The Shootist Trivia

1. In "The Shootist", John Wayne plays an aging gunfighter dying of cancer. What is the name of the character he plays?

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: J.B. Books

Known as J.B. Books, the lead character's full name is John Bernard Books. Glendon Swarthout, the author of the book on which the movie was based, claimed that he based this character on the very real outlaw John Wesley Hardin.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: J. B. Books

The lone rider is J.B. Books (John Wayne), a notorious aging gunfighter, also known as a shootist. As he rides along, he encounters a man on foot who points a shotgun at him demanding his wallet. Books then reaches inside his coat and says, "Yes sir! A little somthin' extra!" as he pulls out a small gun, that he keeps inside his wallet, and shoots the would-be robber in the stomach! Classic Duke!

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: Doctor's office

Books comes to town for a second opinion on his medical condition. The local town doctor is an old friend of his named Doc Hostetler. The physician confirms the diagnosis given to Books by other doctors, and also advises him that his death will be soon and very painful. He also provides him with his first bottle of laudanum, a potent combination of alcohol and morphine (among other things) that was used as a painkiller at the turn of the century. This role was played by Jimmy Stewart, who John Wayne had previously worked with in the great western "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: Buys a newspaper

J.B. Books buys a local newspaper. As he's reading it, while still astride his horse, a milk delivery wagon pulls up. A very belligerent man tells him to move out of the way, insulting Books and, in a roundabout way, threatening to shoot him. Books is not intimidated, but moves out of the way. He then dares the man to try and draw on him. The man laughs and drives on.

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: Bond Rogers

Shortly after Books moves in, all the other tenants move out. Bond Rogers is very upset as this is how she makes her living for herself and her son Gillom. Books offers to pay extra and tells her that he cannot leave as he is dying. Much of the movie centers on the contentious relationship between these two characters. Lauren Bacall had co-starred with John Wayne once previously in the 1955 movie "Blood Alley", and they were good friends.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: Carson City

As J.B. Books rides into town, we soon see a horse drawn streetcar with the sign "Carson City Traction" on the side. Carson City is a town that appears to be on the forefront of progress, at least as far as the Old West is concerned. They have the streetcar (soon to be electrified), water works, telephones, electric lights and a street-paving program.

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: His horse

Books becomes a father figure to Gillom, whose own father recently passed away. Gillom engages in idol worship, while Books tries to help him become a good man and realize that being a gunslinger is a thing of the past. J.B. Books gives Gillom Rogers his horse named Dollar. Although the horse was not given a name in the book, John Wayne insisted on having the horse as a character in the movie. The name Dollar was the real name of this gelding that John Wayne rode in many of his other movies, including "True Grit". While he was alive he never allowed anyone to ride this horse but himself.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: Cancer

J.B. Books comes to Carson City specifically to see this doctor. He had saved Books' life a few years back, so he trusted him to confirm or deny what another doctor had told him back in Colorado.

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: John Carradine

The undertaker is played by long-faced actor John Carradine. In response to his offer, Books tells him that he knows the mortician will lay out his body and charge people to come and look at him. While this may seem morbid, this was a popular practice at the time. Many of the old west gunfighters are only seen in photographs taken while they lay in their coffins. At the end of the dialogue, Beckum agrees to pay Books for the honor of being the one to bury him and make money from his dead body.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: He doesn't know

When Books asks the doctor (superbly portrayed by the late Jimmy Stewart) how long he has, he tells him that it could be, "Two months...six weeks...less, there's no way to tell". He later tells Books (upon Books insisting) that the end will be very painful.

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: Have a picnic in the country

Bond Rogers is very straitlaced and would have never gone drinking or dancing with Books. But she does agree to go for a ride in the country, and agrees to pack a picnic. A carriage is rented and they go for a peaceful ride that seems to bring serenity to both characters, who are struggling with the inner demons that plague us all.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: Boarding House

Books finds lodging at a widow's boarding house that is recommended to him by the doctor. It is a quite modern home. It has a telephone, electric lights and indoor plumbing.

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: She wants to write a book about him as his widow.

Serepta begs Books to marry her. She admits she wants to write a book, "The Life and Time of J.B. Books by his Widow Serepta Books". She says she can make a lot of money this way. When Books refuses, she turns on him and storms out of the boarding house. At this time Books realizes that she is just another worm that crawled out of the woodwork to attempt to make money off of his death.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: William Hickok

When she presses him for his name, he tells her he is William Hickok, a U.S. Marshall in Abilene, Kansas. It appears that she had never heard of Wild Bill before. She later learns his true identity from her son Gillom. She is outraged and calls the City Marshall (wonderfully portrayed by Harry Morgan) to have him removed, but Books refuses to leave. After he informs her that he's dying, she reluctantly agrees to let him stay, offering all the help she can give him.

From Quiz John Wayne's "The Shootist"

Answer: In the saloon

Books leaves the boarding house and walks to town fully aware it is his last day on the earth. On the way, he hops on a new-fangled street car for the first time. He enters the saloon and kills three men, who were all independently planning on killing him. Finally, he is shot and killed by the bartender. The climax of the movie is when Gillom Rogers shoots the bartender. Gillom has an epiphany after killing this man, and he then throws the gun away, realizing that Books was right and he does not want to be a gunslinger.

From Quiz The Shootist

Answer: Mrs. Rogers

We later learn her first name is Bond. On being informed of this by her, J.B. Books replies, "That's a cracker jack of a name for a woman!"

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