John Wayne on Blu-ray

[Rzzzz]

Not sure how true this is but Lauren Bacall has referred to the "incident" involving Robert Mitchum in a couple of interviews and said he had drank "too many"....

From IMDb...Robert Mitchum was originally cast as Capt. Wilder. He was fired from the film after an altercation in which he shoved the film's transportation manager into San Francisco Bay. Director William A. Wellman complained to John Wayne--whose company, Batjac Productions, was producing the film--that Mitchum "was on dope, always walking about six inches off the ground." Wellman said either he or Mitchum had to go. Gregory Peck subsequently turned down the role because he found it offensive, and Humphrey Bogart wanted a $500,000 salary, which would have put the film over budget. Without a major male star involved, Warner Bros. contacted Wayne, threatening to pull out of their distribution deal for the film unless he took the role himself. To keep his new production company afloat, Wayne agreed to replace Mitchum.

I'm just glad they stayed friends and made El Dorado together....

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Not sure how true this is but Lauren Bacall has referred to the "incident" involving Robert Mitchum in a couple of interviews and said he had drank "too many"....

From IMDb...Robert Mitchum was originally cast as Capt. Wilder. He was fired from the film after an altercation in which he shoved the film's transportation manager into San Francisco Bay. Director William A. Wellman complained to John Wayne--whose company, Batjac Productions, was producing the film--that Mitchum "was on dope, always walking about six inches off the ground." Wellman said either he or Mitchum had to go. Gregory Peck subsequently turned down the role because he found it offensive, and Humphrey Bogart wanted a $500,000 salary, which would have put the film over budget. Without a major male star involved, Warner Bros. contacted Wayne, threatening to pull out of their distribution deal for the film unless he took the role himself. To keep his new production company afloat, Wayne agreed to replace Mitchum.

I'm just glad they stayed friends and made El Dorado together....

Who was the guy Mitchum hung upside down by his shoelaces from a lamp post?

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Who was the guy Mitchum hung upside down by his shoelaces from a lamp post?

Ha ha, I don't know about that story but I sure would love to hear it !!

[drak b]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Gregory Peck subsequently turned down the role because he found it offensive, ...

Now this is a curious comment. Anyone know what Peck found offensive about the role? I re-watched it several weeks back and I can't recall anything that might have caused offense to someone like Peck. Too anti-communist?

[Rzzzz]

Yeah, I couldn't find anything online backing that up. A lot of information like this (if it is not made up completely) about movies comes from interviews with cast and crew which don't always come up in internet searches ( I think most accounts in interviews are exaggerated anyway, there always seems to be 3 or 4 versions of a story). It may be that he didn't like the way the Chinese were portrayed or it could be that he just wasn't interested the role. In researching the Gregory Peck story I found an article that referenced "other incidents on the set" involving Robert Mitchum without going into to detail about what they were. Maybe the shoe lace incident was one of these ? In the past I have found print archives online such as a 10 page Life magazine article from 1961 (complete with pictures) detailing Marlon Brando's unprofessionalism on the set of Mutiny on The Bounty. I have been a fan of that movie since I was a kid and that article had a lot of stories I had never read that weren't in the commentary and can't seem to be found online (except through archives of course). There is a lot of information that hasn't made the transition from print to the internet it seems....

[glennstl]

I just finished Big Jake. I thought it was a lot of fun. It’s what I would call a 2nd tier Wayne film, but it kept my interest. I liked Wayne playing an absent father to his grown children who then have to team with him to rescue his kidnapped grandson. I’m finding that I’m enjoying Wayne’s final films more than I thought I would. I like the “ older” Wayne ( From late 60s to 70s) just as much as when he’s in his prime ( 40s- 50s).

I just ordered some more Wayne Blu’s.
War Wagon ( looking forward to him with Kirk Douglas!)
Rooster Cogburn
Train Robbers
Cahill: US Marshall
John Wayne Film Collection ( for just $21 you get 7 films: The Big Trail
The Barbarian and the Geisha
The Horse Soldiers
North to Alaska
The Comancheros
The Longest Day
The Undefeated)

I realize many of these are second tier Wayne movies but they were all at great price points for me.

Looking forward to Friday when they should arrive!

[glennstl]

Tonight was my first night in 2 weeks with no John Wayne movies to watch. I’ve gone through something like 17 of them and now I’m out. My next order doesn’t get here until Friday

On the upside, while not a Wayne movie, I watched the original 3:10 to Yuma tonight for the first time. It was outstanding, esp. Glenn Ford.

