Alternative Movie Drafts: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

It took hard work and years to win the west. And it took almost as much time to write about it. A case in point is the very early draft of the John Ford classic, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." Based on someone's poor memory of a western legend that was rumored to have happened, the first attempt at the story gave us a couple of classic characters and the situation, but resolved it rather poorly:

INT. TOWN SALOON - DAY

(LIBERTY VALANCE, the feared gunslinger enters the bar. The patrons flee the saloon. A NERVOUS BARTENDER ducks behind the bar. Valance shoots his gun in the air.)

VALANCE

Barkeep! Rotgut. Bring the bottle.

(EDWARD BEASLEY, the very picture of an eastern tenderfoot enters the saloon, carrying his attaché case. He approaches Valance, carrying a legal document before him.)

BEASLEY

Hello. Hi, excuse me, I'm Edward Beasley, with the law firm Flanagan, Mullen and Tobbs. We just opened our office in town here and I'm wondering if anyone here might know where I can find a Mr. Liberty Valance?

VALANCE

I'm Valance. What's it to you?

BEASLEY

Well, how do you do, Mr. Valance. My firm has been retained by the widow Hawkins, whose husband, the sheriff, she alleges you shot dead.

VALANCE

So?

BEASLEY

She's suing you, Mr. Valance.

VALANCE

What?

BEASLEY

I'm here to serve you these papers giving you notice that the widow Hawkins has filed suit against you, claiming loss of income, mental anguish, loss of service---

VALANCE

Suing? I'm Liberty Valance, you can't sue me!

BEASLEY

We can. It's the law.

VALANCE

The pointed end of a loaded gun is the only law I understand.

BEASLEY

Nonetheless, I have these papers here, written out in simple English, sir.

(reading)

"Whereas and henceforth the party of the first part did with forethought and malice willfully cause grievous injury and death---"

VALANCE

I'll just have to go out and shoot the widow Hawkins.

BEASLEY

Well, you could do that, but the lawsuit would then be re-filed by her estate, and amended to include a new suit against you for her death.

VALANCE

Then I'll shoot the estate.

BEASLEY

You can't shoot an estate.

VALANCE

Then I'll shoot you.

BEASLEY

You could do that but the case would only be assigned to another junior partner at the firm.

VALANCE

I'll shoot him! Many a man has faced my gun and many a man has fallen!

BEASLEY

Then the case will be assigned to another partner, then another.

VALANCE

What's going on here?

BEASLEY

The winds of change are allowing, Mr. Valance. A man can't bully and threaten the good folk of this town anymore. Hear that sound, Mr. Valance? That's the sound of lawyers graduating law schools. Hundreds of them. And they're all headed to the western territories to establish their practice. Soon, there will be lawyers in every city, town and settlement west of the Mississippi, Mr. Valance. And they'll be looking for you and those of your ilk. They'll be looking to sue you for everything you've got.

VALANCE

But, but, I ain't got nothing but my gun and my horse.

BEASLEY

Consider them gone.

VALANCE

What does this mean? What can I do to fight back?

BEASLEY

I suggest you get a lawyer. They'll be one coming in on the noon train. Better retain him. We'll see you in court.

VALANCE

But..but---

BEASLEY

Hey, any place I can get some good pie around here?

FADE OUT

It would be many years later that John Ford would remove this draft from under his sofa and have it re-written into the film we all know and love today. A similar situation occurred with Orson Welles first and very brief draft of "Citizen Kane" as the film opens and:

INT. XANADU - NIGHT

We are in the majestic but aged master bedroom of the Kane mansion. A NURSE lingers just outside the door talking to a REPORTER, whose face we can't see.

KANE handles a glass snow globe. It drops from his hand and crashes to the floor. With that, we hear the dying words of the aged and lonely Charles Foster Kane:

KANE

Flexible Flyer.

NURSE

His dying words were about his sled!

REPORTER

He must have longed for simpler life of his childhood!

NURSE
Oh, sure!

THE END

We hope you enjoyed this peek into the creative process. Many people say that entertainment is like sausage and we don't want to know how it is made but I say I want to see it all, patties, links and Jimmy Dean style.