Why, in troubled times, does America turn to a hard-drinking, half-blind US marshal? Frank Rich on how True Grit speaks to the Obama generation as profoundly as it did to Nixon’s A month before John Wayne won the 1969 best actor Oscar for True Grit, Richard Nixon wrote him a “Dear Duke” fan letter from […]
Read MoreIowa’s bold claim to John Wayne
WINTERSET, Iowa — In the tiny living room of the tiny clapboard house where John Wayne was born, our tour guide explained that “The Duke’s” family moved to this town southwest of Des Moines in 1906 so his father could work in a pharmacy. They left in 1911 for Wayne’s father to take a similar […]
Read MoreJohn Wayne Westerns Weekend
Thursday, January 13, at 7:00 p.m. the Beltonian Theater will feature “The Searchers”, starring John Wayne, as part of our mini-film festival weekend of John Wayne Westerns. Admission is $6. John Wayne plays an ex-confederate soldier who spends five years searching for his niece who was captured by the Comanches who massacred his family. What […]
Read MoreSeasons Greetings from the JWAYNE.COM!
The staff at JWayne.com would like to wish you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Have a Great and Blessed Holiday Season!
Read MoreJohn Wayne Westerns on TCM
If you look at the very early John Wayne films you’ll discover a very different person. First there was the name: it was originally Marion Michael Morrison. Morrison went to USC and played football. He might have gotten his first taste of stardom from silent star and “It girl” Clara Bow. There were rumors that […]
Read MoreJohn Wayne – Greatest Movie Cowboys Named In Western Magazine Poll
JOHN WAYNE’s RINGO KID and ALAN LADD’s SHANE have landed top spots in a new poll of the greatest movie cowboys. The two movie icons’ western heroes in the films Stagecoach and Shane, respectively, feature in Cowboys & Indians magazine’s list of the 15 most beloved film characters. Also making the grade: Gary Cooper’s Will […]
Read MoreContender: ‘True Grit’
A few exceptions like “Ben-Hur” and “The Departed” aside, Oscar hasn’t smiled on too many remakes. But that’s no reason to count out Joel and Ethan Coen’s “True Grit,” which has been described not as a redo of the 1969 Henry Hathaway film but as a more faithful adaptation of Charles Portis’ novel. Jeff Bridges, […]
Read MoreJohn Wayne classic film to honor Rodeo
The California Rodeo Salinas plans to present the John Wayne classic, “Tall in the Saddle,” Thursday at the Forest Theater in Carmel. Those who attend the film should dress warmly and bring a picnic to enjoy, including beverages of choice (alcohol is allowed but not for sale), blankets and stadium seats if desired. # What: […]
Read MoreJohn Wayne’s Kids — Duking It Out Over Estate
A standoff is underway between several members of John Wayne’s family — with his son and daughter battling each other over millions. It’s all over The Duke’s estate — worth somewhere between $10 and $15 million … depending on which kid you ask. In legal papers, filed Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court, John’s daughter […]
Read MoreIowa Town Dedicates John Wayne Statue
Winterset, Iowa has honored its favorite son by dedicating a life-size statue of John Wayne. Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Winterset on May 26, 1907. He died June 11, 1979. The town’s celebration marking the centennial of the actor’s birth in 2007 has blossomed into an annual two-day event in May. At Friday’s kickoff, […]
Read More