I need something to watch until my next Wayne fix on Friday . Tonight is My Darling Clementine and I guess tomorrow night will be the remastered version of Patton.

[Duke_45]

Originally Posted by glennstl

Tonight was my first night in 2 weeks with no John Wayne movies to watch. I’ve gone through something like 17 of them and now I’m out. My next order doesn’t get here until Friday

On the upside, while not a Wayne movie, I watched the original 3:10 to Yuma tonight for the first time. It was outstanding, esp. Glenn Ford.

I need something to watch until my next Wayne fix on Friday . Tonight is My Darling Clementine and I guess tomorrow night will be the remastered version of Patton.

You certainly have been watching some incredibly good films lately...with all your posts, I have not seen one film that that you mentioned, that I would not enjoy.

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by glennstl

I just finished Big Jake. I thought it was a lot of fun. It’s what I would call a 2nd tier Wayne film, but it kept my interest. I liked Wayne playing an absent father to his grown children who then have to team with him to rescue his kidnapped grandson. I’m finding that I’m enjoying Wayne’s final films more than I thought I would. I like the “ older” Wayne ( From late 60s to 70s) just as much as when he’s in his prime ( 40s- 50s).

I just ordered some more Wayne Blu’s.
War Wagon ( looking forward to him with Kirk Douglas!)
Rooster Cogburn
Train Robbers
Cahill: US Marshall
John Wayne Film Collection ( for just $21 you get 7 films: The Big Trail
The Barbarian and the Geisha
The Horse Soldiers
North to Alaska
The Comancheros
The Longest Day
The Undefeated)

I realize many of these are second tier Wayne movies but they were all at great price points for me.

Looking forward to Friday when they should arrive!

I just finished my annual watching of my John Wayne collection on Blu-Ray with selected hits on DVD. Watched The Shootist last night and the last 15 minutes are the best farewell that any actor has ever had. Bittersweet and packed with emotion.

John Wayne's 1959-1976 is packed with films that are immensely enjoyable. I think there are only 2 or 3 films that I don't care for.

Some good choices with your purchases. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them all.

Just for fun, I thought I would rank your most recent purchases.

Cahill: US Marshall (My all time favorite Duke western. I think this was actually the very first one I ever saw. Neville Brand is a highlight as a Half Breed Native American who has a love/hate relationship with Duke. George Kennedy almost steals the show right out from everyone as Fraser the quite possibly psychotic bad guy. Clay O'Brien as Cahill's youngest son registers quite strongly as well as a child with absolute faith in his father. Gary Grimes barely registers as the rebellious older son who's led astray by his friends. But it's a fun movie from the beginning to end)

War Wagon (A buddy comedy, where they are always trying to one up each other and it works extremely well. Kirk Douglas makes his 3rd and final appearance with John Wayne. Also has Howard Keel in a scene stealing role as an Native American. Sort of a western Ocean's 11)

Train Robbers (This is a unique western in that it's got only a handful of characters in the movie and they are on the run from a faceless mob of bad guys. Played more like a force of nature than anything else. Unless you are smarter than I am, there's a neat twist at the end. Also has Ben Johnson, who made his final movie with John Wayne here)

The Big Trail (Watch the widescreen version. Duke's first starring role, unfortunately it flopped at the time because of the great depression, but you get see glimpses of what was to come as John Wayne began shaping his screen personna)

The Comancheros (As I said before, this was the western where Duke really began the final stage of his career. Mixing comedy and being the comfy old man. He started leaving the romantic subplots to his younger leading men with this one)

The Horse Soldiers (Probably the weakest western/Cavalry pic from Ford and Wayne, but again great performances from all involved)

North to Alaska (This was where Duke really started adding comedy to his films)

Rooster Cogburn (This one was marred by an incompetent director. Still fun and great soundtrack)

The Barbarian and the Geisha (Gorgeous visuals and based on a true story, but the director Huston didn't have a firm grasp on what he wanted)

The Undefeated (The Story is weak, but has strong performances and any thing with Duke and Ben Johnson is worth your time)

The Longest Day (I hated the Blu-Ray transfer of this one, also it's more of an all star epic than a Duke movie.)

[Rzzzz]

Agree on Rooster Cogburn. It is probably one of my least favorite John Wayne movies. I saw it when it came out (I was 14) and I was so disappointed in the movie and annoyed by Katherine Hepburn that to this day I can't stand seeing her in anything. I'm sure she was a great actress. She just annoys the crap out of me......

