History Awesome / TheManWhoShotLibertyValance

** Stewart was a real life badass. His age and status as a film star would have normally gotten him a cushy job during World War II. He campaigned hard to get assigned as a combat pilot and proved himself quite well. He eventually retired as a General in the Air Force Reserves.
* On a Meta level, the sheer fact that the two leads are Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/JamesStewart, giving us two of the greatest movie stars of all time acting together on equal footing, plus Creator/LeeMarvin!

** A subtle one: after Liberty and his boys leave the restaurant, the open fire through the windows, causing everyone to duck. Everyone, that is, ''except'' Tom and Ranse, who both stand their ground.

* [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie While it was based on a lie]], Ransom went on to do great things as Senator thanks to his reputation as the man who shot Liberty Valance.

* [[spoiler: [[WhamLine Besides…]] ''[[WhamLine you]]'' [[WhamLine didn't kill Liberty Valance.]]]]

** To clarify, Ranse is initially about to leave town, [[spoiler:[[KickTheDog but after Liberty beats Mr. Peabody, nearly killing him in the process, trashes his office, and then shoots out Ranse's sign,]] the town comes over to see what happened, and Ranse listens to Peabody drunkenly claim that he showed Liberty the value of 'freedom of speech', he makes up his mind to fight Liberty Valance in a duel.]]
* Similarly, Ranse killing [[BigBad Liberty Valance]] by shooting him with his off-hand (his right arm was shot during the duel). [[spoiler:He didn't actually kill Liberty Valance. Tom and Pompey were in an alleyway watching the duel, and Tom shot Liberty at the same time Ranse and Liberty shot each other. [[FramedForHeroism The setup made it look like Ranse killed Liberty, so he got the credit.]]]]
* [[spoiler: Ranse attempts to disappear after Cassius Starbuckle demonizes him by calling him a murderer of a [[BlatantLies honest citizen]] and implying that he's not even close to the same caliber as UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln. Tom finds him and delivers a {{What The Hell Hero}} speech to Ranse while revealing that he was the real killer of Liberty Valance.]]
-> [[spoiler:"Hallie's your girl now. Go back in there and take that nomination. You taught her how to read and write; now give her something to read and write about!"]]
* [[spoiler: When Tom starts drinking at the bar after shooting Liberty, he gets mad at Liberty's mooks trying to paint Liberty as a hero and Ranse as a cold-blooded murderer. He throws one of them out of the bar, and then when the other one (played by none other than Creator/LeeVanCleef) pulls a gun on him, he disarms him and pistol-whips him with his own gun, knocking him out cold.]]
* [[spoiler: [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie While it was based on a lie]]]], Ransom went on to do great things as Senator thanks to his reputation as the man who shot Liberty Valance.

-->Doniphon: "I don't like tricks, pilgrim but that's what you're going up against with Vallance."

-->Ranse: [[IronicEcho "I DON'T LIKE TRICKS MYSELF,]] SO THAT MAKES US EVEN!"

* [[spoiler: [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie While it was based on a lie,]]]], Ransom went on to do great things as Senator thanks to his reputation as the man who shot Liberty Valance.

* On a Meta level, the sheer fact that the two leads are Creator/JohnWayne and Creator/JamesStewart, giving us two of the greatest movie stars of all time acting together on equal footing.

** [[TheDogBitesBack Ranse punches out Tom shortly after getting doused in paint, knocking him down with a single punch.]] TO clarify: ''JimmyStewart [[UnderestimatingBadassery punches out]] Creator/JohnWayne''!

* [[spoiler: When Tom starts drinking at the bar after shooting Liberty, he gets mad at Liberty's mooks trying to paint Liberty as a hero and Ranse as a cold-blooded murderer. He throws one of them out of the bar, and then when the other one pulls a gun on him, he disarms him and pistol-whips him with his own gun, knocking him out cold.]]

** [[TheDogBitesBack Ranse punches out Tom shortly after getting doused in paint, knocking him down with a single punch.]] TO clarify: ''JimmyStewart [[UnderestimatingBadassery punches out]] JohnWayne''!

** Marvin added, "I liked Jimmy Stewart before the incident, but I liked him a whole lot more".

* [[spoiler: [[BasedOnAGreatBigLie While it was based on a lie,]]]], Ransom went on to do great things as Senator thanks to his reputation as the man who shot Liberty Valance.

* [[spoiler: [[WhamLine Besides…''you'' didn't kill Liberty Valance.]]]]

* "Marshal? You tell Liberty...that I'll be outside."

* "That was my STEAK, Liberty!" - Tom making it very clear why Liberty steers clear of him.

** [[TheDogBitesBack Ranse punches out Tom shortly after getting doused in paint, knocking him down with a single punch.]]
-->Doniphon: "I don't like tricks, but that's what you're doing by telling me you're going up against Liberty, pilgrim."
-->Ranse: [[IronicEcho "I don't like tricks either,]] so we're even!"

* [[spoiler: Ranse attempts to disappear after Cassius Starbuckle demonizes him by calling him a murderer of a [[BlatantLies honest citizen]] and implying that he's not even close to the same caliber as {{Abraham Lincoln}}. Tom finds him and delivers a {{What The Hell Hero}} speech to Ranse while revealing that he was the real killer of Liberty Valance.]]

* [[spoiler: When Tom starts drinking at the bar after shooting Liberty, he gets mad at Liberty's mooks trying to paint Liberty as a hero and Ranse as a cold-blooded murderer. He throws one of them out of the bar, and then when the other one pulls a gun on him, he disarms him and pistol-whips him with his own gun, knocking him out cold.

** Ranse punches out Tom shortly after getting doused in paint, knocking him down with a single punch.
-> "I don't like tricks, but that's what you're doing by telling me you're going up against Liberty, pilgrim."
-> "I don't like tricks either, so we're even!"

* "That was my STEAK, Liberty!" - Tom making it very clear why Liberty steers clear of him.