RetroBites: John Wayne (1960)

[Cl3moh]

Everyone looks better on the CBC.

[Kaalec]

Wow. An extraordinarily shallow thinker.

[mntlPurple]

fuck john wayne

[guinnesstrail]

John Wayne was one of the best cinematic actors. True, he probably couldn't do Shakespeare, but I would have paid $25 for ticket to go and watch him try.

Tuh be, or not tuh be : that is the question:

mah blood says take'er and ahm aimin' tuh

do so,

Ya gonna stop me, pilgrim.

Tybalt, go fer thine sabre, good enuhmee,

from thine are too sore from looking at

the beeooty of Bortai,

Unsheath thine sabre, corn sorn it.

[michealjohnengelhart]

things haven't changed much.

[charliebubblesoar]

i love him in a suit!

[immuntocrap2]

Great man

[cuttock]

I am pointing this out as reality, not to white-wash our history with propoganda & nonsense.

American governments have supported those who they thought would be best for our interests. I can see that these decisions were done in the context of World War 2 (supporting scum like Stalin) and beyond, up to this day (supporting miserable dictators all over the Arab World). We've done a lot of good, though, and there are unfair people who hate America, that cannot see this.

[cuttock]

I love John Wayne movies. I respect him and really admire his manliness and honesty. Today's actors are wimpy cretins, really.

But good god, any serious student of history can see he makes a few huge errors in a few of his statements.

He says "Our word has been pretty good for a hundred and eighty years or so" when the native americans can of course prove this different.

Anyone on earth who believes that America's government has supported the "good and decent" is a liar or a fool.

[JimB667]

@cuttock "Our word has been pretty good for a hundred and eighty years or so" yeah that made me laugh... Im no history major but its hard to find any historical time period that was "pretty good" for that long.

[loueast]

what happen to earning your way through life, taking responsability for ones self,

you say they cant afford good health insurance, theres the real problem, you need a good jobs so you can, a goverment run anything has proven to be innificiant and wasteful, sucking the future from americans future kids not yet born, it not right that we ask them to pick up the tab for wastefull spending of the past.

[Libertyjack1]

To me, John Wayne's "conservative" rhetoric just shows that the same hype was played in the pre-Kennedy/Johnston, "conservative" 1960s as they did anytime afterward. Its just hype, spoken through the median of a popular actor of the time. The same old song and dance exists today, and it still works. Don't worry, profiteers of the present US healthcare system, today's John Waynes will ensure that the "radicals" won't change a thing, and that 30 million citizens will continue having no healthca

[slathered]

McCarthy has been proven correct by history.

Declassified Soviet documents have shown

that, indeed, the entertainment industry was being infiltrated by communists, just like McCarthy said.

Don't be fooled by the demonization of McCarthy that has been going on for decades.

[Nationsnotregimes]

John Wayne cared for more than just toys and money.

He was a real public patriot.

In the core of his being he understood the threat against Western Folk.

His son did an interview, and IMO he was a spoilde disrespectful lout towards his father.

RIP John!

[mtp0202]

Sorry, I forgot Lee Marvin!!!!

[mtp0202]

While I love a good John Wayne movie, he did avoid war service himself. Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable did real service. Audie Murphy starred in a movie about himself!!!! Also David Niven was a Commando and Alec Guiness did real war service. John Ford almost lost an eye at Midway filming it while the Japanese attacked it. As much as I love "The Duke" it pains me the differences between fiction fact with Hollywood!!!!

[cinemaman3105]

Glad I wasn't a child during his heyday. I wouldn't be convinced of this chickenhawk's greatness as apparently you fools all are. Read Glenn Greenwald's GREAT AMERICAN HYPOCRITES if you want to know who and what John Wayne and his rightwing buttboys really are.

[htuomnom]

He would turn over in his grave today if he could see where we are today.He was right then and would be today,sorry more people did not listen to him then did.

[TeamBurton]

He'd roll in his grave if he knew they were remaking True Grit...

[charliemctruth]

I always loved his movies,but in my youthful naivety I subconciously despised his views.....And now ..50 years later I realise how misguided I was ,and how right my elders were ,and how history and the times we are now part of vindicates the message that TRUE patriots such as John Wayne were trying to instill in this ,now lost generation.