[glennstl]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Agree on Rooster Cogburn. It is probably one of my least favorite John Wayne movies. I saw it when it came out (I was 14) and I was so disappointed in the movie and annoyed by Katherine Hepburn that to this day I can't stand seeing her in anything. I'm sure she was a great actress. She just annoys the crap out of me......

I actually also kinda feel the same about Katherine Hepburn. When I saw she was in Rooster Cogburn, I almost didn’t choose to buy the movie. Maybe that’s kind of strange, as I realize she is considered one of the all-time best actresses. But, yeah, there’s something about her in past movies I’ve seen, that I just don’t care for her acting. I do find her relationship with Spencer Tracy fascinating, but I’m definitely not her biggest fan.

[glennstl]

Originally Posted by ltb2.0

I just finished my annual watching of my John Wayne collection on Blu-Ray with selected hits on DVD. Watched The Shootist last night and the last 15 minutes are the best farewell that any actor has ever had. Bittersweet and packed with emotion.

John Wayne's 1959-1976 is packed with films that are immensely enjoyable. I think there are only 2 or 3 films that I don't care for.

Some good choices with your purchases. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them all.

Just for fun, I thought I would rank your most recent purchases.

I really appreciate your rankings and explanations and info for each film! Fascinating thoughts! I agree with you about The Longest Day. When I bought it initially, I did so mainly only for Wayne. Then when I watched it...I quickly discovered it was an ensemble type of movie with Wayne not really appearing much. The story is still good...just a little disappointed by lack of The Duke.

I haven’t seen The Shootist yet, but it sounds great. It’ll probably be the next movie I stream, since it’s not on Blu.

Glad to hear Cahill sounds good...I wasn’t sure it’s reputation when I bought it. Looking forward to it.

There’s definitely a couple of films I wouldn’t buy separately, but for $21 for the 7 disc set I’m looking forward to giving them a watch.

Thanks again for the insightful comments!

[glennstl]

Tonight I decided to stream The Sons of Katie Elder on Amazon Prime since it’s not on Blu. I’ve been hearing a lot of people say good things about it, so thought I would give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. After El Dorado, I liked seeing Dean Martin team with Wayne again. I also thought the story and relationships between the 4 brothers was done well.

I hope this gets put on Blu soon!

[glennstl]

Just curious, besides War Wagon, what other 2 movies were Wayne and Kirk Douglas both in?

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by glennstl

Just curious, besides War Wagon, what other 2 movies were Wayne and Kirk Douglas both in?

In Harms Way and Cast A Giant Shadow. I've never seen the latter but I have heard Wayne's part in that film is basically a cameo....

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by glennstl

I really appreciate your rankings and explanations and info for each film! Fascinating thoughts! I agree with you about The Longest Day. When I bought it initially, I did so mainly only for Wayne. Then when I watched it...I quickly discovered it was an ensemble type of movie with Wayne not really appearing much. The story is still good...just a little disappointed by lack of The Duke.

The one thing that fascinates me about The Longest Day is that John Wayne is only on screen for a short time in that long film, among the greatest actors in the world at the time and his scenes just stand out and apart from the incredible overhead shot/battle scene towards the end, the segments of the movie where he appears are among the most memorable. It is a real testament to the charisma he had on screen. As the late great Ronald Reagan once said, "John Wayne was a force around which movies were made"....

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Agree on Rooster Cogburn. It is probably one of my least favorite John Wayne movies. I saw it when it came out (I was 14) and I was so disappointed in the movie and annoyed by Katherine Hepburn that to this day I can't stand seeing her in anything. I'm sure she was a great actress. She just annoys the crap out of me......

Originally Posted by glennstl

I actually also kinda feel the same about Katherine Hepburn. When I saw she was in Rooster Cogburn, I almost didn’t choose to buy the movie. Maybe that’s kind of strange, as I realize she is considered one of the all-time best actresses. But, yeah, there’s something about her in past movies I’ve seen, that I just don’t care for her acting. I do find her relationship with Spencer Tracy fascinating, but I’m definitely not her biggest fan.

I need to dig more into her filmography, but she's never been an actress that resonated with me. So I can't comment on her overall ability as I've never felt the urge to explore her films.

