Category: John Wayne
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Masters of Reinvention: How The Coen Brothers Redefined True Grit, Surpassing John Wayne’s Legacy
It’s incredibly rare that a remake manages to outdo its classic predecessor, but the Coen brothers’ True Grit is superior to the John Wayne-starring original. Remakes are usually a pointless endeavor, because if a movie is beloved enough for a remake to be financially viable, then it’s probably a timeless gem that can’t be improved…
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Mayfair’s Grand Premiere: Unveiling the Battle-Infused Romance of John Wayne in ‘Rio Grande’
John Ford’s continuing war with the Red Man and his romance with the United States Cavalry, a basic strategy which has paid off several times previously, show few signs of wear and tear in “Rio Grande.” For Mr. Ford’s vendetta against the Apaches and his predilection for the wide open spaces of the post-Civil War…
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John Wayne’s Dirty Fighting Style Echoed in del Toro’s Cinematic Creation
The visionary movie director Guillermo del Toro has explored his deep fascination with monsters throughout his excellent filmography. However, del Toro’s monsters are not necessarily present to cause fear as they often are in other films, but rather, they serve the purpose of metaphor and embody the kind of beauty that is often found in…
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Beauty and Betrayal: The Untold Story of John Wayne’s Harsh Humiliation of Geraldine Page
John Wayne was one of the popular icons in Hollywood’s Golden Era! With a spectacular career spanning over five decades, he even became a symbol of rugged masculinity. While his versatile career perfectly showcased the talent he possessed professionally, he too has flaws. There was a time when he humiliated his female counterpart, Geraldine Page,…
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The Day Duke Prevailed: John Wayne’s Tears Halt John Ford’s Insults in a Hollywood Showdown
This week marks the 78th anniversary of the release of 1945’s They Were Expendable, a film set during the Battle of the Philippines which took place just a couple of years prior. The film’s cinematic debut was pushed back to late December 1945 since the Japanese had surrendered earlier that year. Yet despite good reviews,…
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Scandalous Beginnings: John Wayne’s Start in ‘The Big Trail’ and the Shocking Label of ‘Alcoholic Orgies’
In the dusty world of the films of the old west, there’s one leading man who possesses the sheer prowess to dominate all those who would come to take his mantle: the towering and inimitable John Wayne. With some of the most memorable star performances Hollywood has ever known, Wayne is a true icon of…
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The Duke’s Defiance: John Wayne Ignites Sparks by Ignoring ‘True Grit’ Source in Sequel
It’s rare that an iconic Western such as True Grit would find itself with a sequel. Most classics in the genre didn’t get a traditional sequel, least of all with John Wayne reprising his role from the original. But that’s exactly what 1975’s Rooster Cogburn did, with Wayne back in the saddle as the titular…
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John Wayne’s Fiery Critique: Labeling ‘Gone with the Wind’ Star an ‘Idiot’ in Bold Hollywood Showdown
John Wayne thought a Gone with the Wind star was “too stupid to do anything except act”. John Wayne was well known for his tough and gristly persona on and off-screen, not holding back on what he really thought of peers he clashed with. He lambasted Red River co-star Montgomery Clift as “an arrogant little…
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From ‘Rio Bravo’ to Raw Truths: Angie Dickinson Opens Up on Fame, Friendship, and a Seven-Decade Career
“Fair to middling” is how Angie Dickinson is feeling this morning as she talks about “Rio Bravo,” the 1959 film that made her a star. “Somebody who says they’re great at 90, you can figure out that they lie a lot.” It’s a line that could have come straight from Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett’s…
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John Wayne – The Teeth Demand, The Duke’s Disapproval, and Geraldine Page’s Oscar-Worthy Rebellion
1953’s Hondo wasn’t John Wayne’s most successful film, but its legacy has endured thanks in part to the powerful acting and the slightly more sympathetic than usual portrayal of its Indigenous characters. Based on the Louis L’Amour story “The Gift of Cochise,” the film follows a burgeoning love affair between Wayne’s Hondo and a frontierswoman,…