Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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John Wayne’s Silent Reckoning: The Ripple Effect on ‘Lonesome Dove’ and Larry McMurtry’s Creative Reimagination
Lonesome Dove is a grand Western epic that follows two retired Texas Rangers embarking on a cattle drive from the Mexican border in Texas all the way to the Canadian border in Montana. None of this would have happened though if John Wayne had wanted to make the movie. The Original ‘Lonesome Dove’ Script Was…
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Revisiting the Shadows: John Wayne’s Crowning Achievement in ‘The War Wagon’ Lost Amidst His Prolific Career
‘The War Wagon’ Is a Victim of John Wayne’s Success There are few stars that have a filmography as stacked as John Wayne, both from a volume and quality standpoint. Whether you look at the 1930s or the 1970s, you can find a legitimately great movie with John Wayne top-billed without breaking a sweat. The…
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Could John Wayne’S Unexplored Path Have Rewritten Hollywood History? And How Much Of The Story Is True?
John Wayne is among the biggest movie stars to ever grace the silver screen, yet if it weren’t for a bodysurfing accident, that legendary career may never have happened. The Duke was attending USC on a football scholarship with eyes on a law degree. However, when he injured his shoulder and could no longer perform…
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Daring to Disturb: The Unconventional Scene in ‘True Grit’ That Even Made John Wayne Raise an Eyebrow
Red River actor John Wayne was sensitive to violence that he thought was “too much” in motion pictures. As a result, he frequently called out the films that he thought were going for shock value. Additionally, Wayne spoke up against the inclusion of such scenes in his own feature films, which is exactly what he…
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John Wayne’s Studio Lot Encounter Reveals Tension in the Silent Dance Between Wayne and Director John Ford
Filmmaker John Ford and actor John Wayne made one of the best film collaborations in Hollywood history. They had a special bond as close friends that lasted for many years. However, Ford refused to even acknowledge Wayne after he made his first box office failure. The actor once tried to figure out the answer to…
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Delving into the Depths of John Wayne’s Performance in ‘Red River’ – A Howard Hawks Masterstroke
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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The Dark Side of Stardom: John Wayne’s Surprising Admission about Jet Pilot’s Failings
John Wayne had fronted dozens of b-movie Westerns before the success of 1939’s Stagecoach elevated him to stardom. He would go on to front many more Westerns, including Red River, True Grit, The Searchers and the unofficial Rio Bravo trilogy. The enduring cinematic image of Wayne is that of a cowboy, but he made films…
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The Searchers’ Intriguing Twist: Could John Wayne’s Ethan be Debbie’s Biological Father?
Of the many collaborations between Ford and Wayne, The Searchers is often considered their masterpiece. This 1956 epic cast Wayne as Ethan Edwards, a bitter Civil War vet who returns to his family home after eight years. Shortly after his arrival, his brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew are all killed in a Comanche raid. His…
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The Most Disturbing Deed Committed By John Wayne’S Ethan In The Searchers Is A Grim Foreshadowing Of His Eventual Fate
There’s little point in arguing that John Ford’s 1956 adventure isn’t one of the most influential Westerns ever produced. Its breathtaking shots of Monument Valley, mature storyline and Wayne’s haunting performance make it unforgettable. Steven Spielberg rewatches The Searchers every time he starts filming a new project, Martin Scorsese has proclaimed it one of his…
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John Wayne’s Wise Words on Gunsmoke and Hollywood’s Learning Curve!
When John Wayne tells you that you should do a Western, you listen. If you ever find yourself at home watching rerun after rerun of Gunsmoke and start worrying that you should be doing something more production, rest assured that you’re in good company. There’s one Gunsmoke fan who loved to watch reruns of the…
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