John Wayne starred in his final film, “The Shootist,” in 1976.
Wayne played J. B. Books, an aging gunfighter diagnosed with terminal cancer who returns to Carson City seeking peace and dignity. The role carried special resonance because it was Wayne’s final cinematic performance, though he was not terminally ill when the movie was filmed.
Directed by Don Siegel, The Shootist was adapted from Glendon Swarthout’s 1975 novel. Its cast included Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, and Harry Morgan. Rather than presenting Wayne only as an invincible Western hero, the film examines aging, reputation, mortality, and the fading culture of the gunfighter.
The year can be confused with 1979, when Wayne died, or with 1964, when he underwent surgery after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The film was released on July 21, 1976, and concluded a screen career that began during the silent-film era.