Originally Posted by glennstl

I really appreciate your rankings and explanations and info for each film! Fascinating thoughts! I agree with you about The Longest Day. When I bought it initially, I did so mainly only for Wayne. Then when I watched it...I quickly discovered it was an ensemble type of movie with Wayne not really appearing much. The story is still good...just a little disappointed by lack of The Duke.

The story is great, and when I first watched it I initially disliked the movie as Duke has limited screen time. But eventually it became one of my favorite war films.

I haven’t seen The Shootist yet, but it sounds great. It’ll probably be the next movie I stream, since it’s not on Blu.

I would actually save The Shootist for last, as it would be the perfect way to wrap up your first go around with the Duke. It's movie that works best as a finale to a long and illustrious career.

Glad to hear Cahill sounds good...I wasn’t sure it’s reputation when I bought it. Looking forward to it.

Again, Cahill is a personal favorite and not one that was held in high esteem by many Duke fans. My father, doesn't like it. But to me it's aces.

There’s definitely a couple of films I wouldn’t buy separately, but for $21 for the 7 disc set I’m looking forward to giving them a watch.

That's the appeal of boxsets, sometimes you get classic movies that you wouldn't have considered, and then sometimes you end up with total stinkers.

Thanks again for the insightful comments!

It's been a lot of fun, thanks for letting me ramble endlessly.

Originally Posted by glennstl

Tonight I decided to stream The Sons of Katie Elder on Amazon Prime since it’s not on Blu. I’ve been hearing a lot of people say good things about it, so thought I would give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. After El Dorado, I liked seeing Dean Martin team with Wayne again. I also thought the story and relationships between the 4 brothers was done well.

I hope this gets put on Blu soon!

I'm just hoping they finish putting the entirety of his 60's output on Blu-Ray. I'm astonished that there are so many of them missing on Blu-Ray. Especially when you consider we have so much of his 30's output on Blu-Ray.

Originally Posted by glennstl

Just curious, besides War Wagon, what other 2 movies were Wayne and Kirk Douglas both in?

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

In Harms Way and Cast A Giant Shadow. I've never seen the latter but I have heard Wayne's part in that film is basically a cameo....

As Rzzzz said, In Harms Way and Cast A Giant Shadow.

In Harms Way features a soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith and some great performances from all involved, but is marred by shoddy miniature work. I like it.

Cast A Giant Shadow is a Kirk Douglas movie that John Wayne helped get greenlit and he appears for less than 10 minutes total in the movie. It's based on a true story. Gotta downer of an ending though. So I don't care for it that much. But if you are a Kirk Douglas fan, it's a must.

[glennstl]

Itb2.0,

You mentioned in your last post about a lot of Wayne’s 1960s output missing from Blu-Ray. That really stinks. By chance, do you know about how many of his 60’s films this would be? And are some considered his major works, or are many lesser movies?

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by glennstl

Itb2.0,

You mentioned in your last post about a lot of Wayne’s 1960s output missing from Blu-Ray. That really stinks. By chance, do you know about how many of his 60’s films this would be? And are some considered his major works, or are many lesser movies?

It's not actually a lot, but considering how loved his films are from that period, it's a little shocking that they aren't out there yet. 5 from the 60's and 1 from the 70's.

I got them ranked below for your perusal. The top three are definitely worth a look in the 60's.

The Alamo (If you ever wanted to know what Duke valued, this movie is his statement of his beliefs. Well directed and staged, the final siege on the Alamo is as exciting as anything you will see today. Supporting players include Laurence Harvey, Richard Widmark and making the 1st of 3 appearances in a John Wayne movie, Richard Boone)

Donovan's Reef (I've covered this one before. But basically it's a fun tropical romp with Duke in his last John Ford movie)

Sons of Katie Elder (You've seen this one already)

Circus World (he plays the ringmaster of a circus that gets burned to the ground and struggles to get it up and running again. It's enjoyable, but easily one of the lesser of his 60's output. Easily forgettable)

In Harms Way (The shoddy miniature work really sinks this one despite the great performances. The models look like toys in a bath tub. Not the best work then or now.)


And from the 70's

The Shootist. (This one is a must see)

[SeanJoyce]

Cast A Giant Shadow is a Kirk Douglas movie that John Wayne helped get greenlit and he appears for less than 10 minutes total in the movie. It's based on a true story. Gotta downer of an ending though. So I don't care for it that much. But if you are a Kirk Douglas fan, it's a must.

I'm a huge Kirk Douglas fan, but really, a "must"? I haven't seen it, but reviews are pretty tepid.