John Wayne trivia

[Thomas (Tom) Horn aka James Hicks]

Every body who loves cowboy and the cowboy movies... Here is one for you...

What movie did the Duke first use the "Big Loop Lever" Winchester '92?   This type lever action will be used "later" in most of Wayne's cowboy movies... most noted in "True Grit" where he sling cocks the rifle on his horse with the immortal line..."Fill your hand you sob".

Here is one that I do not know the answer to... Anybody who is more informed know the why?

In a lot of the John Wayne cowboy movies after the mid-1950s when Wayne finally settled on his "own" cowboy persona... i.e., the leather vest, SAA in 4.75" barrel, Levi jeans (sometimes with belt and suspenders); which went against Wayne's sometimes quote, "You can't trust a man who wears a belt and suspenders." One notices that Wayne always has what appears to be either one 45-60 or one 45-75 cartridge in the center of the gun belt. BUT he is never shown with that type of rifle... his rifle of preference was the '92 in revolver cartridge and with the "big loop lever".

[Major 2]

Stagecoach

[Thomas (Tom) Horn aka James Hicks]

You are correct.  Stagecoach released in 1939.

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[Judge Roy Bean]

1st the .45-70 in the belt half way round the belt is suppose to be an indicator you only have what ammo left in your belt.
2nd the large loop 92 appeared next in The Shepherd of the Hills, but not again till Rio Bravo, then in most of his westerns after that.

[Thomas (Tom) Horn aka James Hicks]

JRB, you are correct ref "the second film the large loop lever appeared in" i.e., Shepard of the Hills.  Well, now I know why the large caliber in the belt.... never heard of that before.  In my first post I spoke of when John Wayne defined his "cowboy persona" and again you are correct ref: Rio Lobo. With exception to a few, after Rio Lobo, Wayne is basically the same as far as character and dress.  By that time he was "well established" as an American Icon. A lot of folks feel that his best performance was in True Grit, the academy felt so, because he got the Oscar for that performance. But for me, I feel his "best" was in the "Shootist"... even though the "typical JW character was there"... I feel his character was more befitting... he was not bigger than life in that movie... Wayne was battling the big "C" when the Shootist was filmed. I thought his acting was the best in  this movie. But that is my opine. I thank all who responded.  I love the line in the shootist where Wayne says... " I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on, I do not do these things to others, and I require the same from them."

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I agree that IMHO, his best performance was in the Shootist.

[Major 2]

I'd have to say IMHO his best were..

Red River, The Searchers , True Grit , and the Shootest , Maybe Blood Alley
in no special order....

He had some stinkers to .. Jet Pilot  The Conquerors 

Comancheros & El Dorado were not much better

[Crossdrawnj]

I believe the his best performance was in "The Searchers".
Crossdraw.

[Texas Lawdog]

I would have to agree that "The Searchers" was his best performance and "The Searchers" is one of the best, if not the best Western ever made. Duke should have received the Oscar for his performance.

[Old Doc]

I like Wayne and enjoyed him in the Shootist although I thought the "I will not be wronged..."specch was a little over the top. As for the Oscar in True Grit, he was up against among others, Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy. I was watching the show and they gave out the best actor award to Wayne and later the Best Picture award was the last one of the night. They showed clips from each movie including the scene of Dustin Hoffman terminally ill on the bus in Midnight Cowboy. I remember thinking, they have a lot of guts to give the best actor award to Wayne and then show that clip of Dustin Hoffman, which so clearly out-classed the Rooster Cogburn character.

[Johnny McCrae]

IMHO the Cavalry trilogy Fort Apache, She wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande along with The Searchers, Red River, True Grit and The Shootist were his best films. I even enjoy watching Rio Bravo. Some of his later films were stinkers.

It's not Cowboy but don't forget Sands of Iwo Jima. Wayne received an Academy Award nomination for this one. When I was a youngster we used to argue who would play Sgt. Stryker.

