1962 Classic, Which Broke the Mold, Named Among 'Greatest Westerns of All Time' - And It's Free to Stream
Few directors and actors are more synonymous with the Western genre than John Ford and John Wayne, who together crafted a number of the greatest Westerns of all time.
From Stagecoach to The Searchers, Ford and Wayne delivered iconic, strong characters that exemplified the Western mythos. However, with their The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance the duo opted to break the mold, showing the end of the Old West.
Shot in black and white, the film went on to become one of the greatest Westerns of all time.
Timeout Raves About 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'
In a ranking from March, Timeout Magazine named The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as the No. 7 greatest Western of all time thanks to its thoughtful approach.
"Ford's vision is remarkably unsentimental. He pays tribute to the Doniphons who built America while accepting that that their usefulness died with the frontier. Strangely, for all the director's identification with The Duke, it's Stewart who delivers what is surely a deliberate reference to the journey Ford has taken. ‘When I first came to Shinbone,' he begins, ‘I came by stagecoach…'" Timeout wrote.
"More than 20 years after Ford's own arrival with Stagecoach, he had reinvented the western again and in Liberty Valance bequeathed a sad, warm-hearted reproach to modernity's forgetfulness."
John Wayne vs. James Stewart
The film paired Wayne with legendary actor James Stewart for their first on-screen performance together while putting them in opposition. Wayne's character was quick to reach for his pistol while Stewart's aims for lawful justice.
The Guardian wrote, "Though not Ford's last western, it serves as his own eulogy to the genre he helped shape. Wayne's own legacy as an icon of radical conservative politics meant the director's work was frequently interpreted as being intertwined with them. By burying his famous leading man, Ford has put an end to the mythic John Wayne character that was introduced in Stagecoach."
The 1962 Western received a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and can be streamed for free on Pluto TV or Philo.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 7:47 PM.