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The Shootist

Play trailer Poster for The Shootist PG 1976 1h 39m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
J.B. Books (John Wayne, in his final film role) is an aging gunfighter diagnosed with cancer who comes to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. Renting a room from widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son Gillom (Ron Howard), Books is confronted by several people of questionable motives, including a man seeking to avenge his brother's death and a few who are looking to profit from Books' notoriety. Not wanting to die a quiet, painful death, Books devises a plan to go out with a bang.
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The Shootist

The Shootist

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Critics Consensus

Simple in story while sophisticated in texture, The Shootist is a fittingly elegiac swan song for one of Hollywood's most iconic stars.

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Critics Reviews

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Clayton Dillard Slant Magazine Apr 11, 2024
Don Siegel’s 1976 western The Shootist stars John Wayne in his final film appearance, though it’s perhaps just as notable for the muted nature of its regard for the pathology of violence. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
Simply beautiful, and beautifully simple. Go to Full Review Derek Adams Time Out Feb 9, 2006
A subtle, touching valedictory tribute to both Wayne and the Western in general. Go to Full Review Emilie Black Cinema Crazed Apr 30, 2024
3.5/5
The Shootist is a solid Western with some deeper themes to its center, making the connection between the lead character and the lead actor strong given that the film is the last John Wayne ever did. Go to Full Review Richard Corliss New Times (magazine) Jun 22, 2022
Wayne is still both kinds of moving -- it’s the movie that’s sclerotic. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy May 30, 2021
3.5/4
An elegiac Western for Wayne. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Thomas V @TomVee Oct 3, 2026 Two golden age Western Stars reunite in this otherwise fairly standard affair about an elderly, ailing gunslinger coming home to die. To be fair, John Wayne is quite good in the role, in a fairly nuanced performance and she tries to come to grips with his softer side. We really don't see much of Jimmy Stewart, but the story is decent and the supporting cast overall does a fine job, especially Ron Howard, who could have been highly annoying in his role as the landlady's son, but fortunately was not and was actually sympathetic. Lauren Bacall seemed a bit miscast to me though. See more KarthiK P. @madkarthi Jul 27, 2026 It really feels like saying goodbye to the Western genre. I like it so much. ​It serves as a fitting tribute to John Wayne in his final Western film. I feel a strong emotional impact as the story unfolds. His death at the end really touches and brings a painful feeling. ​The James Stewart cameo is great to see in this film. Ron Howard is also amazing in his supporting role. ​It is a good movie overall. It just moves along naturally in a smooth flow. See more Garrett B @gmoney637 Jul 17, 2026 John Wayne gives a heartfelt send off in The Shootist. See more David L @RT98148026 Dec 28, 2025 The best movie John Wayne ever made. See more James B. @JamesBass Dec 28, 2025 Not only the finest John Wayne western, but one of the greatest westerns ever made. It is not a grand spectacle; it could just as easily be performed on a stage. Instead, it is an intimate character study of a man confronting profound loneliness, burdened by a past too violent and legendary to release him—no matter how desperately he wishes to leave it behind. The Shootist endures because it strips the western to its moral and emotional core, making Wayne’s final performance both restrained and devastating. See more John S. @RT59015782 Dec 17, 2025 That was that no other way to end a man and an era. See more Read all reviews
The Shootist

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Cast & Crew

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Don Siegel

Director

John Wayne

John Bernard Books

Lauren Bacall

Bond Rogers

James Stewart

Dr. E.W. Hostetler

Ron Howard

Gillom Rogers

Richard Boone

Mike Sweeney

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The Shootist

The Shootist (1976) The Shootist (1976) The Shootist (1976) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis J.B. Books (John Wayne, in his final film role) is an aging gunfighter diagnosed with cancer who comes to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. Renting a room from widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son Gillom (Ron Howard), Books is confronted by several people of questionable motives, including a man seeking to avenge his brother's death and a few who are looking to profit from Books' notoriety. Not wanting to die a quiet, painful death, Books devises a plan to go out with a bang.
Director
Don Siegel
Producer
M.J. Frankovich, William Self
Screenwriter
Glendon Swarthout, Scott Hale, Miles Hood Swarthout
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Dino De Laurentiis Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 11, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2011
Runtime
1h 39m
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