Hey All,
A thread about my all time favorite movie star and I'm late to the party - bummer as I thought it was about the Jimmy Dean song Big Bad John see youtube at end.
As for the Duke somebody once said...
If you want to be an actor study Marlon Brando - if you want to be a star study John Wayne. Never heard anything more accurate.
In every movie no matter what the role from Ghengis Khan (yes John Wayne played Ghengis Khan) to the Quiet Man it didn't matter John Wayne always and forever shined through as John Wayne. It is precisely this that made him so great. To me that is one of the duties of Hollywood to have a star that Americans can look up to who embodies American (I think human) ideals even as he/she shows a vulnerable side. You can have your actors too for those who are into "how good are you at losing yourself in a role" - but I think as Homer says "BORING". I'm well convinced America will never see another John Wayne and boy do we ever need one. Did he have everything right - No but at least he stood for something - how many others can say that?
I can't even begin to say what his best roles were - he should have won an academy award for the Searchers. But to me his best movies ever bar none were
Big Jake
El Dorado
The Sons of Katie Elder
Rio Bravo
The man who Shot Liberty Valance
He did a lot of great ones but I never tire of these.
if you like John Wayne - check this guy out
http://www.themastercrayonartist.com/shop/custItems.aspx?catID=11
All of his art is done with Crayola Crayons! He's great but really does Wayne well.
Here is a favorite Youtube of mine featuring the Duke and the woman who I believe is the greatest female comedienne of all time.
[youtube]pqv_Vi7VFFI[/youtube]
And here is the Jimmy Dean song...
[youtube]gMqcZZt_4_U[/youtube]
-Ed-