McLintock!

1/2 day of school tomorrow and I am sitting here wathcing "McClinock!" on the Encore Western Channel.

It does not get better than this.

"I know, I know. I'm gonna use good judgement. I haven't lost my temper in forty years, but pilgrim you caused a lot of trouble this morning, might have got somebody killed... and somebody oughta belt you in the mouth. But I won't, I won't. The HELL I won't!" George Washington McLintock as played by John Wayne

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

A clip from "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" with John Wayne and Ben Johnson.

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is a 1949 western film directed by John Ford and was the second of Ford's trilogy of films focusing on the US Cavalry, the other two films being Fort Apache (1948) and Rio Grande (1950).

With a budget of $1.6 million, the film was one of the most expensive westerns of the time, but became a major hit for RKO and remains a popular classic today.

"That ain't my department." - Ben Johnson as Sgt. Tyree

An Educational Method That GOT Results

Noted speech therapist John Wayne uses an unorthodox, yet effective method to cure a young man of a speech impediment.

It would be great if we, as educators, were allowed to use such methods to get the job done in the classroom. Sometimes using PC methods only results in further problems. After all, most of MY generation was raised like this, and we didn't turn out half bad.

"Trying don't get it done." - John Wayne in the movie "The Cowboys"

"Hellfighters" Is on TV Today

At 2:15pm today. "Hellfighters" will be on American Movie Classics. I will have the DVR running and be seated comfortably in my Lazy-Boy. This is one of my favorite John Wayne movies. I love watching the scenes around Houston, where it was filmed.



This following summery is by Dan Pavlides of All Movie Guide:

"Chance Buckman (John Wayne) heads a team of international trouble shooters who travel around the world to put out oil fires. The dangerous profession has taken a toll on the marriage between Chance and Madelyn (Vera Miles), who leaves when she can no longer endure the stress of saying goodbye and fearing she will never see him again. With his faithful assistant Greg (Jim Hutton), the team is ready at a moments notice to race anywhere to extinguish the flames of oil fires raging out of control. Greg eventually falls for Chance's daughter, Tish (Katherine Ross), who shares her mother's concern over the dangers the men endure. Hellfighters received technical advising from famed oil-well fighter Red Adair and his assistants who provided excellent and credible information for the film and the pyrotechnic team headed by legendary special-effects expert Fred Knoth."

Today is John Wayne's Birthday

Today is John Wayne's birthday. He would have been 102-years old today. I have been a fan of The Duke since I can remember. Even at my advanced age of 55, I still look at him as an icon; a true American; a man to which every red-blooded American male should strive to be. I have pictures of him up in my classroom along with quotes from some of his movies. Everyone who knows me knows how I feel about John Wayne.

The Duke was a conservative Republican and was not shy of expressing his conservative views and ideals. Below are some of the views, ideals, and causes he supported:

1. He took part in creating the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals in 1943 and was elected president of that organization in 1947.

2. He was an ardent anti-communist, and vocal supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

3. He was a supporter of then Vice President Richard Nixon's bid for the White House, he famously expressed his vision of patriotism when John F. Kennedy won the election: "I didn't vote for him but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job."

4. Wayne used his iconic status to support conservative causes, including rallying support for the Vietnam War by producing, co-directing, and starring in the critically panned The Green Berets (1968).

5. Due to his enormous popularity, and his status as the most famous Republican star in Hollywood, wealthy Texas Republican Party backers asked Wayne to run for national office in 1968, as had his friend and fellow actor, Senator George Murphy. He declined, joking that he did not believe the public would seriously consider an actor in the White House.

6. He supported his friend Ronald Reagan's runs for Governor of California in 1966 and 1970.

7. Wayne was asked to be the running mate for Democratic Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968. Wayne vehemently rejected the offer.

8. He actively campaigned for Richard Nixon and addressed the Republican National Convention on its opening day in August 1968.

9. He was a member of the conservative and anti-communist John Birch Society.

Today, John Wayne is on my mind. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in my lifetime, but I was fortunate to visit his birthplace in Winterset, Iowa (photo left). It is a quaint little home and museum; a must see for any fan of The Duke. Thirty years after his death, he is still an icon of the American cinema. There is even a website dedicated to him. You can view it by clicking here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN WAYNE...WE SURE MISS YOU!!!

"Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be. I was proud when President Nixon ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor, which we should have done long ago, because I think we're helping a brave little country defend herself against Communist invasion. That's what I tried to show in The Green Berets and I took plenty of abuse from the critics." - John Wayne quote from Playboy Magazine, Volume 18, issue #5 entitled "John Wayne: The Playboy Interview" by Richard Warren Lewis p. 77, May 1971.

"The Sons of Katie Elder"

I am sitting up, at 2:26am, watching John Wayne in "The Sons of Katie Elder."

Another great John Wayne movie for any fan of The Duke.

John Elder (played by John Wayne): "All we want to do is make you end up rich and respectable. You fight us every step of the way."

Bud Elder (played by Michael Anderson Jr.): "I don't want to be rich and respectable. I want to be just like the rest of you."

Movies John Wayne Died In

John Wayne's birthday is coming up on May 26, and I will do a LARGE post on that day. Until then, I am going to answer the one question that all TRUE John Wayne fans what to know.

How many films did The Duke die in?

Well, here we go:

John Wayne died in 8 films for definite, and a further two, depending on how you want to look at it.

Central Airport (1935)

Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

The Fighting Seabees (1944)

Wake of the Red Witch (1948)

The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

The Alamo (1960)

The Cowboys (1972)

The Shootist (1976)

He was already dead at the start of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and most of the film is a flashback to when he was alive. It is just stated that he died, but there is no actual death scene.

In The Sea Chase (1955), it is left to the audience to decide whether or not he died. The romantic among us like to think that he and Lana Turner were able to escape from the sinking ship at the end of the film, but it is not made clear.

"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." - John Wayne, playing John Bernard Books in his final movie, "The Shootist".

John Wayne: Advice to the Young on Marriage

John Wayne, playing George Washington McLintock in the movie "McLintock!" talking to his daughter, played by Stephanie Powers on what a young couple needs to have a good and successful marriage.

It is some pretty good advice.

"This is probably the first marriage I've ever seen that started out with a spanking!" - John Wayne playing George Washington McLintock in the movie McLintock!

John Wayne: "I Pledge Allegiance" Chapter 2

Today, I was reading my e mail and posting comments to my and various other blogs. I came across a comment on a post I made on October 8, 2008 entitled "

The post I made was as follows:

This is the best explanation of the Pledge Of Allegiance I have ever heard. God Bless America and John Wayne. If only we had him still with us. We should could use his inspiration right now!


It bothers me when I see people not showing the proper respect for our flag and our country. If you want to live in this country, then you need to show proper respect for the things we hold dear and proper. If not, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY

The comment I received from a "KishMich" is posted below:

And if you can't get the HELL OUT OF THE COUNTRY...then what? Cause I wouldn't mind getting the hell out of here!!!! I know an even better place to live but because of child I can't leave!!! So my opinion is....I won't pledge and I can't
leave!!!!

I was very enraged by the comment this person made. After I cooled down and gave it some thought, I realized that this person "KishMach" must be a very misguided soul who has no idea what he/she has by living in this country.

This is a person who should make my list of "Famous (or Infamous) Mooks."

My quote today will be MY response to this person's idiotic comment:

KishMich: Boo Hoo...Boo Hoo...Boo Hoo!!! You can't leave because of a child you cannot leave. Why can't you take him/her with you? It is ingrates like you who bitch and gripe about our great country but won't man-up or woman-up to do anything to make your life better. As far as you "can't leave," actually, you CHOOSE NOT TO LEAVE. I wonder why, when you are living in a free country, claim you cannot leave? No one is keeping you here. If you do not like our country and can't stand up and show it, then LEAVE. If you cannot take your child with you, I am sure we can find a nice America Loving family that would be happy to raise him/her in a manner that will make them an outstanding citizen of our country who will be PROUD to stand up and pledge allegiance to The United States of America. - Texas Truth's response to a comment made on this blog by "KishMich"

John Wayne: "I Pledge Allegiance"

This is the best explanation of the Pledge Of Allegiance I have ever heard. God Bless America and John Wayne. If only we had him still with us. We should could use his inspiration right now!

