Comments on Movietone News: 180 Degrees of John Wayne

Ah yes - The Quiet Man... I have a copy of that so...

2009-06-03T07:43:23.892+01:00

Ah yes - The Quiet Man... I have a copy of that somewhere. I'll give it a go.
And yes - pre-method every time!

I have to say that I didn't warm to Wayne either i...

2009-06-01T22:13:03.721+01:00

I have to say that I didn't warm to Wayne either in my younger years: mostly over the three same reasons you give for it. Thankfully, films like "The Searchers" and "The Quiet man" did the trick for me... Yup, blame Ford for that ;p (This having been said, I still remain a leftie, heh).

I think the trouble with Brando and Dean is, as in the case of marilyn, that, regardless of their merits, they are as you say "boringly over-represented": I'm sort of tired to hear people say that they "are the greatest actors ever"... When in fact, I find pre-method actors more enjoyable than post-method ones (Understanding as "method" the Strasbergs recipes)

Thanks all! Perhaps you could give me a top ten of...

2009-06-01T07:37:52.304+01:00

Thanks all! Perhaps you could give me a top ten of most highly recommended Wayne westerns to try...

Ellie - Nope, not seen Liberty Valance, I'm afraid. Shall I put it in my top ten? Also, what about The Shootist? I was always rather drawn by the idea and the supporting cast, but have not seen it either.
Thanks for stopping by; please call again!

I stumbled onto your blog a few days ago - very ha...

2009-05-31T15:17:53.459+01:00

I stumbled onto your blog a few days ago - very happily I must say.

I really fell for John Wayne when I saw "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." It's such a good story. Have you seen it?

Matthew: So glad you saw the light about John Wayn...

2009-05-29T15:57:55.296+01:00

Matthew: So glad you saw the light about John Wayne! :-) I've forgotten who said it, maybe Gary Wills: to paraphrase - no actor has ever filled the screen the way Wayne did. I think that all "movie stars" share a trait - the moment they come into shot, the viewer cannot do anything but watch them. Wayne had that in spades. Plus, as demonstrated in The Searchers and Red River, he was just a very instinctive and very moving actor. -- Mykal

Glad you liked the piece, and sorry to disillusion...

2009-05-28T23:29:58.609+01:00

Glad you liked the piece, and sorry to disillusion you about London! If only it was still like it was in The Lavender Hill Mob...

No, I don't dislike the Duke's politics anymore. Yet another thing I used to argue with my grandfather about, yet another thing about which he was right and I was wrong.
I think that leftism (you guys say liberalism, yes?) is a phase that most of us pass through... but if we're lucky we come out the other side. But I don't want to labour the point here. I think the events of the next few years will do that for me, and far more eloquently than I could.

I do like your 180! Very much, in fact. :) John Wa...

2009-05-28T22:44:34.115+01:00

I do like your 180! Very much, in fact. :) John Wayne is a great choice. And, I totally agree with you on James Dean and dear old Liz.

I've seen She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and it's pretty run of the mill as westerns go. Stagecoach is a different story, and I'd highly recommend you seeking it out again. The cast is superb, and you could always fast forward through the horse scenes if you wanted.

To my shame, I've seen very few of John Wayne's pre-Stagecoach films, but I'll start looking for them now.

You are absolutely right about Sean Penn - the analogy is spot on. I'm laughing just thinking about the scene. :)

The Conqueror photo is priceless - your caption is my favorite part!

Oh... I am disappointed to find that London isn't really as it seems in Brannigan. ;) What happened to all the sumptuously decorated gentleman's clubs anyway?

Pardon me asking, but do you still dislike the Duke's politics? I detect some very interesting political thoughts here...

I'm glad you changed your mind about John Wayne. I...

2009-05-28T20:26:31.820+01:00

I'm glad you changed your mind about John Wayne. I've always liked his movies. When I was little my father and I would occasionally watch his westerns together, so I've got some good memories about him.