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

By Liam Gaughan

Published 5 days ago

Paramount was sure this iconic Western was a B-movie, and boy were they wrong.

Image by Federico Napoli

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.