Dampening the violence

After Richard Donner signed on to direct the film, he found that the violence was a bit too much.

However, the ‘Superman’ filmmaker tried to stay true to Shane’s vision, and so weaved in themes and ideas popularised by the westerns of old.

He said: “I tried to make it more like an old-fashioned western.

“Sure there were a lot of deaths, but they died like they died in westerns. They were shot with bullets, they weren't dismembered.

“I like action and a strong story line. I like to turn my head away in suspense, not in disgust.

“I think the audiences feel like I do, and that's why people like the film and come back to see it a second time.”