FReeper Canteen~Remembering John Wayne~11 June 09

Thank you Troops Vets & Families!! | Canteen Crew

[AZamericonnie]

The Freeper Canteen Remembers

~~John Wayne~~
May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979

In more than 200 films made over 50 years, John Wayne saddled up to become the greatest figure of one of America's greatest native art forms, the western.

The movies he starred in rode the range from out-of-the-money sagebrush quickies to such classics as "Stagecoach" and "Red River." He won an Oscar as best actor for another western, "True Grit," in 1969. Yet some of the best films he made told stories far from the wilds of the West, such as "The Quiet Man" and "The Long Voyage Home."

In the last decades of his career, Mr. Wayne became something of an American folk figure, hero to some, villain to others, for his outspoken views. He was politically conservative and, although he scorned politics as a way of life for himself, he enthusiastically supported Richard M. Nixon, Barry Goldwater, Spiro T. Agnew, Ronald Reagan and others who, he felt, fought for his concept of Americanism and anti-Communism.



But it was for millions of moviegoers who saw him only on the big screen that John Wayne really existed. He had not created the western with its clear-cut conflict between good and bad, right and wrong, but it was impossible to mention the word "western" without thinking of "the Duke," as he was called.

Mr. Wayne was co-director and star of "The Green Berets," a 1968 film that supported the United States action in Vietnam. The movie was assailed by many major critics on all grounds, political and esthetic, but the public apparently did not mind; in only six months, it had earned $1 million above its production cost of $7 million.



Won Growing Respect

As the years passed, Mr. Wayne was recognized as some sort of American natural resource, and his various critics, political and film, looked on him with more respect. Abbie Hoffman, the radical of the 1960's paid tribute to Mr. Wayne's singularity. Reviewing "The Cowboys," made in 1972, Vincent Canby, film critic of The New York Times, who did not particularly care for it, wrote, "Wayne is, of course, marvelously indestructible, and he has become an almost perfect father figure."

But years before he became anything close to a father figure, Mr. Wayne had become a symbolic male figure, a man of impregnable virility and the embodiment of simplistic, laconic virtues, packaged in a well-built 6-foot-4-inch, 225- pound frame.



Overcame Great Odds

Appearances were not altogether deceiving. Mr. Wayne loved adventure and the outdoors. He did believe that things were either right or wrong, and he came back against great odds. In 1964, a malignant tumor was removed from his chest and left lung, and within several months he was on location making another movie.

Mr. Wayne made his last public appearance at the Academy Awards ceremony in April, where he drew an emotional standing ovation when he strode out on stage to present the Oscar for best picture.

He was recently presented with a special Congressional medal of the kind given to such national figures as the Wright Brothers.

Between his first starring role in "The Big Trail" in 1930, and his last one, as the most celebrated gunslinger in the West who finds he is dying of cancer in "The Shootist," in 1976, Mr. Wayne shot his way through generations of film fans with little change in style or personality. He had consciously adapted his posture for that first movie and retained it. He was sometimes inseparable from it in the flesh.

Famous movie quotes

• "I'm looking at a tin star with a ... DRUNK pinned on it." ("El Dorado")
• "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." (The Shootist)
• Speaking to his young cavalry lieutenants: "Don't apologize—it's a sign of weakness." (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon)
• "Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!" (True Grit)
• "That'll be the day!" (The Searchers - Spoken several times; inspired Buddy Holly to write a song with that title.)
• "Pilgrim." (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Reportedly he used the expression "Pilgrim", as in "tenderfoot" or "dude" or "amateur", 23 times in that film, and once also in McLintock. It became a catchphrase for impressionists such as John Byner, and Rich Little)
• "I haven't lost my temper in 40 years; but, Pilgrim, you caused a lot of trouble this morning; might have got somebody killed; and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth. But I won't. I won't. The hell I won't!" (He belts him in the mouth). (To Leo Gordon in McLintock!)
• "Out here, due process is a bullet!" (To anti-war journalist David Janssen in The Green Berets)

~~America, Why I Love Her~~

[TheMom]

Last Saturday several adults and I had to educate a 20 yo family friend after she called John Wayne “That Cowboy Guy”.

[Army Air Corps]

Hugs back at ya!

