No patty fingers if you please!

The perfect way to celebrate the Duke's birthday!

Is to watch the "Quiet Man" on Netflicks. They just added it as a "New Movie." Heh.

It is my favorite of all John Wayne movies. You can't beat it. It has all the regulars of the John Ford stock company. A great story.

I will be watching it tonight.

“Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.

"Sorry Duke I do the best I can."
"That's ok pilgrim. Look your face matches my shirt."
"It takes a real man to wear a pink shirt."
"Don't make me smack you."
"Sorry Duke."

I had a good night last night

The wife was busy working on the website putting up photos and new products. I wasn't feeling well so after I cooked dinner she told me to sit with my feet up and watch some of my favorite tv stuff. I caught the Yankee/Red Sox game which was exciting but a disappointment. Then I went to Amazon Prime. You see she gave me permission to watch a Western.

It's not that I really need permission. But I normally watch them when she is not watching with me because she claims it is boring. Of course if she ends up watching them she always enjoys them and asks a million questions but still the idea of it bugs her for some reason.

So I decided to catch one of my old favorites. "The Sons of Katie Elder." From the Duke's later period costarring Dean Martin and Earl Holliman the luckiest man in show business. Also with great supporting actors like James Gregory, George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin and Paul Fix. I first saw it with my Dad and a couple of friends of mine in the theater back in the day.

What is funny about the story is the fact of who the historical Katie Elder was in real life. Big Nose Kate who was Doc Holliday's mistress and a pretty famous whore. I guess they just appropriated her name and stuff.

The Duke is old and creaky. Bad fitting hair piece and a double for almost every scene. I think he had his lung taken out by then so he was in tough shape. Dean Martin played the same cowboy role he always plays by ripping off the performance that Howard Hawks got out of him. Everybody does what they usually do. It was comforting.

Like a warm blanket on a cold night.

Tom Doniphon or Quirt Evans?

There is a base canard put forward by many a moron that John Wayne played the same character in every film. That he only played John Wayne. He did play a type that is true. But there were variations on the theme.

The question who do we want to be? Tom Doniphon or Quirt Evans?

Quirt Evans was the outlaw who gave up his guns for the love of a woman in "The Angel and the Badman." This is one of my favorite John Wayne movies of all time. Quirt quit his job as Wyatt Earp's deputy and sold his ranch to go and seek revenge against the men who killed rancher Walt Ennis who raised him from a pup. He was injured and nursed back to health by a Quaker family. He falls in love with the daughter and she eventually gets him to turn away from the way of the gun. To the point that he puts his life at risk.

Tom Doniphon is a different kettle of fish. He loves Hallie with all of his heart. Loves her enough to let her go to Ransome Stoddard the feminized lawyer who falsely gets credit for the murder of Liberty Valance. Tom shoots him down in cold blood. Without remorse. He is the cynical bitter edge of the Western hero. The hetero hero who is gone today. The world  these days wants everyone to be like Ransome Stoddard. The lawyer. The politician. The liar. The fraud.

People scorn the Tom Doniphon's these days. Even though they are out there keeping us safe. Those hard men risk their lives so the Ransome Stoddards can collect their awards and accolades.

But we know the truth..

The Good Bad Man

The first major example of the "Good Bad Man" in the Duke's filmography is "The Ringo Kid" in the seminal John Ford western "Stagecoach."

The name Ringo is iconic since it brings back echoes of the outlaw associated with the Clanton's of OK Corral fame. The Ringo Kid is an outlaw return to the town of Lordsburgh to get revenge for the murder of his Father and Brother. The Stagecoach picks him up on the road and they agree to let him ride as the shotgun guard to help defend against the Indians. He falls in love with the prostitute Dallas but still goes out to face the Plummers. Because the Good Bad man is bound by his code. Justice before personal satisfaction.

This is the epitome of the Western hero that John Wayne has played over and over again. An archetype that has been copied over and over again.

The Duke didn't give a shit if you were light in your loafers.

