John Ford's last tribute to the values that he found in the Old West and in America itself.

The fact that it was shot in black and white and that John Wayne (taking second billing - a real rarity and a sign of his affection for the director) looks, with his huge white Stetson, every inch the silent Western star, are only two of the signs indicating a nostalgic tribute to times past.

The film is beautifully structured - the key twist is cleverly concealed until the moment it happens - and the shoot-outs are thrillingly staged.

Hero James Stewart, a struggling lawyer, is stalked by bad guys Lee Marvin and Lee Van Cleef, both just before they became big box-office draws.

This, incidentally, is the film in which the famous phrase 'When the legend becomes fact, print the legend' was heard for the first time.