Memorabilia -> Movie Memorabilia
John Wayne movies have been a favorite of movie buffs, Western fans and those who like “tough guys” in their films, for many years. Though John Wayne has been gone for almost 30 years, his presence is still such a part of American culture that almost anyone recognized that distinctive swagger, and his distinctive voice and way of speaking. Lesser known today is probably his conservatism and his anti-communist views that became well-known during the 1950s. The American Film Institute named him #13 on a list of the greatest male stars of all time in 1999. As recently as 2007, he was named #3 on a list of American’s favorite film stars. He was the only deceased star to make the list, and he’s the only star who appears every single year.
The first John Wayne movies were actually silent films in the 1920s that few but the most dedicated John Wayne fans have ever seen. While many consider Wayne little more than a Western stars, appearing only in films featuring dust, cowboy hats, boots and guns, he actually appeared in a variety of films including romantic comedies, biographies and police dramas.
Wayne’s name was actually Marion Robert Morrison, soon changed to Marion Michael Morrison, because his parents wanted to name their next child Robert. He changed his screen name to John Wayne in the 1930s. While some believe his nickname as ‘The Duke’ sprang from something in one of the many John Wayne movies, it actually started when he was just a kid in 1911, when a local fireman began calling him “Little Duke” because of the huge Airedale Terrier dog, Duke, that went with him everywhere.
John Wayne movies became a huge box-office draw during his career, as his whole person became larger than life. He was idolized by a huge section of the film-going population, and gave every appearance of his movie toughness in real life. In 1964, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, underwent surgery and beat it, living for another 15 years until he succumbed to stomach cancer in 1979.
Wayne’s first starring role was in the 1930 film “The Big Trail.” It was the first epic Western talkie, but despite that it was a vast commercial failure. He continued making films and learning stunts and riding, and even worked with famous stuntman Yakima Canutt with some stunts they developed together still in popular use in films today. The first of the John Wayne movies to be shot in color was “Shepherd of the Hills” in 1941.
Twenty of the most popular John Wayne movies were films by John Ford, with a few of the most famous being “The Quiet Man,” “Stagecoach,” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” in which he starred with another screen legend, Jimmy Stewart. Collectors look for all of the obvious and most popular films, but his early films, including his only credit as “Duke Morrison”can be found in most movie memorabilia stores and on eBay.
Originally posted 2008-10-24 14:00:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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