On the Anniversary of John Wayne's Death

Marion Robert Morrison was not the best actor in the world.  He certainly was never up to Shakespeare, but he knew that.  Mr. Morrison, better known as John Wayne, knew exactly who and what he was—Hamlet “no,” Hondo “yes.”  There are few actors who seem so entirely comfortable inside their own skin. 

I was reminded of all of this when I watched the movie, McClintock! last night.  There is absolutely nothing about McClintock! that is politically correct.  But there they are: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara (a frequent co-star) and an all-star cast having too much fun, drinking too much, acting in stereotype, and having the best mud fight of any movie any where. 

“You’ve caused a lot of trouble here, Pilgrim.  Somebody should teach you a lesson.  But I won’t.  I won’t.  To hell I won’t.”

This may not be the best movie the Duke ever made, but it makes my top ten. 

Whether playing the damaged, weary pilot, Dan Roman, in The High and the Mighty or the resolute naval commander, Rockwell Torrey, in In Harm’s Way, John Wayne’s performance always satisfies.   Why do I watch his movies so many times I can recite dialogue, but won’t clear time for Michael Clayton?  Maybe because life is full of complex, multi-layered problems that require more broken field running than the Galloping Ghost thought possible.  We watch the news and there are no easy answers.  We look at what is happening in the world and end up juggling moral certainty with practicality.  We see who is in charge and feel the need to bargain with choices, degrees of difference and shades of gray, not to get what we want, but to get closer to what we need.  Life, it seems, is a constant struggle of uneasy and unequal relationships.

And then, there is John Wayne. 

Born in Iowa, the son of a pharmacist who moved west for his health, Wayne had a boyhood that prepared him for a future in the films.  He and his brother grew up on a ranch, swimming in irrigation ditches and riding horses to school.   His nickname, “Duke” was the name of the family Airedale.  He was a good student and went to USC on a football scholarship.  Wayne was affable and comfortable with people.  Tom Mix got him a job as an extra where he drew the attention of John Ford, who gave him the roles that led to his career. 

Wayne was realistic about what made him a star.  He sold the man he was:  big, strong, morally centered and sure of himself.  Wayne admitted to making as many bad movies as good.  But he liked showing the world what he saw as the best of humanity and America.  Good guys had superficial flaws but a decent core.  Bad guys could look and talk smooth, but their lack of character would not only give them away but be their undoing.   In a John Wayne movie, he may or may not survive, but right will triumph.  

People who disparage John Wayne do so because he was an unreconstructed capitalist, conservative and patriot.  It seems that actually working for a living, holding yourself responsible for your own success and failure, and loving the country that gives you the opportunity to do all three makes you a real son-of-a-bitch in some people’s eyes.  They, of course, are wrong.

The High and the Mighty,

In Harm’s Way,

Hatari!, 

Rio Bravo,

McClintock!,

Hondo,

The Wake of the Red Witch,

The Quiet Man,

True Grit and

The Shootist are my personal favorites—in that order. 

Embrace your inner John Wayne, and keep the faith.