Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1962: Lee Marvin in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Lee Marvin did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Liberty Valance in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Lee Marvin obviously plays the doomed man at the end of the title, but the title itself is a label of fame rather than infamy. The reason being the nature of Liberty Valance who we are introduced to as he robs a stagecoach and brutally beats one of the passengers Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart). Marvin as one should expect dominates the scene with his fierce voice, and imposing demeanor. Marvin exudes a considerable menace from his own personal presence even when his face is hidden by a mask. Stoddard after recovering soon finds out that Liberty is a career outlaw who spends his time robbing and assaulting basically whoever he feels like with the local law enforcement too timid to stand up to him. Liberty really is not this master criminal in the slightest, but  he's still quite the problem since any one may randomly suffer because of him. Marvin is terrific in the role bellowing out his lines with the right bluster and disregard for anything one might even consider to be decent. I particularly love the considerable disdain in his voice whenever he chides the Easterner Stoddard by referring to him as "dude".

Marvin is actually only in about five or six scenes of the film, a few of them even being brief, yet he makes quite the impact as Liberty. The interesting part of it all is that again Liberty is not this hyper intelligent villain, he's just a thug who lives in a place where good punch and quick draw is all that is needed to be a terror. Marvin embraces this so well with his performance as he conquers any given situation not by portraying any sort of exact charisma, but rather just the brunt force that is Valance. Marvin carries almost a relaxed quality at times that is fitting for a man who believes he's pretty much entitled to whatever he wants, but there is only ever an underlying current of viciousness that alludes to the violence Liberty is capable of. A viciousness that only grows whenever a situation forces Liberty to get mad, which is a most unpleasant sight thanks to Marvin. One can see how Liberty himself as Marvin makes him a man who insists upon himself, which is easy since no one can physically stand up to him other than Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). The moments between he and Wayne are fantastic in the way that they match each other's presence and intensity presenting the men distinctly in their element.

Marvin's especially effective in these scenes by quietly conveying a bit of fear in Liberty, as he recognizes Doniphon as a man who is indeed a threat to him, a threat he'd rather avoid. Liberty instead keeps his focus on Stoddard, who only further encourages Liberty by Ransom attempting to take the legal route in dealing with the outlaw. This is until Liberty takes it a step further, and Ransom decides to take on Liberty with a gun in hand. This is a downright amazing scene for Marvin because even though it takes Stoddard all his courage to stare down the man, Marvin shows that Liberty still does not care lick about it. Marvin is excellent as he plays the scene as though Liberty is just trying to get as much enjoyment as he can in his last confrontation with a man he thinks so little of. Marvin portrays this in a terrific fashion as he leans on a pole almost throughout the confrontation displaying not a bit of fear for Stoddard's attempts. Marvin's great as Liberty toys with Stoddard as he so genuinely bursts out laughing every time he messes with Stoddard. Marvin makes Liberty a true bully as he shows so much joy in every second Liberty torments him. When Liberty finally decides on the coup de grace, Marvin's reaction is basically that of a man whose had his fun so might as well get the job done. Marvin tops it all off with his brief, but brilliant death scene as one can't help but see just bit of disbelief in his expression just before he collapses. This is a memorable turn by Marvin not by creating this truly cunning adversary, but rather making him the violent lout he should be.