Category: John Wayne

The Man who shot Liberty Valance: In his final Western with John Wayne, John Ford subverts the myths of the Old-West that he himself created

The Man who shot Liberty Valance (1962) was the last western John Ford made with John Wayne. The film, also starring James Stewart, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles, is Ford’s most political film that subverts a lot of myths about the American West as well as the John Wayne persona that Ford himself created  “This … Continue reading The Man who shot Liberty Valance: In his final Western with John Wayne, John Ford subverts the myths of the Old-West that he himself created →

Advertisement

El Dorado: Howard Hawks remade the rousing ‘Rio Bravo’ into a funny and poignant Western featuring Robert Mitchum as the drunk opposite John Wayne

Howard Hawks' 1967 western classic, El Dorado, starring John 'Duke' Wayne and Robert Mitchum, was a loose remake of his own 1959 film Rio Bravo. with this film being a poignant, and often funny meditation on aging and mortality. "The Western takes, really, a couple of forms. One is how the West started, the formation … Continue reading El Dorado: Howard Hawks remade the rousing ‘Rio Bravo’ into a funny and poignant Western featuring Robert Mitchum as the drunk opposite John Wayne →

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: A magnificent John Wayne performance anchors this visually stunning John Ford Western

John Ford's classic Western, She wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949), is the second film in Ford's famed 'Cavalry trilogy'. It's also one of the most visually beautiful films ever made, with John Wayne giving an extraordinary performance in the lead role. "There are no nuances because Nathan Brittles, like Tom Dunson, is folklore and legend, They're … Continue reading She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: A magnificent John Wayne performance anchors this visually stunning John Ford Western →

McQ & Brannigan: Taking a break from Westerns, John Wayne maneuvers the urban frontiers of the 1970s

McQ(1974) and Brannigan(1975) are not great films and may not figure in a Best of John Wayne List.  But watching them today, they both come across as well crafted pieces of mainstream entertainment in which John 'Duke' Wayne is seen attempting to connect with a contemporary audience by featuring in modern-day urban crime dramas. Throughout … Continue reading McQ & Brannigan: Taking a break from Westerns, John Wayne maneuvers the urban frontiers of the 1970s →

True Grit: John Wayne piled on the pounds, put on an eye patch, and finally won an Oscar

John Wayne passed away on June 11 1979. Exactly a decade before that, on July 11 1969, "True Grit" was released. It's the film that finally won Wayne an Oscar for his acting after almost forty years in film business. I was getting anxious because there was this young guycalled Clint Eastwood making Westerns in … Continue reading True Grit: John Wayne piled on the pounds, put on an eye patch, and finally won an Oscar →

The Searchers: John Wayne’s greatest performance powers John Ford’s seminal Western magnum opus

May 26th marks John Wayne's birth anniversary. To commemorate this moment, here is a look back on his greatest performance in his greatest film. John Ford's Magnum opus, The Searchers(1956), is universally considered the greatest, and the most influential, Western of all times, and often makes it to the top ten list of the greatest … Continue reading The Searchers: John Wayne’s greatest performance powers John Ford’s seminal Western magnum opus →

Hondo: John Wayne stars in an exciting 3D Western that emphasizes romance, courtship and father/son bonds

Hondo(1953), starring John Wayne and Geraldine Page, shows some new dimensions of Duke as a star and actor, but still, the film remains a quintessential John Wayne Western. "Women always figure every man who comes along wants 'em." A typical John Wayne line delivered in the typical John Wayne style by John 'Duke' Wayne. The film … Continue reading Hondo: John Wayne stars in an exciting 3D Western that emphasizes romance, courtship and father/son bonds →

Stagecoach: John Ford’s Western classic turned John Wayne into an American icon

John Ford's classic western, Stagecoach(1939),  proved to be seminal on many counts , most of all for the birth of a movie icon named John Wayne. ‘When in doubt, make a western’John Ford (1894 – 1973) John Ford is considered the greatest American director ever. He is also the greatest director of Westerns. His "Stagecoach" … Continue reading Stagecoach: John Ford’s Western classic turned John Wayne into an American icon →

Rio Bravo: Howard Hawks’ classic Western is one of the greatest and most entertaining John Wayne films ever

Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo(1959), starring John Wayne, Dean Martin and Angie Dickinson is one of the best and most entertaining Westerns ever made. It's also the definitive John Wayne Picture, that shows all the facets of Wayne's screen persona to the fullest. "I have a strong affection for the singing sequence in Howard Hawks’ Rio … Continue reading Rio Bravo: Howard Hawks’ classic Western is one of the greatest and most entertaining John Wayne films ever →