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The Shootist is a novel written by Glendon Swarthout and published in 1975. The novel won the Spur Award, Best Western Novel of 1975, Western Writers of America, and was cited as one of the top Western novels of the 20th Century.
The book was made into a 1976 Western film directed by Don Siegel and is noted as being the final film role of actor John Wayne. Scott Hale and Miles Hood Swarthout (son of the author, and Playa Del Rey resident) wrote the screenplay.
Glendon Swarthout, 1918-1992
The character of J.B. Books (Swarthout based the character on John Wesley Hardin) serves to parallel the final days of John Wayne, who died from stomach cancer three years after production ended. The Shootist would be his final film role, concluding a legendary career that began during the silent film era in 1926. The knowledge of Wayne's health during the production would inspire much of the dialogue and imagery of the film. Lauren Bacall had suffered through the 1957 death of her husband Humphrey Bogart, who died of throat cancer, adding further shading to the parallels of the film.Ron Howard was also in the film.
An interviewer asked Ron Howard if John Wayne had given him any tips on acting. He said that, during the filming of the final shootout, Wayne took him aside and said he had some advice for him. As Howard eagerly awaited some profound advice, Wayne said "Ron, if you want to look menacing - close your mouth."
Other Swarthout books that were made into movies include; 7th Cavalry — Columbia Pictures, 1956, Bless the Beasts & Children — Columbia Pictures, 1971, and Where the Boys Are '84 — Tri-Star, 1984.
Miles Hood Swarthout is a screenwriter and author. He received a Writers Guild nomination for Best Adaptation for The Shootist in 1976.
Miles Swarthout
Back home in Playa Del Rey, he enjoys body surfing and the village life. He is currently at work on a sequel novel to The Shootist. As a journalist, Miles currently reviews Western films for the Western Writers of America’s bi-monthly magazine, The Roundup He also won a Stirrup Award from that organization for “The Duke’s Last Ride, the Making of The Shootist,” the best article to appear in that publication in 1994.
The Shootist is one of my top 25 all time favorite films. Although now widely regarded as one of the finest final movies of any star, along with The Misfits (1961) starring Clark Gable and On Golden Pond (1981) starring Henry Fonda, this was never actually intended as John Wayne's last movie, particularly since it was not until January 1979 - three years after filming had begun - that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. In July 1978, after recovering from open heart surgery, he announced that he was intending to make a movie called "Beau John" with Ron Howard, but for some reason it never happened.
(All photos, Courtesy, Wikipedia).
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