It bothers me when I see people not showing the proper respect for our flag and our country. If you want to live in this country, then you need to show proper respect for the things we hold dear and proper.

If not, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY!!!!!

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all."

John Wayne "America - Why I Love Her"

I have traveled around the world as an Army Brat and as a private citizen. I have seen how people in other countries live & suffer at the hands of an oppressive government.

The liberals who hate America should see the rest of the world first... before they spew their hatred. I'll tell you this... GOD MORE THAN SHED HIS GRACE ON AMERICA!

I challenge any and all liberals to show me a more blessed land than AMERICA! Don't bite the blessed hands that have fed you and protected you... think about it long and hard...

My father fought in three wars to defend this country and to guarantee the liberty and freedom for which this country is founded on to his descendants. I challenge anyone to walk up to be and bad-mouth my country. Things are libel to get very heated very quickly, I promise you.

America has the most diverse ethnic population in the world, We have no national religion, race, language, etc,. That what makes us so great. If we stand together nobody can defeat us, but if forces in this great land continue to divide us we will fall just as other great societies have in history!

Listen to the written words of John Mitchum as spoken by John Wayne. No one could have written it or said it better.

You ask me Why I Love Her?
Well, give me time and I'll explain.
Have you seen a Kansas sunset
Or an Arizona rain?
Have you drifted on a bayou
Down Louisiana way?
Have you watched a cold fog drifting
Over San Francisco Bay?
Have you heard a bobwhite calling
In the Carolina pines,

Or heard the bellow of a diesel
At the Appalachia mines?
Does the call of Niagara thrill you
When you hear her waters roar?
Do you look with awe and wonder
At her Massachusetts shore,
Where men who braved a hard new world
First stepped on Plymouth's rock?
And do you think of them when you stroll
Along a New York City dock?
Have you seen a snowflake drifting
In the Rockies, way up high?

Have you seen the sun come blazing down
From a bright Nevada sky?
Do you hail to the Columbia
As she rushes to the sea,
Or bow your head at Gettysburg
At our struggle to be free?
Have you seen the mighty Tetons?
Have you watched an eagle soar?
Have you seen the Mississippi
Roll along Missouri's shore?

Have you felt a chill at Michigan
When on a winter's day
Her waters rage along the shore
In thunderous display?
Does the word "Aloha" make you warm?
Do you stare in disbelief
When you see the surf
Come roaring in at Waimea Reef?
From Alaska's cold to the Everglades,

From the Rio Grande to Maine,
My heart cries out, my pulse runs fast
At the might of her domain.
You ask me Why I Love Her?
I've a million reasons why:
My Beautiful America,
Beneath God's wide, wide sky.

John Wayne and Dean Martin

Below is a clip of Dean Martin and John Wayne talking about what The Duke wants for his daughter. The things he says are as true today as they were back then. I wish more people would hold these beliefs and views today. It is a shame that we do not have more people that fell this way now.

"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne

John Wayne "Hellfighters"

Another great John Wayne movie. It is one of my favorites. I loved the music when they got the call to fight a fire.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” - Red Adair

What Would John Wayne Do?

John Wayne talks about freedom. Not to cower in security but be a man and do what's right to fight tyranny. Make sure you listen till the end.

God, if you are listening, we should could a man like John Wayne right now.

"If everything isn't black and white, I say, "Why the hell not?” - John Wayne

John Wayne in True Grit, Then and Now, Extended Video

I found the following video on YouTube. It is a "Then and Now" montage of "True Grit" staring the greatest actor (in my opinion) of American cinema, John Wayne. It was posted by a woman listed as JeepsterGal. She did and excellent job on this video and it is the absolute best video on YouTube.

I have been a John Wayne fan since my youth and will continue until my death. The Duke was what every boy in my youth wanted to grow to be.

As I have stated in previous posts, he reminds me so much of my father. We sure could use a man like him in the USA right now.

