Shane: A classic for all time

One of the greatest movies of all time, Shane, was on Turner Classic Movies recently. The great George Stevens directing (he also directed Giant), Alan Ladd in the starring role, with Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Jack Palance, as the evil Jack Wilson, Edgar Buchanan and of course Brandon De Wilde as Little Joey.

Alan Ladd — The Quiet Man — as Shane. (YouTube)
Alan Ladd — The Quiet Man — as Shane.
(YouTube)

“Shane! Come back!” and the movie ends, Shane riding off into the sunset, the film becoming the quintessential Western.

Released in 1953, it’s about a gunslinger hoping to give up his former life and become a farmer, but instead, rides into a turf war between the farmers and one particular rancher. I was always intrigued by the rancher, Ryker, played by Emile Meyer, a character actor with roles in film and TV spanning more than three decades. I never knew the name until seeing it on imdb.com.

Brandon de Wilde as Joey (YouTube)
Brandon de Wilde as Joey
(YouTube)

Rufus Ryker creates his ranch from the wilds of the Wyoming Territory and sees the farmers moving in, changing his way of life. “You’ve lived too long,” Shane tells him.

As did Shane, but the weary gunslinger knew his time was over. And then Shane takes out the entire Ryker crew, starting with the hired gunslinger from Cheyenne, Jack Wilson.

Before he was Curly and Duke in the City Slickers movies, Jack Palance was pure evil as Jack Wilson, in Shane. (YouTube)
Before he was Curly and Duke in the City Slickers movies, Jack Palance was pure evil as Jack Wilson, in Shane. (YouTube)

That was an entirely different era, 62 years ago. Films could be strict morality tales, with right and wrong clearly defined, but with Shane, Ryker gets to explain his side of the story and, quite frankly, he isn’t such a bad guy. Clearly not evil, but clearly not one of the good guys.

Who wouldn’t defend his territory? The farmers use up most or all of the water, plow up what was once grazing land, put up fences so the cattle can’t roam free; I put myself in Ryker’s shoes. On the other hand, there could always be a compromise.

Jean Arthur as Marian Starrett in Shane. (YouTube)
Jean Arthur as Marian Starrett in Shane.
(YouTube)

Take it back 20 years before the time this film takes place and we have the Sioux and Cheyenne being forced off their land by the White folks, a bloody conflict itself. Manifest Destiny at its worst.

Preceding Shane was an MGM short, Wild People. There’s a fun movie! Not a bit like Wild Things with Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Never Campbell and Denise Richards. That’s a fun movie for entirely different reasons.

Nonsensical, Wild People was just a reason to showcase some great choreography and the great dancers who made it look so easy and carefree.

Joyzell Joyner was a bad, bad girl in her day. Which would have made her a star in this era. (Google Images)
Joyzell Joyner was a bad, bad girl in her day. Which would have made her a star in this era. (Google Images)

The two “stars” of this short film: Eleanor Thatcher and Joyzelle Joyner. The stars by my estimation anyway! After watching this short I gotta wonder why Eleanor only made three shorts and then disappeared from the film world.

Sometimes life just takes unexpected turns. And sometimes we take refuge from today in the memorable pleasures of the past — like old movies. I’d like to think Shane finds a place where he can really sleep at night, with his boots off and his six-gun packed away where no one can see it.