Men of the stature of Wayne and Heston are now reduced to the status of archaic right wing gun-totin' rednecks.

"True Grit" as an epitaph shall suffice..

[whitesoxsue]

Funny how 40 years later his comments are still relevent today. We give give give to other countries who expect it with little or no respect for us. I loved the Duke when he was alive, not just as an actor, but because he loved our country. Something that is sadly missing today.

[srvrip1]

A mountain of a man!! Rock on John!!

[xtronicx]

2:17 - John Wayne's words are prophetic if you look at today's America. Imagine if he were alive today and saw the shape America was in, what do you think he'd say?

[hannityforpres]

@xtronicx He would say " why did you morons elect a commie like Obama?"

[sumogorilla]

John Wayne for President!

[oneeightywest]

Check out Red River ( with Montgomery Clift ) if you want to see a movie where John Wayne plays a real cruel son of a bitch.

He's mean as hell to Clift on-screen.

[Chesbelloc]

The attempted arrest of FDR probably refers to an event that occurred shortly after FDR became President in 1933 when a group of prominent businessmen sought to organize a military coup against the President.They tried to recruit General Smedley D. Butler to lead it but Butler told them to get lost and the plot collapsed.

[Nationsnotregimes]

Smedley, backed out and did not support the other Officers and Patriots. My guess and IMO when Smedley went for a check up in 1940 and died of UN-known causes at age 59 I bet you his last thoughts were oh heck he got US after all, and they were right!

[conarl1]

I've only seen his movie's it's nice to see him like this.  My dad was a big fan.

[GA7777777]

John Wayne - We need more like him..

[squirenet7]

John Wayne was a real American and Wayne was correct is saying McCarthy was correct. WE surely got veriication of that after the fall of the U.S.S.R. The attempted arrest of FDR I've never heard of, but I'll have to investigate that!!!

[RadicalHiphop1]

I lost all credibility for John Wayne when I found out he was a Conservative.

[NotaCutter88]

Wayne, as an actor and as a man, seemed to come to believe his own persona. And I think that, more than anything else,(i.e. his political views) makes him a very interesting human being. I can think of no living actor that can claim the same level of influence on American culture or on the minds of young, impressionable males.

[PeterFirthFan]

Zac Efron can.

[prvthampton]

or even older, sophisticated females, who almost unanimously adored his work

[TheSanityInspector]

To any number of people through years around the world, he was and is the face of America.

[JimB667]

@NotaCutter88 well put!

[ex1le444]

Yeah, those Commies were everywhere!

[Nationsnotregimes]

Joe McCarthy was a Marine Pilot and he did not need to enlist, but did right away

[PeterFirthFan]

FDR was the greatest president.

[Nationsnotregimes]

Wayne was a principled man, who knew the filth of Hollywood.

John Calvin Coolidge.

Joseph P. McCarthy, never took any ones rights as the neocons now have US bend over at airports.

Smedley D. Butler should have joined in on the attempt to arrest FDR in 1933

[CIBBARNES]

I don't think that he was able to join. he tried though

[dumbbina]

Wow, this rings so true today!!!

[Nationsnotregimes]

Wayne knew Joseph P. McCarthy was an honest decent who was surronded by pos enemy aliens who did US all in.

[dumbbina]

to be honest, I'm pretty ignorant of that time frame of history. All I ever hear about that time frame is the whiny re-phrase, "They named names" I guess you're a good patriot..take care

[cfodk]

John Wayne was my kind of man - on and off screen. His description of the political "elite" hits spot on - then and now.

[Streatham1966]

Yes, he was a great hero in World War Two fighting bravely in Hollywood. Reagan fought courageously there as well. Funny how they keep away from the heat of real battle.

[dumbbina]

I know, unlike today's Hollysmuts' ilk

[Evaldobraz]

He was a good actor, this is important

[MisterMasterShafter]

First, God bless The Duke forever!

Second, McCarthy would have a field day looking for commies in Hollywood today. He was about 40 or 50 years too early.

[Nationsnotregimes]

No Joe was too late, if there had been some leaders in during the 30's and FDR and CABAL would gone to jail.

They did knock off Senator Huey P. Long, believe it.

Joe as a hard working country and only learned too late what the hell was going on.

The lawyer who defended the Hollywood ten was a POS IMO

[silverbud]

What a horrible con. But we have seen exactly this type of american presidents several times.

