out of 10, the Duke’s last film and made as he was dying of lung cancer.  It serves as a fitting send off for the greatest actor in the Western genre.  He plays a legendary gunfighter who’s dying of cancer in 1901 Colorado.  He chooses to go out on his own terms and you can see a lot of Wayne’s own personal beliefs on display.  There is an extra on the DVD where some of the surviving actors reminisce about the film.  They remember many actors, including Bacall and Stewart, fought to be cast in the movie because everyone knew this would be the Duke’s swan song.  Apparently he wasn’t a mythical figure just for the fans but amongst his peers as well.  This film is a treat as fans get to say goodbye, in style, to the Duke as he rides over the horizon.
MVP:  The Duke (of course) as the shootist going out in style

Passing the Torch Between Generations - Duke Schooling Ron Howard