Category: John Wayne
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Busting Myths and Sharing Secrets: Rick Lenz’s Heartfelt Stories from John Wayne’s Final Film
John Wayne’s final movie The Shootist hit cinemas in 1976, just three years before he died. For the past 15 years, Duke had been struggling with severe health problems after having had a cancerous lung and some ribs removed in 1964. The Western legend would tenaciously work through action sequences, often relying on an oxygen…
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Cinematic Farewell: John Wayne’s Last Act Takes Center Stage in Deluxe Blu-ray Release
Arrow Video’s new Blu-ray edition of The Shootist will feature an all-new 2K transfer from the 1976 film’s original 35mm camera negative. It will also be loaded with special features, including a new audio commentary by film historian Howard S. Berger. It will also include a number of featurettes, including an appreciation of legendary film…
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Assassination Attempts on John Wayne: The Shocking Sniper Incident and the Chairman Mao Connection
Even if you’ve never watched a western movie, you will undoubtedly be familiar with John Wayne and his close association with the genre. Beginning his career in the silent era, Wayne soon became an icon of the silver screen thanks to his collaborations with John Ford. Wayne was given several uncredited roles in some of…
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The Best in the West: Scorsese’s Bold Claim About John Wayne’s ‘The Searchers’
Martin Scorsese’s favorite Western starring John Wayne has had a big influence on his career. Scorsese hasn’t made his passion for cinema or filmmaking a secret, and he is essentially a living archive of the medium’s history. He loves everything from the trashiest B-movie to the most highbrow drama, which is something that’s reflected in…
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Untold Stories: The Shocking Episode of John Wayne’s On-Set Bullying During ‘Hondo’ Production
Through his starring roles in westerns and war movies during the golden age of cinema in America, John Wayne became a cultural icon. His performances in the epic western The Searchers, as well as Rio Bravo, True Grit, and Red River, are probably what the actor is best known for, but Wayne also had a…
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John Wayne’s Blunt Rejection and Unforgettable Diss of a Hollywood Legend’s Debut
John Wayne was just as tough off-screen as on and rejected an offer to work with another Hollywood legend after blasting his debut Western. John Wayne was the undisputed High Sheriff of American Western movies for thirty years. From his breakthrough star-making 1939’s Stagecoach he rode across the silver screen all the way to 1969’s…
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The Resonance of ‘Red River’: How John Wayne Redefined Himself in This Legendary Western
What Makes John Wayne’s Performance So Powerful in ‘Red River’? The complexity of John Wayne’s performance as Dunson echoes Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which was actually released in the same year (it was a good time to be a Western fan). With the gradual reversal of his role from protagonist…
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John Wayne’s Blunt Critique: Hollywood’s Golden Age Legend Slams ‘Bad Taste’ Death Scenes
Hollywood legend John Wayne became a household name after he rose to fame starring in Western and war films such as The Searchers and Rio Bravo. In a recent Talking Pictures episode on the BBC, viewers got an insight into his well-established career on the big screen and life away from the cameras. In the…
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Douglas’ Defiant Gamble: The Role Wayne Mocked, But Earned an Oscar Nomination
Standing high and mighty as two proud pillars to the chamber of Hollywood’s inner sanctum are Kirk Douglas and John Wayne, two true icons of American cinema. Douglas’ intense gaze seemed to pierce through the screen in notable performances like Spartacus and Paths of Glory and he carved out a legacy for himself unlike any…
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Spielberg’s Cinematic Ritual: Unlocking the Enigma of John Wayne and John Ford Inspirations
The Indiana Jones franchise famously began as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas sought to pay tribute to the serials that inspired them in their respective youths, including Zorro, Buck Rogers, and Flash Gordon, to name three. Spielberg was also driven by his admiration for the James Bond movies, but a classic western from two genre…