[buttebob]

Well, for what it's worth I knew the answers to the '92 and the 45-70. I saw an interview he gave where talked about putting the 45-70 in his belt. Missed the prize again.
His best movie was "The Searchers".  My favorite is not a western, but one in which I didn't think he was playing John Wayne; "The Quite Man".
He got the Academy Award for "True Grit" because of all his work, and he was getting older. He died 10 years later. He made over 250 movies in his career. Today people talk about making 40 movies as a lifetimes worth of work.
When he appeared in "The Longest Day" all the big name actors were paid $25,000, except the Duke he demanded and got $250,000. Box office power.

[MedicineMan]

Interesting facts that few folks know... and some folks misquote....

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/bio

Included interesting stuff......

Wayne publicly criticized director Sam Peckinpah for his film The Wild Bunch (1969), which he claimed "destroyed the myth of the Old West".

Although it has often been written that Wayne was dying of cancer when he made The Shootist (1976), his final film, this is not actually true. Following the removal of his entire left lung in 1964, he was cancer-free for the next 12 years. It wasn't until Christmas 1978 that he fell seriously ill again, and in January of the following year the cancer was found to have returned.

In addition to appearing on "The Dean Martin Comedy Hour" (1965), "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" (1969), he became a semi-regular visitor to "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (1967), often good-naturedly spoofing his macho image and even dressing up as The Easter Bunny in a famous 1972 episode.

His nickname "Duke" was derived from his childhood pet.
He is quoted as saying he was "named after the da... dog".

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Very interesting Bio.  Thnx for posting it.

[Texas Lawdog]

John became a Mason late in life. He became one in 1970.  My Dad was 43 when he became one. He was able to take part in my EA degree, but he passed away before I became a Master Mason.

[Doug.38PR]

Every body who loves cowboy and the cowboy movies... Here is one for you...

What movie did the Duke first use the "Big Loop Lever" Winchester '92?   This type lever action will be used "later" in most of Wayne's cowboy movies... most noted in "True Grit" where he sling cocks the rifle on his horse with the immortal line..."Fill your hand you sob".

Rio Bravo.  He found some men were better than him with a six gun

[PJ Hardtack]

You guys completely forgot about "The Cowboys", where JW got his assed whooped by Bruce Dern in a nasty fight. What was great about this movie was the "coming of age" of his young cow hands who avenged him, seeing that Dern got his come uppance in spades. This movie showed more "true grit" all round than the movie by that name.

Having stared down the "C", I do have a regard for "The Shootist" and the way he bravely faced the inevitable. When I was undergoing treatment, I often thought of it. Lauren Bacall played a good role as well and I loved JW's reaction when he learned her name - "Bond! That's a cracker jack name for a girl!"

The deal he cut with the blacksmith for "Ol Dollar" was also moving, a 'win-win' for all. John Bernard went out with class, bringing to mind one of my favourite lines from MacBeth - "Nothing became his life so much as the leaving of it."

[FriscoCounty]

Rio Bravo.  He found some men were better than him with a six gun

He used the big loop '92 way back in Stagecoach. 
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsZwkMc1JZ7-t32kEa7XD78emLUg1DAMroy4QJdNRo5XnmSWwlQg

[Doug.38PR]

You guys completely forgot about "The Cowboys", where JW got his assed whooped by Bruce Dern in a nasty fight.

I remember that being the other way around.  Dern got his whooped by a JW that was almost three times his age.   

[Doug.38PR]

He used the big loop '92 way back in Stagecoach.  
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsZwkMc1JZ7-t32kEa7XD78emLUg1DAMroy4QJdNRo5XnmSWwlQg

OH YEEEEAH!!  I forgot about that one!  I think I've only seen that one like two times in my whole life.  I think the first scene we saw him in was whirrling that 92 lever with his hand calling for the stagecoach to stop and pick him up.

First time I saw it was in 1987 in the 4th grade.  Our teacher showed us the movie for discussion purposes and I remember being surprised that other kids in the room, besides myself, knew who John Wayne was and were excited when he appeared in the movie in that way.  "OOOOHHHH!  Man John Wayne's awesome." (back then it seemed  like everybody was into modern Lethal Weapon movies and westerns and older actors from my dad's day were unknown to my generation)