Dusty,
I checked out The man who shot Liberty Valence based on your suggestion. Like you, I’m a huge Clint Eastwood fan. Surprisingly, I found the writing to be quite compelling, especially the part for Dutton Peabody (portrayed by Edmund O’Brien). He speaks poetically when he was protesting the nomination “I am your conscience” speech. Additionally, when he’s writing the article about defeating liberty valance and he’s speaking to his shadow! Yes, he’s in eclipsed by the star power of two screen legends, Jimmy Stewart, and John Wayne, yet he delivers a miraculous performance. In my opinion, He stole the show!
Sidenote: I noticed that John Wayne changed hats during the towards the final scene. As if he was riding on the range, any he was in a hurry to get to the convention. (i’ve been following several custom, cowboy hat makers, including “Wild Hats”… you should check them out online as they try to replicate the hat seen in westerns.