Howard Hughes Is Why Paramount Made a B-Movie Into an Oscar-Winning Western

The Big Picture

• Shane elevated the Western genre by exploring mature themes of loss, regret, and isolationism.
• Paramount Pictures almost sold Shane to Howard Hughes, but his enthusiasm for the film affirmed its quality.
• Shane changed the Western genre by featuring a conflicted hero and a tragic ending, earning critical acclaim and Oscar nominations.

While the 1950s saw the debut of many iconic Westerns, George Stevens’ 1953 Technicolor masterpiece Shane remains one of the greatest films in the entire genre. Westerns are often thought of as escapist fantasies that constitute “light entertainment,” but Shane examined mature themes of loss, regret, and isolationism. Shane’s acclaimed performances, increased level of violence, and authentic emotional storytelling served as an elevation of the medium and became highly influential upon films both in and out of the Western genre. While the film is a classic that is still heralded today, Shane wouldn’t have made it to the screen if it wasn’t for Paramount’s attempt to outbid Howard Hughes.

Paramount Pictures Almost Sold ‘Shane’ to Howard Hughes

Shane follows the titular gunslinger (Alan Ladd), who is determined to set his violent past behind him by returning to the sparsely populated Wyoming Territory in the late 19th century. By taking a new job as a farmhand for the rancher Joe Startett (Van Helfin), Shane believes that he may be able to enter a new stage in his life. Although he has shielded himself from forming any emotional bonds with other people, Shane finds himself attracted to Joe’s wife, Marian Starrett (Jean Arthur). Although Joe fails to treat his wife with any respect, Shane becomes a mentor to their young son Joey (Brandon deWilde). While its premise may seem atypically simple, Shane examines the perpetual cycle of violence that permeates the American West. The film has since been heralded as one of the greatest Westerns of all time by the AFI.

While the complex emotional relationship between Shane and Marian indicated that the film was a more serious take on the genre, Paramount Pictures grew concerned about the film’s inflated budget. Stevens’ more nuanced approach to the material wasn’t initially clear; although he completed the film’s principal photography in 1951, the editing process stalled until 1953. Faced with the potential that the film could become a box office disappointment, Paramount Pictures tried to sell Shane to Howard Hughes. Hughes was so impressed by what he saw that he offered to buy the film immediately, though the deal eventually fell through. At the time, Hughes was a prominent figure within the film industry, having produced such projects as the infamously disastrous John Wayne historical epic The Conqueror.

Hughes’ enthusiasm for Shane indicated to Paramount Pictures that they had something special on their hands, despite him backing out of the deal. Although Paramount initially considered releasing Shane as a B-movie that would be marketed with less fanfare, the studio changed its strategy due to Hughes’ enthusiasm and promoted Shane as one of its most prestigious titles. The strategy proved to be appropriate when Shane was instantly heralded as one of the greatest Westerns of all time, drawing praise for its subversive elements. Shane received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Ladd. While it would lose the trophy to the war classic From Here to Eternity, Shane did earn an Oscar win for Best Cinematography.

How Did ‘Shane’ Change the Western Genre?

Although Westerns were popular at the time of Shane’s release, the genre was still in its early stages. Although John Ford had revolutionized the Western genre with his 1939 classic Stagecoach, films of the era rarely featured protagonists that weren’t entirely heroic. Shane added a moral grayness to the genre by featuring a conflicted hero. Shane is hesitant about discussing his past with Marian, as he does not want her to be drawn into the world of violence that he’s forced to live in. Despite Shane’s compassion for Joey, he does not want the young boy to idolize him, as he knows nothing of his violent past.

Shane is effective as a deconstruction of the genre because of its tragic ending, as Shane does not get to enjoy the rewards of his victory. Although he can defeat the ruthless cattle baron Rudus Ryker (Emile Meyer) and his hired gun Jack Wilson (Jack Palance), Shane is forced to flee from the territory so that Marian and Joey can be left in peace. Joey only notices in the last moment that Shane is bleeding, as if he is only now recognizing that his heroes are mortal. The now iconic scene became the film’s most influential moment and served as a major inspiration for James Mangold’s 2017 superhero movie Logan.

Shane’s Academy Award nominations indicated that the Oscars had found respect for the Western genre, as no Western film had won the Best Picture trophy since 1931’s Cimarron. While the Fred Zimmerman western High Noon had received a Best Picture nomination the previous year, Shane’s nomination proved that westerns could be considered “prestigious,” and not just the “B movie” that it had originally been intended as. Unfortunately, it would take much longer for a Western to win Best Picture; both Kevin Costner’s historical epic Dances With Wolves and Clint Eastwood’s revisionist western Unforgiven took home the top prize in the 1990s. Both films featured vulnerable characters and more realistic violence that felt directly inspired by Shane.

What Was Howard Hughes Best Known For?

Although he was best known for his aviation and philanthropy work, Howard Hughes leveraged his wealth to become a powerful film producer in the early 20th century. Hughes’ filmography included the 1925 musical The Front Page and the 1932 gangster epic Scarface, both of which became significant critical and financial hits. Hughes drew from his own experience in aviation to create the 1930 World War I epic Hell’s Angels, his first film as a director.

Although he produced many iconic films, Hughes’ real life proved to be more exciting than any of his films. Leonardo DiCaprio earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for capturing Hughes’ obsessive qualities in Martin Scorsese’s 2004 biopic The Aviator, and Warren Beatty portrayed an older version of Hughes in his 2016 historical romance film Rules Don’t Apply. Christopher Nolan briefly considered making a film about Hughes but ultimately shelved the project due to similarities with The Aviator.

Shane is available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.

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