In early spring 1961, writer Dorothy M. Johnson sold the screen rights to her short story “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” to director John Ford. The story originally appeared in the June 1949 issue of Cosmopolitan and was later published in Johnson’s 1953 collection Indian Country, as announced in the 7 Apr 1961 [Great Falls, MT] Great Falls Tribune. At the time, Johnson was known for providing the literary source to The Hanging Tree (1959, see entry) starring Gary Cooper, and several reviews remarked on her status as a woman writer in the male-dominated western genre. On 10 Apr 1961, LAT reported the casting of James Stewart and John Wayne, and noted that James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck had started the screen adaptation of Johnson’s story. Filming was scheduled to begin 5 Sep 1961, as first listed in DV production charts on 4 Aug 1961. Early casting reports in the 29 Apr 1961 LAT announced Carolyn Jones as the leading lady, and an 18 Aug 1961 DV news item stated that a deal was underway to add Tige Andrews, but neither actor remained with the project.
       By 14 Sep 1961, filming on the $3.5 million production was underway at the Paramount Studio lot on Marathon Street in Los Angeles, CA, with no plans for location shooting, according to that day’s DV which stated that a large portion of the budget went to covering the salaries of its stars. Ford reportedly described the film as a “close-up type picture.” Although Ford had previously filmed westerns in color, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was black-and-white. The use of soundstages and black-and-white photography led to speculation that Paramount was working on a tight budget. For the soundtrack, Ford also reused Alfred Newman’s musical theme from a previous film, the 1938 drama Young Mr. Lincoln (see entry).
       As mentioned in the 20 Sep 1961 Var, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance marked Ken Murray’s first feature film in many years. Ford had reportedly been impressed by the comedic actor’s dramatic role on the television series “Death Valley Days” (Syndicated, 1952-1970) and had the part of “Doc Willoughby” written specifically for Murray’s movie comeback. The 22 Sep 1961 DV added Charles Morton to the cast, but he was not credited onscreen and may not have remained in the film. Similarly, the 26 Sep 1961 DV announced the casting of Ed Jauregui, who was also not credited in the final picture. Tom Hennessy’s casting was mentioned in DV on 20 Oct 1961, and Bob Morgan was added on 10 Nov 1961, but their involvement may not have continued.
       Filming was still underway as of 23 Oct 1961, when DV announced that assistant director William Poole had been recalled to active duty at Fort Bragg, where he served in the psychological warfare unit. Poole had reportedly been at Paramount since 1938, though much of his work in the casting department was uncredited. He was replaced by Wingate Smith.
       The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance made its last appearance on DV production charts on 8 Nov 1961, though final casting announcements were made in the trades through mid-Nov 1961. A titular theme song, composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, did not appear in the film. However, it was vastly successful on the radio, remaining on Billboard charts for thirteen weeks and ranking #36 in the list of the best Western songs of all time by the Western Writers of America.
       An early preview of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was screened at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on 23 Mar 1962, and on the weekend of 24-25 Mar 1962 at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, CA. The 28 Mar 1962 DV announced that the film was set for wide release in Apr 1962, with actor Lee Marvin supporting events with a promotional tour. The film began playing the at nine theaters nationwide the weekend of 13 Apr 1962, as the 17 Apr 1962 DV reported that the limited engagement grossed $76,180 in three days. Paramount was optimistic by the early returns, noting that a newspaper strike in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, and heavy snowfall in Buffalo, NY, prevented audiences from attending. The film opened in Los Angeles on 18 Apr 1962, as stated in the 20 Apr 1962 LAT review, and several weeks later in New York City on 23 May 1962. A NYT review published the next day generally reflected the mixed critical response and cited what was to become the film’s most iconic quote: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
       The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. It marked Edith Head’s 21st Oscar nomination.