Today marks the 108th birthday of Marion Robert Morrison, better known as American icon John Wayne.
Wayne was a product of his times, and maybe not much of a philosopher, and most certainly held views that fell out of favor since his passing (but seem to get people elected in 2015, so what do I know?). Still, he's in a whole bunch of movies that I'm partial to, most of which also don't reflect my personal beliefs, but they do have their charm. goddamit.
Pictured above is Hondo, a movie I have seen no less than three times, and I could not begin to tell you what the hell it is about other than a man and his dog in the west. And that it was originally released in 3D for some reason.
If you want to see Wayne in a great movie but don't like Westerns (which, really, you should, but whatever) I recommend The Quiet Man. If you are a right-thinking American and enjoy a good oater, may I suggest:
The Searchers
Stage Coach
The Sons of Katie Elder
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
and McClintock!, if you'd like a little comedy in your Western
And probably a dozen more I didn't mention here. Here's to The Duke. You were a complicated fellow.
I knew I liked you.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather and my dad were huge fans, and I've seen most of his movies several times. I adore the Westerns, but I also really like some of his war flicks.