What John Wayne Can Teach Dems

NY Daily News ^ | 1/26/06 | Richard Cohen

[fredhead]

[BuglerTex]

Ben Johnson, Jr:

"Everybody in town's a better actor than I am, but none of them can play Ben Johnson."

But I do not know how long he lived in Hollywood.

[metesky]

Check my tagline...

[tumblindice]

We're not talking about Marion Morrison, Hollywood actor.
http://www.jwplace.com/facts.html

According to the Von Hoffman brothers (`Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness') Morrison hated blue jeans and horses . . . if someone yelled out John he didn't turn around. He responded to `Duke' or "John Wayne".
So we're (or I'm) not talking about `Hollyweird, `06', but about Old Glory and-------John Wayne.

[Slicksadick]

LOL you are so right about The Searchers, and your reference, check post # 46.
Also, see this review of Wayne's performance.
http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/index.php?p=1009#postcomment

[Slicksadick]

Excellent review of the movie here.
http://www.filmsite.org/sear.html

[gimme1ibertee]

I'm not amazed at all. John Wayne, while not flawless (but,who among us are?) was one hell of a guy.They don't make 'em like that anymore.Makes me wanna cry,when I see how feminized the male gender has become.I sure am crazy about a rough-hewn,no-nonsense,American-loving guy,and John certainly was that-and so was Mr.Reagan. I sure miss them both.

[outofhere2]

I thought Clint Eastwood would be the inheritor of Wayne's legacy but he just threw it away making "I want to be apart of the Hollyweird community" friendly films.

[exnavy]

The tone of this thread is "fun" with a great American idol. I know the difference between fantasy and reality, and that is exactly why I sometimes ignore reality. As do many others. What I don't understand is why some overly stiff people always have to PEE on someone elses parade. John Wayne is and always will be a real live cowboy to many conservatives.

[WhiteGuy]

I was just doing some quick research on John Wayne......

Is it true he didn't serve in the military?

[tumblindice]

Agree! I have his photo on my wall.
"John Wayne" is an American hero as well as icon.
But I would disassociate him from Hollywood today: I suspect if he were 24 years old today, he'd do something else for a living.

[gimme1ibertee]

Agreed. Clint mellowed in his later years.
But,DAMN! I still like me some Harry Callahan!! LOL
I liked the "Every Which Way" series of movies too, but I think Clint was tailor-made for those Dirty Harry movies.
I thought John Wayne made a much better cowboy that a cop,and Clint made a much better cop than a cowboy.Just my personal observation.

[katykelly]

Thanks for the trivia. I didn't know about Olive. "The Searchers" is my favorite Duke flick.

[gr8eman]

The Searchers?

[Bommer]

But if you should happen to be in room 241 of the Russell Senate Office Building, you'll find Wayne galore: pictures of John McCain in various Arizona settings. He's a twofer - a military hero and a Westerner. Democrats, beware

Military hero? How is a POW classified in the same ranks as an Audey Murphy or George Patton? He got shot down his first flight out, and since he has a habit of selling out his party, no telling who he sold out under Viet Cong torture. Hero my @ss!

[gr8eman]

Wayne was great in McQ!

[Slicksadick]

Yes.

[exnavy]

You get it, to bad newcats is so blind.

[bcsco]

Absolutely right. This reviewer hits the nail on the head. The depth of his fall into cruelty which Wayne took the character Ethan Edwards, and then brought him back from the brink of no return, always amazes me. This alone makes the movie great!

Kevin Costner's role in 'Open Range' and Clint Eastwood's role in 'Unforgiven' in some ways remind me of this. But the depth isn't there; at least on display as it is in 'The Searchers'.

[apackof2]

Few actors embody the heroic spirit like John Wayne, whose career starring in westerns and war movies made him the ultimate American icon. Born in Winterset, Iowa, as Marion Michael Morrison, "Duke" (the nickname was after a pet Airedale) started his career as a bit actor in westerns.