I mean he was able to work with big time mo's like Montgomery Clift and Lawrence Harvey with out any problems. If he had a problem with them he would never have worked with them. It would have come through on screen.

In fact he hired Laurence Harvey to play Colonel William Travis in his life long obsession "The Alamo."  Harvey was gay and continued to beg the Duke to have sex with him through out the filming of the Alamo. The Duke just laughed him off and continued to make the picture. He didn't give a shit. He just gave him a job in one of his most prominent roles alongside Richard Windmark and the great Chill Wills.

Of course that is not enough for the facists who demonize everyone who does not toe the gay line. But then again the Duke didn't give a shit.

Why should we?

The Duke was a great actor

There has been a lot of bullshit about the Duke and whether or not he was a great actor. I think that here is no that he was. The range of his roles might have been limited but within them he became the ultimate icon of that type of character. An icon that resonates to this day. Even as respected an actor as Cagney is not as copied as the Duke. The Duke's portrayal of the "good" bad man with a moral code is the basis of so many movies and TV shows that it is laughable. He was not the first to portray this archetype. But he was the best.

 

From Ringo in "Stagecoach" to Captain Brittles in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" to Tom Dunstan in "Red River" he portrayed the loner with violent instincts with a code of honor that is the standard in drama in movies and TV. I have been watching this new TV show called "Believe" in which the protagonist is a little girl with telekinetic powers. Her father was a criminal on Death Row who was busted out to protect her from shadowy government entities. He is a criminal and a violent man but he has a code. He is playing a "John Wayne" role.

 

You know who is a contemporary "John Wayne" role? Raylan Givens on "Justified." He is a violent man who is quick on the trigger who still has compassion for people like the young Kendal Crowe. Raylan Givens and Hondo are the same guy.

 

People copy the Duke's act all the time. To say he was not a great actor is just foolish.

Keep his name out of your mouth.

 

 

Last night on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" the diva Nene Leakes appeared on a talk show and she talked about how one of the other girls was nothing but a shit stirrer. This other broad Kenya spent the whole season playing one lady off against another to bring the drama. When Andy Cohen the producer asked who should be fired Nene said definitely not Kenya. Because she was good for the show. All of her drama and bullshit brought eyes to the show and they need to keep her for the good of the show.

One of my lurkers emailed me a link of a post by the Evil Blogger Lady where she attacks the Duke. She tries to set him up as a homophobe because of a quote from the new bio that just came out. So naturally she wants to mock and denigrate him and leaves that out there like a big turd in the punchbowl. She got some pushback in the comments but not as much as she would if I jumped in to set the record straight. Which I will not do.

This lurker is acting like Kenya. Stirring the shit. Trying to get a reaction. Even if I don't go over there I could still react at Lem's joint the next time Lawnboy shows up to shit in the punchbowl. But I won't.

Neither one of those douchebags is worthy of talking about a great American like John Wayne. Their knowledge about the Duke, his movies and his beliefs are as shallow as their knowledge of just about everything they are talking about.

I would like to ruminate about the Duke here for a while. I hope you will indulge me.

Fuck you Pedro

Shaadddup woman!

Katherine McClintock: [after walking out of her bedroom to find G.W. and Mrs. Warren at the bottom of the stairs] What's going on here?
George Washington McLintock: [Intoxicated, with Mrs. Warren sitting on his lap] Now Katherine, are you going to believe what you see, or what I tell you?

Trouble along the Way!

"Coach I have something to tell you and I am very upset. I don't know what to do."

"Spit it out Schwegler. How bad can it be?"

"It is as bad as bad can be coach. I went to the lockerroom late last night and I saw Coach Sandusky. He was with a young boy. About ten years old. I think he is one of those kids from his foundation."

"So what was so bad about that? They are around the program all the time."

"Well Coach.....they were naked....and they were in the showers....and Coach Sandusky was fucking the kid in the ass."

