Celebrating The Duke
Some of you know that I'm a huge movie fan. Mostly older movies and comedy teams e.g. Marx Brothers, Lewis and Martin, Abbott and Costello....Hope and Crosby. John Wayne is also a favorite of mine. Turner Classic Movies has been having a tribute to The Duke by running many of his films. One of my favorites is In Harm's Way (Navy WWII movie). I thought a little tribute to the Duke was appropriate given May 26 was his 100th birthday. Okay Pilgrims enjoy not only the official website but a biography written by Ronald Reagan himself.
John Wayne |
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Dates Morrison got his first job in movies as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. He was cast in his first leading role in 1929 in the movie The Big Trail. After nearly ten years of appearing in small western and action films, during which time he took the name John Wayne, he gained prominance almost overnight when John Ford cast him in the lead role of Stagecoach. Soon Wayne was in demand for lead roles, and he continuously appeared in movies until the mid-1970's, usually appearing as a tough, idealistic cowboy or military man. Among some of his more memorable films are Fort Apache (1948), Rio Grande (1950), Rio Bravo (1959), The Alamo (1960), The Green Beret (1968), Rio Lobo (1970). He won an Acadamy Award in 1969 for best actor for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. In reality, Wayne's tough guy image was just that, an image. He insisted that it was mostly a gimmick that he decided early in his career he needed to overcome a lack of acting training. After his death in 1979, a Congressional medal was created in Wayne's honor. Wayne's oldest son Michael headed Batjac Productions, the production company that Wayne owned, and produced most of his father's films in beginning in 1963. His sons Patrick and John Ethan both followed their father's footsteps by becoming actors. |
Born Marion Michael Morrison, John Wayne moved with his family to California when he was young. Wayne spent his youth ranching near the Mojave Desert, and often rode a horse to school. He took the nickname "The Duke" from the family's pet Airedale. When he was not accepted into the US Naval Academy, he attended the University of Southern California on a football scholarship. Comment(s) »
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Comment by aza spade— 2007/05/26 @ 02:28 AM — (Reply)
Comment by Ernie Els— 2007/05/26 @ 02:33 AM — (Reply)
Comment by aza spade— 2007/05/26 @ 02:39 AM — (Reply)
John Wayne ... Sheriff John T. Chance
Dean Martin ... Dude ('Borachón')
Ricky Nelson ... Colorado Ryan
Angie Dickinson ... Feathers
Walter Brennan ... Stumpy
Comment by Ernie Els— 2007/05/26 @ 02:53 AM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2007/05/26 @ 04:47 AM — (Reply)
Comment by aza spade— 2007/05/26 @ 06:50 AM — (Reply)
Comment by Brooke— 2007/05/27 @ 12:35 PM — (Reply)
"mcclintock" - the ONLY john wayne movie worth watching again and again...i've heard he actually had a fear of horses. i know he broke some bones making one of his movies.
i love some of his famous quotes.
Comment by nanc— 2007/05/28 @ 04:48 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2007/05/28 @ 06:27 PM — (Reply)
I absolutely love John Wayne, my brother's father in law lives in Nogales, AZ, he and a few of his buds used hang with John Wayne when he shot movies down there........let's just say his real life persona was pretty much how was portayed in his movies. :-)
Comment by Joe Gringo— 2007/05/29 @ 06:18 AM — (Reply)
Amazing! I knew I liked you for good reason. A Duke fan too!
EB, as you know I have taken a bit of time off from blogging - recharge the batteries and all that. One of the things I have been doing is..... getting every John Wayne video that is available in our area! Being in the Victorian boonies, it's slim pickings but I've found a few gems of late.
On of my part-time staff gave me a copy of El Dorado for Christmas and I've now watched it 6 times - once a month!
I got ahold of a series of "compendium" DVD's of Wayne movies which I'd never seen. They were all from his very early career, '26 to '35 I think:- The Great K A Train Robbery, The Big Trail, Two Fisted Law, The Telegraph Trail, Sagebrush Trail and Randy Rides Alone. 3 movies per DVD - now THAT's value!!
I've been in cowboy heaven!! I had no idea he did a "singing cowboy" shtick way back when..... and now I do know, I forgive him!
Off topic, what is the best Western you've ever seen?
Maybe your other readers can give me a few viewing options as well???
I recently saw Kevin Kostners "Open Range" - the most realistic depiction of ordinary early American settler life I can imagine, especially the gun-fight!!! What blew me away (and what is always a highlight of westerns for me) was the scenery, even though this one was shot in Canada.
My idea of paradise (earthly) would be an Australian sensibility placed in Montana/Wyoming/Colorado!! Yeah, yeah, Arizona too! We don't have mountains here, just big hills!!!
I also love "Last of the Mohicans" (Daniel Day-Lewis) - the scenery again, and also the music. Rips my Celtic heart to shreds!
Save my couch-potato life! I need more westerns!
Comment by gravelrash— 2007/06/16 @ 12:55 PM — (Reply)
Mrs. EB like The Last of the Mohicans and Clint Eastwoods spaghetti westerns also come to mind...Two Mules for Sister Sara...Outlaw Josie Wales...
The Duke singing? I'd like to see that.
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2007/06/16 @ 01:27 PM — (Reply)
I'm not too good on memory, EB, as you know, but in the deep, dark recesses I have some recollection of the Duke singing in an early film where he and his partner saved a town by resurrecting the stage coach line - naturally from a nefarious and dastardly land grabber!!! - or maybe there was just an awful lot of singing going on amongst the general dastardliness???
Bunker time needed to ascertain the facts. And to watch some re-runs of the Trinity series??? Loved them.
I got trapped in the west at an early age - "Rin Tin Tin" was a huge boyhood fantasy. "The Rebel" was another I loved but it was deemed "too violent" by my parents so I only ever managed to see a few episodes in entirety.
Chuck Connors in "Rifleman" and, of course, "Bonanza", which was huge here. I think my Mum (and every other Aussie mom) had a sweet spot for Little Joe!!
I got a social conscience from watching "Broken Arrow"!! I thought Michael Ansara was the epitomy of manhood!
Of course, it wasn't all "how the west was won". I really get all sentimental and teary-eyed over the Andy Hardy movies and something I'd give my right leg to see again - Our Gang!
Is the bunker THAT well supplied?
Comment by Gravelrash— 2007/06/19 @ 05:20 AM — (Reply)
Comment by Elmers Brother— 2007/06/20 @ 03:47 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Ernie Els— 2007/06/20 @ 04:13 PM — (Reply)
big enough for you and Barry G. Ernie
Comment by elmers brother— 2007/06/20 @ 04:54 PM — (Reply)