The year is 1953 and I was 8-years-old. My parents didn’t have a tv, so radio and weekend visits to the local movie theaters were our forms of entertainment (also books, books and more books). On one such weekend we went as a family to see the newly released Shane, starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Hefflin. As the movie ends and Shane rides off into the sunset, little Joey plaintively calls out, “Come back Shane!” I was bawling. The movie deeply affected me and it turned out to be the favorite movie of my childhood. It is also considered by some critics as the best Western ever made. It has my vote.

I’ve watched it several times over the years, usually in the company of my sons (a male bonding moment). As a movie, Shane holds up pretty well, especially considering it’s 70 years old – good plot, stellar acting and beautiful scenery with the Grand Tetons in the background for many scenes. Jack Palance, as the evil gunslinger, exudes pure evil and doesn’t have to say much to give a masterful performance. I had forgotten how resonantly pleasing Alan Ladd’s voice was.

Well, a couple of days ago was Presidents Day and school was out and we were tending our 10-year-old grandson Treven Easter so I decided it was time for a fourth-generation Easter to experience Shane. After all, I watched it initially with my father, then with my sons (including Treven’s father Jordan) and now with a grandson. Back in November of last year we got our first great-grandson – River Gunn (love the name). I hope I last long enough to watch Shane with him, making it a five-generation tradition.

Treven was a good trooper and watched the almost 2-hour movie without fidgeting, but was strangely silent about how much he liked or disliked the movie. I’ll ask him when the time is right.

With this latest viewing, I was struck at how much the story of Shane shadows the plots of a lot of Lee Child/Jack Reacher novels. A skilled knight-in-shining-armor rides into town to defend the weak (good) against the strong (bad). Good plots never die, just get recycled.