In my film library reside more than 60 John Wayne DVDs. Certainly not the majority of his 250 films; but, the best, in my opinion.
John Wayne portrayed the rugged, quiet all-American hero and was a Hollywood and Western movie icon who still reminds us of the greatness of our country.
Strong, silent and frank, he personified the ways of the Wild West and beyond, becoming an institution on the big screen as well as in real life.
Probably the most popular movie leading man in Hollywood history, John Wayne was born Marion Morrison May 26, 1907 in Winterset, Iowa. He died 30 years ago on June 11, 1979 in Los Angeles, from lung and colon cancer.
When Morrison was a child, his father, Clyde, developed a lung condition and the family moved to a ranch in the Mojave Desert. When the ranch failed, the family moved to Glendale. As a boy, he sold newspapers and had a dog, "Duke" (the source of his nickname).
He did well in school, both academically and in football. After failing admission to Annapolis, he entered USC on a football scholarship from 1925 to 1927.
From a summer job as a prop man, John Wayne was discovered by director John Ford.
Let John Wayne define John Wayne:
"Talk low, talk slow and don't talk too much."
"I don't act ... I react."
"The West- - the very words go straight to that place of the heart where Americans feel the spirit of pride in their western heritage - the triumph of personal courage over any obstacle, whether nature or man."
"I want to play a real man in all my films, and I define manhood simply: men should be tough, fair and courageous, never petty, never looking for a fight, but never backing down from one either."
"I don't want ever to appear in a film that would embarrass a viewer. A man can take his wife, mother and his daughter to one of my movies and never be ashamed or embarrassed for going."
"I am an old-fashioned, honest to goodness, flag-waving patriot."
"It's kind of a sad thing when a normal love of country makes you a super patriot. I do think we have a pretty wonderful country, and I thank God that He chose me to live here."
In my opinion, it is times like these when we should invigorate pride in our country. To do that, go get a John Wayne movie.
I recommend: "The Searchers," 1956, with Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood and Director John Ford (the best John Wayne movie of all); "The Alamo," 1960, with John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey, Richard Boone, Frankie Avalon, Patrick Wayne, Linda Cristal, Chill Wills and Ken Curtis (the second best John Wayne movie); "The High and the Mighty," 1954, with Claire Trevor, Laraine Day, Robert Stack, Jan Sterling and Phil Harris, (the best John Wayne non-western: six Academy Award nominations, 1 Oscar for Dimitri Tiomkin's unforgettable musical score);
"Fort Apache," 1948, with Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple and John Agar; "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," 1949, with Joanne Dru, John Agar and Ben Johnson; "The Sands of Iwo Jima," 1949, with John Agar and Forrest Tucker (John Wayne was nominated best actor); "Rio Grande," 1950, with Maureen O'Hara and Harry Carey Jr.
In his films, Wayne often surrounded himself with a group of friends/fellow actors (often unknown names but recognizable faces), such as Ward Bond, Jim Hutton, Bruce Cabot, Ben Johnson, Edward Faulkner, Jay C. Flippen, Richard Boone, Chuck Roberson and his son, Patrick Wayne. And, of course, the famous stars like James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Kirk Douglas, Robert Duvall, Rock Hudson, Bruce Dern, Ann Margret and Katharine Hepburn.
Personifying the West and magnificent times were films such as "Rio Bravo," 1959; "The Comancheros," 1961; "McClintock," 1963; "El Dorado," 1967; "The War Wagon," 1967; "True Grit," 1969 (Oscar for Best Actor); "The Undefeated," 1969; "Rio Lobo," 1970; "Chisum," 1970; "The Cowboys," 1972; "The Train Robbers," 1973; "Rooster Cogburn," 1975; "The Shootist," 1976. This was John Wayne's last and epitaph movie in which an old "gunfighter" is dying from lung cancer as, in fact, John Wayne was.
He was an American icon and hero to the generations who knew him and for the generations to come who will see the ultimate cowboy, encompassing the values and traditions of our nation.
My salute to the "Duke," an epitome of the "Great American."
Burton Anderson, Purple Heart Korean War Marine, B.A., M.A. degrees, junior college instructor, 32 years in aerospace industry, retiring from contract negotiation in 1992. He can be reached at bandtp@aol.com
Burton Anderson Burton Anderson, a U.S. Marine veteran of the Korean War, has lived in California for about 50 years. He has a background in the aerospace industry. He may be reached at bandtp@aol.com. The Board of Contributors is comprised of local writers whose views appear on Tuesdays and Fridays.
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