Tag: Western
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John Wayne’S Singular Choice For Greatest Film And Actor – Perhaps His Most Famous
John Wayne was fiercely proud and protective of his beloved Western and war movie genres. He vocally blasted films like Gary Cooper’s High Noon or Clint Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter that he believed degraded the ideals and values of the Old West – values which the conservative Duke believed should apply to his own times…
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John Wayne’s Western Classic: A Reimagined Tale of Billy the Kid
A lesser-known John Wayne Western movie rewrote the legendary tale of William H. Bonney, best known as the infamous Old West outlaw Billy the Kid. Several films and television shows have often retold the mythical narrative of the real-life Bonney to fit new creative directions, including the current MGM+ series Billy the Kid. Wayne’s cinematic…
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Paul Newman Through John Wayne’s Eyes: The Anti-Hero and Director
John Wayne considered ‘Jet Pilot’ 1 of his worst movies ever Marc Mompoint’s John Wayne: A Photographic Celebration shares some critical quotes over the course of the actor’s career. Wayne called 1957’s Jet Pilot “undoubtedly one of my worst movies ever.” Unfortunately, the critical response certainly didn’t disagree with him regarding the level of quality…
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Remaking the Wild West: What Elevates Western Classics like ‘True Grit’ and ‘The Magnificent Seven’?
The original True Grit is an iconic film; not only did John Wayne finally win an Academy Award for Best Actor, but the character of Rooster Cogburn became a template for other Western stars to reflect on their career through the perspective of a grizzled, cynical hero. However, The Coen Brothers understood the original film…
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James Coburn’s Hidden Connection to ‘Seven Samurai’ Before ‘The Magnificent Seven’
John Sturges’ 1960 western “The Magnificent Seven” was a Yul Brynner vehicle from the jump — it was he and actor Anthony Quinn who had acquired the rights to remake Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” epic as a western. To fill out the rest of the hired guns tasked to protect a Mexican village, the “Gunfight…
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A Half-Century of Resentment: Bruce Dern’s Role in ‘The Cowboys’ Still Haunts Him
Over 50 years and Dern has said he still receives hate mail after his character Asa Watts killed Wayne’s Wil Andersen in The Cowboys. But he knew it was coming and so did Duke.Asked if he still runs into fans who are upset about it, the actor said: “No question. But I knew that would…
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When Hollywood Secrets Spill: Maureen O’Hara’s Candid Interview on John Wayne’s Role in Her Injury
John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara starred in five films together over the course of their impressive movie careers. The only thing greater than their off-screen friendship was their on-screen chemistry. Even though the pair had undeniable affection for each other, their film takes weren’t always flawless. In fact, one of their most memorable movie scenes…