Born On this Day, John "Duke" Wayne

John Wayne place ^

[Blue Collar Christian]

"Big Jake"-good movie, and lots of great silliness.

[ErnBatavia]

the family moved to California. There he picked up the nickname Duke

Without a doubt, the most famous graduate from my Alma Mater...Glendale High School.

[man of Yosemite]

Thanks for the great post. It's too bad Hollywood isn't filled with people like these. I think the Duke had more of an influence on my life that any other movie star. He was the quintessential American, and many of us who wore the uniform thought of him when we put it on. I miss him terribly, and don't care for the ilk that took his place.

[Rebelbase]

It is sad that Wayne's death by cancer may have been premature, caused by his exposure to radioactive fallout during the filming of "The Conqueror"....a brief from and article at this site:

"The Conqueror was also a disaster in another, much more horrifying way.

The town of St. George, where the cast and crew spent much of their time, and Snow Canyon, where most of The Conqueror was filmed, were about 100 miles downwind of the Nevada Test Site.

That's where the U.S. government tested various atomic weapons.

The government didn't bother to warn anybody about the fallout.

So the cast and crew of The Conqueror spent three solid months immersed in contaminated air, food, and water.

You can guess the result.

Reviewing The Conqueror's credits, from the top:

John Wayne? Died of cancer.
Susan Hayward? Died of cancer.
Agnes Moorehead? Died of cancer.
Pedro Armendariz? Committed suicide while dying of cancer.
Dick Powell? Died of cancer.

And so on.

By 1980, when People magazine did a headcount, at least 91 members of the cast and crew had contracted cancer. "

[Sgt. Stryker]

Thanks for posting this about "The Duke". He was not only a great actor but was even more a great American. His love of country was real, not phony. I've been a John Wayne fan since I can remember, which is going on 45 years, and I'm proud to say my kids are fans also. As a matter of fact last night when I came in the house my 6 and 3 year old daughters were watching Rio Lobo.

In 1976 I was able to vote for the first time. I had to register in a political party and decided if the Republican Party was good enough for "Duke" it was good enough for me. I've never looked back as I learned the Republicans stood more for what I believe than the Dems ever thought to.

I don't know how I could possibly pick a favorite movie as they are all great. Well, there was "The Barbarian and the Geisha" tho. There will never be another like him but as long as we can can still watch and enjoy his movies that will have to be enough.

My God rest his soul.

Semper Fi

[Fudd]

My favorite John Wayne story involves the launching of a Navy ship from the Bath Iron Works...

The bottle is broken, the restraints are released, and the ship is supposed to slide down the greased ways into the river. Sometimes it takes a minute for motion to start, and the speakers are prepared to talk until the boat moves. This day, two minutes pass, then three, then four, then five.

The audience is getting restless, when someone calls out to let the Duke, one of the guests there that day, help launch the ship. He swaggers up to the stage, and acts as if to lean into the bow of the ship...

... and it starts sliding into the water. This really happened - I think the name of the book was The Bath Iron Works, though I may be wrong.

[man of Yosemite]

I'm from your rival high school, Hoover. I'm proud to have had John Wayne for a fellow citizen of my home town.

[GreenHornet]

". "That little clique back there in the East has taken great personal satisfaction reviewing my politics instead of my pictures," he often said. "But one day those doctrinaire liberals will wake up to find the pendulum has swung the other way."

That day is here. God bless the Duke!

[Blue Collar Christian]

A person who already knows the Duke's style would read Louis L'Amour's book HONDO and enjoy it immensely.

[freedumb2003]

>>It's too bad Hollywood isn't filled with people like these<<

Isn't filled? Heck Hollywood doesn't have a single person like these (maybe Arnold, but he isn't native born).

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


JOHN WAYNE's Son...

MICHAEL WAYNE...

Managed everthing JOHN WAYNE, including the Re-Release of his Movies.


"HIGH and the MIGHTY" =


'MICHAEL WAYNE Obituary'

http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=924
(The Alamo Thread)


NEVER FORGET

[Tijeras_Slim]

Hughes also had a bunch of the dirt from Snow Canyon brought back to the sound stages in Hollywood for added realism.

For added info on fallout patterns during this period (and a pretty good read) try "Under the Cloud" By Richard Miller.

[Carolinamom]

Dittos on The Quiet Man. My husband-to-be and I saw it on our first date. I bought the DVD so I could enjoy it over and over.

[rpage3]

Ahem, I hate to be the fly in the ointment here but for an entirely different view of the Duke (and to be fair, an assortment of other celebs, events and institutions), I'd refer folks to a book of limericks called "Double Take - Politically Incorrect Limericks" by somebody named R. Jaggero; this book has, IMO, a great limerick about Mr. Wayne. Furthermore, it predicted that Bill Maher will return to cable tv...their site is here:

http://www.doubletakebook.com

[man of Yosemite]

ringdangdoo... made famous by an old album called Bawdy Songs and Backroom Ballads, a record I played extensively in my sordid youth.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET


From "The ALAMO" Fansite:


'JOHN "Duke" WAYNE = Born on This Day'

http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=17410


NEVER FORGET

[Blue Collar Christian]

Clint Eastwood comes to mind.

[PLMerite]

Oh man, I hadn't heard that Michael had passed.

Thanks for posting it.

[freedumb2003]

>>Clint Eastwood comes to mind<<

You know, I do believe you're right. If I recall, he was a heck of a mayor for Carmel, too.

But it is very very difficult to find true patriots in Hollywood, but of course I am preaching to the choir.

[BigBadWolf]

I was reffering to the 1965 hit by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs.Before my time, but Sam the Sham had some cool tunes!