Thirty years ago today...

[bestseller92]

...John Wayne passed away.

Long live the Duke!



"Now on the day that John Wayne died
I found myself on the continental divide
Tell me, where do I go from here?
Think I'll ride into Leadville and have a few beers
Think of 'Red River' and 'Liberty Valance'
Can't believe the old man's gone
But now he's incommunicado
Leaving such a hole in a world that believed that a
Life with such bravado
Was finding the right way home."

from "Incommunicado", by Jimmy Buffett (1980).

[twyacht]

Thanks for the post.

John Wayne on America, and Texas...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaPA8fGeRUc

Wish more actors had his True Grit. He was a role model of character and what was good in a man to me growing up. Today, unfortunately, the standards have become much lower.

Thanks again for the post. He will always be a legend. The good ones are left in our memory to share. Heston, Cooper, Peck, those were men. I think they would probably slap the **** out of one of the "metrosexuals" with their cellphones, and Starbucks latte's.

[fightingquaker13]

As much asI enjoy the Duke's movies, David Niven and Jimmy Stewart, were the ones who had "true grit". They strapped themselves into the cockpit and flew against Nazi Germany. Wayne made war films. There's nothing wrong with that. Its just that it irritates me when we make Wayne the emblem of American Manliness when Stewart has a better claim on the title. No offence to Wayne, I just don't think Stewart gets the props he was due.
FQ13

[PegLeg45]

A good bit of John Wayne trivia ....

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/bio

[Ping]

You guys forgot the Marx Brothers. Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Groucho. Those guys were cool all around.  

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

You guys forgot the Marx Brothers. Chico, Harpo, Zeppo and Groucho. Those guys were cool all around.  

And all damn good with a gun. No one could make that BANG flag come out quicker, kind of like Earp Brothers.
FQ13

[twyacht]

Think bigger picture FQ,  Of course Stewart and Niven are among the actors that had military careers, so did Elvis and 95% of his movies were awful.

I am reflecting on the metaphor of George C. Scott playing Patton, in regards to John Wayne. Here on this forum, I would be be hard pressed to find anyone in disagreement.

The OP was on the the anniversary of THIS day. Which is specific to a true American. John Wayne....

Quoting another "military" movie Stripes:

"Lighten up Francis"

[Ping]

[so did Elvis and 95% of his movies were awful./quote]

Thanks TW. Elvis movies always sucked.

[twyacht]

And since I'm on a rant FQ, Tom Hanks played an amazing role in Saving Private Ryan, did he serve? ,,,well no. Will it matter to the point the movie made about the horror of war?

You know the answer.

[fightingquaker13]

Think bigger picture FQ,  Of course Stewart and Niven are among the actors that had military careers, so did Elvis and 95% of his movies were awful.

I am reflecting on the metaphor of George C. Scott playing Patton, in regards to John Wayne. Here on this forum, I would be be hard pressed to find anyone in disagreement.

The OP was on the the anniversary of THIS day. Which is specific to a true American. John Wayne....

Quoting another "military" movie Stripes:

"Lighten up Francis"

Not disagreeing. I was just amazed when I found out what Stewart did during the war and realized two things. First, I shouldn't have been because it should have been common knowledge. Second, the fact that it wasn't because he never really made an issue of it proves what a rare type he was for Hollywood. Hell, everybody who plays a USO show in Baghdad acts like they deserve a silver star. Can you think of a young actor today who could go five minutes without telling you if they'd served, much less fought? I love the Duke, just don't want to forget Stewart either.
FQ13