Sit back and enjoy the new, updated version of the video. It did bring a tear to my eye. I will post my quote after the video. It makes me smile every time I hear it.

PS: Yes....the quote is in the video.



[Rooster confronts the four outlaws across the field]
Ned Pepper: What's your intention? Do you think one on four is a dogfall?
Rooster Cogburn: I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged in Fort Smith at Judge Parker's convenience. Which'll it be?
Ned Pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.
Rooster Cogburn: Fill your hands, you son of a bitch.

The Shootist

I am sitting up watching "The Shootist." It was John Wayne's last movie. No actor can compare to The Duke. I grew up watching his movies and at the age of 54, I am still a big fan.

He was a man's man. Every kid I knew growing up looked up to him. I wanted to be just like him. He was honest, upstanding, and a fine role model for America's youth.

In the movie, they state that John Bernard Books (Wayne's character) lived by a creed. It went like this:

I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.

I have always tried to live by those words. I even have them posted behind the desk in my classroom along with a few other quote from Wayne's movies and a few photos of him.

We sure could use a man like John Wayne around now-a-days. He was a comfort to watch in a movie and make one proud to be an American.

If you get a chance to watch the movie, please do. It is one of Wayne's best.

John Wayne's DEATH Movies

There has always been an intense discussion among fans of how many times John Wayne died in the movies.

Through extensive research and mnay hours of movie viewing, I have come up with the definative list of movies the Duke died in. A brief description of the movie and method of his demise is given.

The Shootist-After winning a seemingly hopeless gunfight with three opponents simultaneously, he is shot in the back by the bartender, played by Charles G. Martin, and is then avenged by Ron Howard's character.

The Cowboys-He is killed by Bruce Dern's character.

The Alamo-Playing Davy Crockett, he is stabbed with a lance, then staggers into the ammunition room with a lit torch and blows it up.

Sands of Iwo Jima-He is killed at the end of the film by a bullet fired by a Japanese sniper.

Wake of the Red Witch-He drowns when the sunken ship he is trying to salvage shifts and drops further into the ocean, carrying him with it.

The Fighting Seabees-He is shot by a sniper as he attempts to dismount from a bulldozer loaded with TNT aimed at a fuel depot.

Reap the Wild Wind-He is trapped inside the wreck of a sunken ship after a fight with a giant squid and drowns.

His character's death is not shown in the following movies:

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance-His character is dead at the beginning of the film and the story is told in flashback by James Stewart, who is attending his funeral.

The Sea Chase-Lana Turner and Wayne are on a ship when it sinks, but the possibility that the characters survived is left open.

The Deceiver-Ian Keith's character died, but the corpse was played by John Wayne.

Central Airport-John Wayne has a very minor role as the co-pilot of an aircraft that crashes into the ocean.

John Wayne's 100th Birthday

100 years ago this Saturday the man who many, including this humble write, consider the epitome of what an American man should was born.

In the small Iowa town of Winterset, on May 26, 1907 John Wayne was born. Actually Marion Morrison was born.

I grew up watching John Wayne movies. I still do. There was never a bad John Wayne movie, unless you count "The Conquerer" which was made in 1956. It was, in my opinion, not the best, but it had John Wayne in it, so it was OK with me.

As we look at the troubled times we are facing in our great country, I can't help but wonder how we would be if we had more men like John Wayne around at the present time.

You see, I don't think men are like they were 40, 50 or more years ago.

John Wayne was a "man's man." He had values, morals, and a sense of what was right. I remember a "credo" he had in his final movie, "The Shootist."

He told Ron Howard that he lived by a code. That code was as follows:

I won't be wronged.

I won't be insulted

I won't be laid a hand on.

I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them.

What more can you say about life. What more can you say about being an American. That credo says it all for me.

As the weekend goes on, Turner Classic Movies is playing many of John Wayne's movies. I can't think of a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend than being at home with my loved ones, thankful that we live in the greatest country to ever exist on earth, and to watch John Wayne on the tube.

It doesn't get much better than that. At least not for a TRUE AMERICAN!!!