Thanks for this. Nice job….

On February 5th, 2008 at 3:35 pm, wrcnossen said:
I used the Duke’s movies in my “how to be a man” lessons for my boys. Couldn’t ask for a better teacher…

Me, too!

Amen!
I used to think I would get “tougher” as I got older, but now, I start blubbering when “Sands…” opening credits roll.
Some of the men in that movie were real WW2 heroes – John tried many many times to get in, but an old football injury kept him out. He finally was about to get a waiver, but someone high up told him that was a lousy use of him as a resource – they needed more from him than he could do as “one soldier” – they wanted him “out front” so all the guys could see him, and in those years, he worked relentlessly, and he churned out some superlative product – no doubt about it.
But it remained one thing that really really gnawed at him, that he had NOT been able to serve – at least, not “more traditionally”.
*****
BOB HOPE! THAT is one of the mere handful of appearances he made and was proud to do it with Bob for a USO show.
**********

Personally, being a Texan, myself, and having had the opportunity to see a lot of documentation and material first hand at The Alamo, myself, I am thrilled that he made “The Alamo” and from what I saw, not through glitter and glaze, but from real shock at the journals and letters of Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett and others who were really there – I believe with all my heart that HIS is the most accurate – in spite of what some “modern historians” will say to the contrary.
Especially when you hear the sotry of how Stephen F. Austin finally lived over having been a stupid pacifist, etc.

I grew up playing on a statue of the real Davy Crockett, I have lived my entire life in the shadow of the ground that Santa Anna covered to get to the Alamo.

The movie was made less than two hours from where I live, and it was made during the time of the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the people who lived in Texas at the time of the Alamo. For instance, my grandfather was alive when “The Alamo” was made (so was I) and my grandfather’s own grandfather was alive and living in Texas during the fight of The Alamo – so you are talking about people having lifetimes of memories of their own grandfathers telling them about the real battle, and how things were – when those are the very folks that John Wayne comes down in the midst of to film his movie – and in the 40-50 years since then, I have never heard of the older folks around here finding fault with ANY of John Wayne’s details on that movie.

And my older generations were the kind to notice if a pistol or rifle in a movie for all of 3 SECONDS was the correct make and model for the setting it was in, the styling of a jacket, etc…..

You look at the cast, and you think John Wayne assembled a bunch of crazy cowboy types from Hollywood, and “brought ‘em on down” to Texas with him.
But if you go to the Alamo in San Antonio, you will find that he did as fine a job as could be done of matching all physical and personality characteristics of each person to the actual living legend they portrayed, in every way.

Well, if you think I love that man, well, I guess you would be right!

About 5 years ago, we were talking about The Duke, and I knew every single instance he had been on TV and had been blessed to see it myself, each one.
There were not but 3-5 such events, and I am pretty sure that he was on one Gunsmoke, James Arness was a good friend he had recommended to the producers for that role, and also for Wagon Train, ditto, Ward Bond.
I know – I think! – one appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show – am I right or is that one a really wild guess???

Anyone know?

On the Red Skelton show, he recited the poem, “America! Why I love her!”

GOOD PARTY! BUT NO WHISKEY!
WE GO HOME! [exit all Indians]

The look on John Wayne’s face! PRICELESS!

So says the guy that hosts Turner’s Movie Classics, the older gentleman.

I thought Wayne was fabulously generous, especially when he picked an actor with Really GREAT HAIR to play the territorial governor.

And BTW, “Rio Bravo” was one of my very many favorite John Waynes… co-starring Ward Bond, Dean Martin, Rick Nelson, Walter Brennan, and Angie Dickenson, bad guys, John Russell and Clyde Atkins and a really cute little Mexican couple who’s names I have looked up before and cannot remember, but Carlos has had small parts in a number of John Waynes and Roy Rogers movies besides this one.
The whole thing was done for fun and had a little singing in it, and you can tell the whole cast had a lot of fun.

I love it when John Wayne does something to “Stumpy”, Walter Brennan, and Walter then swats JOHN WAYNE on the fanny with a BROOM!

SO LOL!

A quote to go along with this…

Where are the “betters” not so long ago it was a person who by living a “good” life of honesty, loyalty and high moral values was considered “better” than a liar, murderer or a betrayer. Their word was worth more..ie better. Now it has reversed, a liar a betrayer is better and the honest person is some sort of Christian Whacko….this just can’t be a “normal” trend in a healthy socity.

We can sit around and wax nostalgic for heroes like John Wayne; or, we can set an example. This made me look at myself and how we’ve raised *our* 2-yo daughter and I am pretty pleased. We are committed to making sure she understands what freedom, democracy, decency and God mean to all of us.

And I agree with Soap’s wonderment at an audience applauding learning prayers and psalms–I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen such a thing outside of a church show.

Life is tough, it’s tougher if you’re stupid.

I think alot of politicians have had really really tough lives!!

Nuff said.

Dang, I might just have to hop on Amazon.com and buy me a few John Wanye DVDs tonight!