"WHAT!!! WHAT DID YOU DO YOU FUCKWIT! DID YOU PULL HIM OFF HIM AND BEAT THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF HIM! DID YOU CALL THE FUCKING COPS! WHAT THE FUCK!"

"I didn't do anything Coach. I just backed out of there and went home. I thought about it and came here to tell you about it."

"Son what is there to think about. It is a terrible way to go through life so stupid. Pompey get my Winchester."

Movie Memories Number 4

Sgt. 'Mac' MacChesney: It just goes to show you what a piece of dry goods will do

Movie Memories Number 3

First Sgt. Festus Mulcahy: [after Co. Thursday has told the soldiers to destroy the contraband "whiskey"] "Destroy it," he says. Well, boys, we've a man's work ahead of us this day.

Movie Memories Number 2

Captain Nathan Brittles: You got a breath on you like a hot mince pie.
Top Sergeant Quincannon: Ah, Captain darlin'. As you well know I took "the pledge" after Chapultepec.
Captain Nathan Brittles: And Bull Run, and Gettysburg, and Shiloh, and St. Patrick's Day, and Fourth of July!

She tried to explain....

But I was kinda distracted. So to speak.

"Well, there are some things a man just can't run away from."

Roger J said..........
I have a favor sir--Please consider including stagecoach on your list of favorite movies--My lady and I watched it last nite--The cavalry charge close to the end was spectacular--my next project is to get my lady to sit thru the cavalry triology.

There are works that are the originals. The real deal that everyone copies off of to make an imitation that pales in comparision to the original. Stagecoach is one of those seminal works that everyone copies from. It is the original, the rest are xerox copies.

This John Ford classic launched several archetypes that have become cliches in Western movies.

The "bad man who does good" in the Ringo Kid who is coming back home to avenge a wrong done to his family. Taking the name Ringo from the real life participant in the famous Gunfight at OK Corral, this capable gunman is obviously a favorite of even the sheriff who doesn't want to arrest him. This plot has be recycled more times than almost any other in the Western genre.

The prostitute with the heart of gold who is shunned by polite society but who stands up when help is needed. From Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke to the lady loving lady of Johnny Guitar this is a staple of almost every Western ever made. And many another film.

The ruined Southern gentlemen played by John Carradine who looks so depressed. Obviously based on Doc Holiday of the Gunfight at OK Corrall fame, this world weary scion of the southern plantations knows sadness and despair. Imagine if he knew his son would strangle himself while whacking off?

The drunken doctor who is the most educated man around but who is a cynical rumpot who none the less stands for what is right. Imagine how drunk he would have been if they had Obamacare back then.

The plot of the prodigal returning for justice has been done time and again. This was the movie that made the Duke a star. He wasn't an actor until he made "Red River" but after "Stagecoach" he was a star.

I hope your lady enjoyed it. You have to watch the trio in order though. First "Fort Apache."

Then "Rio Grande." And finally "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."

She will love it.

I hate hockey!

I hate hockey.

I mean I was sort of a fan when I was a kid. There were only about eight teams and you knew all the players. The Rangers had Rod Gilbert and Eddie Giacoman and Vic Hatfield and Brad Park. They had epic battles with the Bruins who had Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito and Derek (seventies porno guy mustache) Sanderson. Stan Mikta. Keith Magnunson. Bobby Hull. Bobby Clarke and Dave Schultz and the Broad Street bullies.

But I sort of lost touch. Then all through the eighties and nineties I had season tickets for the Knicks and had to hear racist assholes from Long Island (usually Garden City) spout off about how basketball wasn't a real sport and how superior hockey was as a sport. I just don't see it. They all became big pussies when they started wearing helmets like some yuppies puppie on a skateboard.

Now baseball is over and the Giants only play once a week and the Knicks suck and there is nothing to watch.

Man I hate hockey.

The Duke knew what he was talking about.

Hondo Lane: That dog don't take to pettin', son.
Johnnie Lowe: She's a nice doggie....owe she bit me.
Hondo Lane: Consider yourself lucky. She could have commented on your blog.
(Hondo, 1953)