Yeah, I have caught up on some movies that I missed! Hollywood Video has made some money off of me. Also, I have been able to read some bokks in my “read after graduation” pile. I recently finished PJ O’Rourke’s “Driving Like Crazy” (funny, funny book).

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Gramma, Hugs.

[AZamericonnie]

Good evening Mayor & thank you for our daily bread! *hugs*

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening QT Pi.

[Army Air Corps]

Yup. Graduated in May. How goes it in your neck o’ the woods?

[AZamericonnie]

Hi Hope & thank you for our pledge.....hand over heart & prayers up! *hugs*

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Mac, Hugs.

Prayers lifted for Cpl Parrish.

[2111USMC]

One of my favorite lines:

“And now *you* understand. Anything goes wrong, anything at all… your fault, my fault, nobody’s fault… it won’t matter - I’m gonna blow your head off. No matter what else happens, no matter who gets killed I’m gonna blow your head off.”

[TASMANIANRED]

Glad you had a day off.

Rising that early is evil.

[AZamericonnie]

LOL....I did see that thread today, such fun.

I also saw this which cracked me up....”This is the “Almost summer” stage in Texas. Then, it is “Summer”, “Still summer” and then Christmas week.

Sounds awfull familiar!:)

[SandRat]

John Wayne passed away in June 1979 from cancer. One of his last public appearances, and at this time all knew that the end was near, was at a dinner to benefit a land purchase for a Scout reservation called John Wayne Outpost Camp.

At this dinner, the Duke recited the Scout Law. Then he did something unusual, he said “the twelve points of the Scout Law are “nice words.”” “Trouble is,” he continued, “we learn them so young we sometimes don’t get all the understanding that goes with them. I take care of that in my family. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him, with a few things I have picked up in more than half a century since I learned it.” Then the Duke proceeded to explain the importance of the Scout Law, breaking it down for the guests at the dinner, much like he would have for his grandson.

TRUSTWORTHY – The badge of honesty. Having it lets you look any man in the eye. Lacking it he won’t look back. Keep this one at the top of your list.

LOYAL – The very word is life itself, for without loyalty we have no love of person or country.

HELPFUL – Part sharing, part caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves, not to mention mankind. Be always full of help – the dying man’s last words.

FRIENDLY – Brotherhood is part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions – and – do but make sure and start with brotherhood.

COURTEOUS – Allow each person his human dignity which means a lot more than saying “yes ma’am” and “thank you sir.” It reflects an attitude that later in life you wish you had honored more …. earlier in life. Save yourself that trouble. Do it now.

KIND – This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. But its like your bicycle. Its just no good unless get out and use it.

OBEDIENT – Starts at home. Practice it in your family. Enlarge it in your friends. Share it with humanity.

CHEERFUL – Anyone can put on a happy face when the going is good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many others do the same thing.

THRIFTY – Means a lot more that putting pennies away, and is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything.

BRAVE – You don’t have to fight to be brave. Millions of fine decent folks show more bravery than heavy-weight champs just by getting out of bed every morning, going out to do a good days work and living the best life they know how against the law of odds. Keep the word handy every day of your life.

CLEAN – Soap and water help a lot on the outside. But it is the inside that counts and don’t you ever forget it.

REVERANT – Believe in anything that you want to believe in but keep GOD at the top of it. With him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without him, you are just bidding time.

John Wayne then thanked those in attendance at the dinner for putting his name on the outpost camp and said, “I would rather see it here than on all the theater marquees the world over.”

[Army Air Corps]

Big Jake! One of my favourite John Wayne films.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Remembering John Wayne

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[AZamericonnie]

Hiya al baby....a great American indeed.

[Arrowhead1952]

No, servers are still messed up at work, but I did get a new wireless adapter at home. Mine was a wantto - worked when it wanted to.

[TASMANIANRED]

Congratulations.

Going fairly well.

1 more day to work and then I’m taking a week off.

[Chesterbelloc]

My son was at a football camp in Orange county this weekend and on Saturday we visited his grave site. On his tombstone is the following inscription:

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
Comes into us at midnight very clean.
It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.”

[Arrowhead1952]

Yes, it really is neat to see some of the old names and requirements from years ago.

[Army Air Corps]

Good for you! I am planning to take a vacation later this summer. I am looking into going to Ottawa and Ontario.