Fools born after 1970 think westerns began and ended with
Unforgiven, but there would be no
Unforgiven—hell, there’d be no Clint
Eastwood—without Liberty Valance‘s bracing ambiguity.
Three of the greatest movie actors of all time push each other to some
of the finest work of their careers, with John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart
playing against type as an oaf and a coward, respectively, and the
always-brilliant Lee Marvin at his evilest. (Grand Illusion,
1403 NE 50th St, 523-3935. 6:30 and 8:45 pm, $8.)