Posted on 03/30/2014 11:07:03 PM PDT by kingattax
Can you believe the real name of one pop culture's most prominent icons of rugged American masculinity was... 'Marion'? The Duke himself (another name he went by, originally belonging to his boyhood pooch) would argue that the name 'John Wayne' is just as real as the one that appeared on his birth certificate.
The Hollywood legend didn't take his aliases lightly; each represented a different persona in the late actor's life and career, a subject explored in Scott Eyman's exhaustively researched new biography, "John Wayne: The Life and Legend."
"In Wayne's own mind, he was Duke Morrison," writes Eyman in his book. "John Wayne was to him what the Tramp was to Charlie Chaplin — a character that overlapped his own personality, but not to the point of subsuming it."
(Excerpt) Read more at movies.yahoo.com ...
At least none of them were “Carlos Danger.”
I think John Wayne’s birth name was Marion MICHAEL Morrison. Although I’ve also seen his middle name given as Robert or Mitchell.
True, true! A fine actor without that mix of charisma won’t become a great star. Of course, I mean that in the last century. Today, a pizza waitress can become a star.
I love Marvin in Liberty Valence. He’s soooooooo mean! He had a great face - that really large kind of face that directors looked for in the studio days.
Bogart was far too old to have served in WWII, but if memory serves he was in the US Navy during WWI. How he got the lisp is a subject of much conjecture and many versions of truth. I don’t think Bogey was too forthcoming about the details.
Uh, McQueen was an absolutely fine actor, classically handsome, who knew exactly who he was and how to present himself on film. He took scripts and crossed out most of his dialogue because he knew that his inner thoughts would convey his emotions better than words. Superb performer. And a good comic actor as well.
Despite what you have written, Pappy Ford made Wayne’s life miserable because he didn’t serve. Ford was possibly America’s greatest film director but such a bastard!
OK. Didn’t google it, just going off an aging memory. Just one of those DVD extras that I got it from.
I rank The Searchers #1 but the trilogy cavalry flicks: Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and Rio Grande are 3 of my favorites mainly due to Ben Johnson, Ward Bond, Harey Carey Jr, and Victor MacLaglen.
The is one answer to your two questions: Because Wayne WAS Iconic of a certain attitude in America. He was a symbol.
I have known all my life that Wayne “never fought a battle” because over time, usually during an advertisement for “Duke Wayne week” on the Million Dollar Movie (or some such)an adult would idly comment to that effect. There was never any contempt or venom in the remark. In the age of mass media (starting I suppose with widely circulated photography)images that are in some way Iconic resonate widely.
Do you recall the Gulf War, Time cover of the helmeted, unshaven, Marlboro dangling war-weary Sgt.? People seemed actually surprised that The Real Thing could look so improbably much like “the real thing”.
Seven Men from Now...I like Randolph Scott movies!
***I love Marvin in Liberty Valence.***
Ever notice in the movie TOMBSTONE how Powers Boothe mimicked every move Marvin would have done if Marvin had been in that movie?
Ahhh, that takes me back. I can hear Tara's Theme even now. More than likely it was "John Wayne Week" on the Four Thirty Movie where you heard that sort of remark made in passing.
I just watched Wayne’s first official “Republic” film the other day, “Westward Ho” (1935), one of him many little B’s he was doing before finally breaking through with “Stagecoach.” A dvd outfit called Olive Films has released several of these early Wayne b-westerns (including all eight of his Three Mesquiteers films) over the past year, and the re-mastered print quality is absolutely stunning. Bright and sharp, looking like they were filmed yesterday.
Okay, nice story Mr. Eyman. Now how about writing a book about all of little Barry’s names and how he got them?
And this is part of why I don't like Marion. The other part is that he would insist on top billing in any movie featuring actual heroes. Men of real accomplishment are secure enough in their self-image to exercise restraint and express humility. "Wayne" could appear in a war film featuring men who had bravely fought in the very war depicted and he, a career actor, would always get lead credit. He could have, occasionally, taken a step back and allowed better men to have the limelight. It's a credit to Jimmy Steward's character that he would continue to work with The Duke and just that matter slide. Steward could have absolutely humiliated Marion if he had wanted that guy out of the way.
Besides that, "Wayne" was a lousy actor. "The Conqueror" is example of his prowess.
Actually you’re right. I’d forgotten about the Four Thirty Movie. When it was Duke Wayne week they did the promo voice-over with the country song “Big John”.
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