Shane

(1953)

118 minutes

Classic / Western

Directed by George Stevens

Cast:

Alan Ladd as Shane
Jean Arthur as Marian Starrett
Van Heflin as Joe Starrett
Brandon De Wilde as Joey Starrett
Jack Palance as Jack Wilson
Ben Johnson as Chris Calloway
Edgar Buchanan as Fred Lewis
Emile Meyer as Rufus Ryker
Elisha Cook Jr. as Frank 'Stonewall' Torrey
Douglas Spencer as Axel 'Swede' Shipstead
John Dierkes as Morgan Ryker
Ellen Corby as Mrs. Liz Torrey
Paul McVey as Sam Grafton
John Miller as Will Atkey, bartender
Edith Evanson as Mrs. Shipstead
Leonard Strong as Ernie Wright
Nancy Kulp as Mrs. Howells 
 
Shane trailer  

Shane is a mysterious man who travels to a secluded valley in Wyoming. People soon realize that he is a gunfighter and somehow gets involved in a dispute between Joe Starrett and cattle baron Rufus Ryker, who does not want any homesteaders on the land. Shane becomes a farmhand of Starretts and realizes his young son Joey looks up to him since he is a gunfighter. Shane also realizes he is somewhat attracted to Starrett’s loving wife Marian.

A group of homesteaders and Shane get into a fight with Ryker’s men when they go into town. Joe interferes and they take down his men. Ryker then threatens them if he sees any of them in town, they will be dead.

Ryker, not liking that Joe has Shane, enlists a qualified gunfighter named Jack Wilson. It gets more serious when Wilson murders a homesteader who defended himself, leaving the rest of the men scared and wanting to leave. More problems come their way when Ryker’s men burn down the house of Lewis. The homesteaders decide to stay and help Lewis out with his home, even though Ryker could do the same thing to their home. Joe Starrett has had enough and is determined to kill Ryker and Wilson so the town will be at peace. Shane does not want Joe to face Wilson, so he hits him over the head with his gun to stop him from leaving and rides into town to face the two devious men alone.