Shane (1953) starring Alan Ladd takes you to a nostalgic trip down memory lane when the good guys shot straight and good
triumphed over evil. A high plains drifter with a dangerous past, Shane stops by the homestead of the Starrets, where Joe and wife Marian and little Joey lived. By chance, he meets Ryker and his gang who had been roughing out the other honest
homesteaders, wanting to own the whole range. Shane introduces himself as a friend of Joe. Ryker gives Joe until winter to sell his land. Grateful for having somebody take his side, Joe asks him to stay as he needs some help on the farm. Shane obliges and makes friends with the young Joey who is attracted to him. Marian also develops a vague liking for the wanderer. She tells her son not to be friendly too much with Shane, knowing he might go away soon and leave them broken-hearted. During a trip to town, Shane is challenged and humiliated by the Ryker crew but refuses to fight . The other homesteaders come to know about it and they look at Shane with contempt. In a subsequent trip to town, with the women and Joey in tow, Shane takes on the whole gang by himself and is nearly beaten to death, had not Joe come to the rescue. They defeat the bad guys, thus Shane proves his manhood and obtains the respect of the community. In time, Ryker tightens the noose on the homesteaders, unleashing mayhem , but Joe stands his ground. Knowing that Joe had an ally in Shane, Ryker summons Wilson, a notorious gunslinger, to come to his aid. One of the homesteaders is provoked to a gunfight by Wilson and is killed. Then Ryker sends word for Joe to come to the saloon to talk things over, but Joe knows what it means. He bids farewell to Marian, and hints he knows what was going on between them and Shane (he sensed the romantic interest between the two). He was about to go against her pleas, but Shane, now wearing his gun, stands on the way. They fight. Shane prevails and finally rides on to town to confront the bad guys. Joey run after him on his heels. The ensuing gunfight between Shane and Wilson (portrayed by a young
Jack Palance) and Ryker’s men has been often used to illustrate film editing at its best. There being no more guns in the valley, seeing that violence will always be a part of him, Shane says farewell to Joey and rides off at dawn.