The romantic John Wayne

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Bill Wren

It’s hard to think of John Wayne and romance at the same time. The image of one and the image of the other don’t rest well side by side; one seems to negate the other.

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True Grit: the last old western?

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Bill Wren

In some ways, the idea of the Coen brothers redoing True Grit gives me the willies. I would have been 12 or 13 when the Henry Hathaway/John Wayne version came out so it has a kind of nostalgic quality for … Read more →

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Jean Arthur and John Wayne

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Bill Wren

After having it on my computer for about two months in a half-finished state, I’ve finally posted my take on A Lady Takes a Chance (1943). It stars Jean Arthur and John Wayne and, yes, it’s a romantic comedy. It’s … Read more →

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Donovan’s Reef: Fisticuffs anyone?

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Bill Wren

I took a shot at assessing another John Wayne movie (since I’d been doing quite a few of those lately). Here’s what I came up with: Donovan’s Reef (1963) This is a difficult film to defend, much less recommend, for … Read more →

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3 Godfathers: A western as Christmas fable

Posted on December 28, 2008 by Bill Wren

Having come across 3 Godfathers in a number of “top Christmas movies” lists, I decided to watch it. A second time. I had watched it about two years ago but I couldn’t recall it, and definitely didn’t recall the Christmas … Read more →

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John Wayne heads north – booze and brawls ensue

Posted on November 13, 2008 by Bill Wren

Directed by Henry Hathaway This movie, North to Alaska, is a difficult one to account for. I really like it a lot. But I can’t think of a single cinematic merit it has going for it. Essentially, if you don’t … Read more →

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John Wayne and Donna Reed in a muddle

Posted on November 7, 2008 by Bill Wren

The few reviews found online of Trouble Along the Way, a 1953 movie starring John Wayne and Donna Reed, generally agree: fans of the Duke will likely enjoy it but its saccharine quality will probably be off-putting for anyone else. … Read more →

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