Shane (1953)

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

George Stevens

Writer:

A.B. Guthrie Jr., Jack Sher, Jack Schaefer

Release Date:

Apr 23, 1953

Runtime:

1hr 58m

Synopsis

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act.

Cast

  • Alan Ladd
  • Jean Arthur
  • Van Heflin
  • Brandon De Wilde
  • Jack Palance
  • Ben Johnson
  • Edgar Buchanan
  • Emile Meyer
  • Elisha Cook Jr.
  • Douglas Spencer

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.7
67.9K
41.6K
14.4K
RATINGS 225 FANS
3.7
  • Mar 3, 2014

    Shut up Joey.

    1.1K Likes
    Michael Strenski
    Michael Strenski
    Mar 21, 2016

    “You’ve lived too long. Your kind of days are over.” “My days? What about yours, gunfighter?” “Difference is I know it.” A man has to be what he is.

    464 Likes
    Matt Singer
    Matt Singer
    Feb 25, 2018

    call me by your shane

    453 Likes
    tru
    tru
  •
    Jun 16, 2013

    Possibly the most annoying child in film history.

    377 Likes
    Timcop
    Timcop
    Aug 14, 2014

    There are four major stories I want to talk about here. First, there is the community against the corporation. This is a conflict dear to me, one that resonates in any setting. Be it a powerful lord, an evil empire, or a rancher, some potent force of greed and corruption…

    336 Likes
    Sally Jane Black
    Sally Jane Black
    Apr 17, 2020

    'Then we'll never see you again?' 'Never is a long time, Marian.' My heart was broken by this masterpiece in the most heart-warming way ever. Shane is the ultimate parable of selfless goodness counterpoised by the coarse grittiness usually associated with the genre. The…

    227 Likes
    Lara Pop
    Lara Pop
  •
    Jul 4, 2015

    So this was Shane, huh? The movie that pops up on virtually every “The 10 Greatest Westerns of all Time” list. All I can say to that is: You have got to be kidding me! No wonder some people think Westerns are kinda silly if they go after lists like that. This is so very…

    222 Likes
    Anna Imhof 🌸
    Anna Imhof 🌸
    Jul 13, 2025

    “a man has to be what he is” Sam Peckinpah once said Shane was the greatest Western ever made. And honestly, I kind of see why. George Stevens directs it with a patient, melodramatic rhythm that sinks deep. I love the emotional swells and subtle character shifts in A Place…

    175 Likes
    Tim Fehrenbach
    Tim Fehrenbach
    Jan 8, 2025

    “Shane” is a solid western with two great supporting performances from Jack Palance and Brandon De Wilde. Best supporting actor ranked

    159 Likes
    Xfaxe
    Xfaxe

Queue Community Reviews

81%
Community 535
❤️ LOVE
28%
👍 LIKE
53%
😐 MEH
17%
👎 DISLIKE
3%
Top Reviews
  • James New
    James New liked
    Shane

    One of the most heartfelt westerns I’ve seen. Some incredible performances and a very emotionally resonant story and situation. Great music and the cinematography is gorgeous. I can see myself revisiting this later in life

    🔥 1 2Y
    Bert
    Bert is "meh" on
    Shane

    Good

    3Y

Atom Users Reviews

5.0
2
0
0
0
0

Reviews

  • JM
    Jed Merrill
    TF
    Tina Fulgham
    #datenight
    #<3

Metacritic

85
metacritic
Based on 17 Critics
7.6

USER SCORE (21)

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Reviews
50

Here, as too often in his career, Stevens is aiming to have the last word on a genre: everything aims for “classic” status, and everything falters in a mire of artsiness and obtrusive technique.

Metacritic review by Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
100

Shane wears a white hat and Palance wears a black hat, but the buried psychology of this movie is a mottled, uneasy, fascinating gray.

Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
100

Shane contains something more than beauty and the grandeur of the mountains and plains, drenched by the brilliant Western sunshine and the violent, torrential, black-browed rains. It contains a tremendous comprehension of the bitterness and passion of the feuds that existed between the new homesteaders and the cattlemen on the open range.

Metacritic review by Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Shane (1953) (1953)?
The movie is 1hr 58min long.
What's Shane (1953) (1953) about?
A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act.
Who's the cast of Shane (1953) (1953)?
  • Alan Ladd as Shane
  • Jean Arthur as Marian Starrett
  • Van Heflin as Joe Starrett
  • Brandon De Wilde as Joey Starrett
  • Jack Palance as Jack Wilson
  • Ben Johnson as Chris Calloway
  • Edgar Buchanan as Fred Lewis
  • Emile Meyer as Rufus Ryker
  • Elisha Cook Jr. as Stonewall Torrey
  • Douglas Spencer as Axel 'Swede' Shipstead
Who's the director behind Shane (1953) (1953)?
George Stevens directed Shane (1953) (1953).