MovieChat Forums > The Shootist (1976) Discussion > Turner Classic Movei, cut a few seconds...

Turner Classic Movei, cut a few seconds when Barman Shot Books?

posted 10 years ago by TheBoz
3 replies | jump to latest

TCM just aired this and I love the film, but it seemed that some seconds were cut from Books death scene. The one I remember is that Books gets shot in the back, looks up and yells our in horrible pain, then he is filmed from behind, stumbling from the blow of the shotgun, his legs bending and twisting trying to maintain balance using the bar edge to support him. The blast basically was like a hard shove except with bullet, gets to the end and falls face up, where Gillum goes to him and then shoots the barman.

The TCM version shows him shot in the back and then scene is cut to to end of the bar where he lets go and falls down where Gillum then finds him.

Does anyone remember his stumble down the bar, it was so creepy cause a shotgun will blow you away except he had the bar to support him from falling till he ran out of bar and then fell. Its burned in my memory. Am I remembering correctly.

Anyone know what Im talking about?

[–] Huge_Ego_sorry 10 years ago

The way you remember it, is also the way I remember seeing it

[–] ecarle 10 years ago

If TCM cut the shot, one possible reason is that within the shot, John Wayne's stuntman can be seen to have a rope tied from his lower leg to the floor to help the stuntman "fall forward violently" as you describe.

Its a "gaffe."

Noteable: John Wayne became terribly ill and needed hospitalization during the filming of this scene. The stunt double was used for the falls(and the leap over the bar at the beginning of the gunfight), but they considered having to film Wayne's entire death scene without Wayne IN IT. Using only the stunt double and reaction shots of the actors watching him die.

But Wayne got well, came in and got his final death close-ups on the floor.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]