America as the saviour of the world. What an arrogant lie.

[theelazyace]

tell this to the thousands of soldiers buried at Normandy, that died at Pearl Harbor, in Korea, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, kuwait, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afganistan, Iraq......How about $108,621,000,000 in Foreign Aid from 2001-2006. It's easy to sit in front of a computer and criticize. I hope we don't have to live in a country run by people like you for much longer!

[dumbbina]

Go anywhere else in the world, then. You're FREE to do THAT in this country. Go to Saudi Arabia, see how long before you get a Columbian necktie.

[silverbud]

Nomen est omen in your case.

"Shut up" or "leave the country" as the only alternatives. You are a real intellectual as commander-in-chief Bush was. Congrats

[PREZ150]

John Wayne was a racist !

[Mitchiekidd]

wasnt most people racist back when he was a little kid :S

[JCinmountains]

Vietnam and the Cong were not even in the public consciousness at the time of that interview, and McCarthyism was happening a full decade before Vietnam was blew up. I think Wayne and the interviewer were talking politics in general and especially the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviets.

[bigred997]

I don't knw why he was wasting time talking to an amateur who was both patronizing and baiting.

His words are very prescient close to 50 years later (hard to believe that long!)-

this coountry has lost its dignity because of a third world chump play-acting as president.

[upcycle]

Seems George W Bush talks with similar mannerism, body language, and accent to John Wayne. including the pauses between words with the "uh"s.

[Cheeweedoo]

what the hell is your point?

[lou1606]

hated his political views!!!

but love him as an actor!!

[PeterFirthFan]

I ahted his horrid cigarette voice.

[theelazyace]

you are an idiot!

[davidgee100]

In his day oppose McCarthy and be blacklisted. Soon thereafter, support McCarthy and be blacklisted by Hollywod. Ther seemed to be no middle ground, and that continued until today to some extent.

[415Riggs]

agree with the politics, like the actor too :)

[rhodri24]

dnt agree with the politics; like the man tho.

[Knoss]

McCarthy was not part of HUAC or Hollywood. HUAC was doing different investigations but the one on Hollywood was due tot he infiltration of Communists into guilds and the use of black list against anti-Communists. Another investigation was that of Alger Hiss who was condemned by VENONA.

McCarthy looked into the Army and his methods were problematic but some of the people he accused of being Communists spies were on record both in Washington and Moscow.

[amoderndaydrifter]

I could listen to him talk for hours.

[thaxdouglas]

why is she towering above him?

[ManInBones1]

Because he's about to start playing that piano she's sitting on...

[ehunter2]

As the saying goes..

"Is it a Witch-Hunt when there are real

witches?"

[nobullshitever]

aljancob is exactly right,read the venona papers and see for yourselves

[aljanadcob]

McCarthy was right.

No need to argue.

Once the Soviet Union fell and the files the KGB had were opened, evidence beyond all doubt of communists in the State department was shown.

Don't believe, search Venona files.

Peace!

[clean3]

'As long as you're not mean...picky....petty,' he could almost be describing the McCarthy witch-hunts.

[clean3]

Its a shame this clip isnt longer.....as long as the rope Mr Wayne appears to have been handed. When he was groping his way to the end of his rather tortuous point can we be certain what that was exactly? It occurred to me that sweet might not be the word that sprung to the mind of a Vietnamese mother when describing Americans.

Wayne must have heard what went on in McCarthys trials through the grapevine, which makes his position all the more incomprehensible.

[clean3]

Where's all my punctuation gone?

[Knoss]

It sure as hell wouldn't describe the VietCong. The worst thing that America did was refusing to supply South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos aid to hold off the Communists.

The Communists in Indochina where brutal and did horrific things.

[clean3]

I was referring to the pettiness displayed by McCarthy and his sycophants in destroying the lives of actors and actresses who would have had no more effect on the war than p***ing into the wind effects the weather.....the kind of pettiness that Wayne states here that he doesnt care for.

Somewhere there is an arms trade executive sitting back with a big grin on his face; as long as people see things as simply as you, people like them will have Swiss bank accounts.

[Knoss]

McCarthy had nothing to do with Hollywood; that was the House committee and he was a Senator. His committee looked into the army and State Department. HUAC did have an important role in that unions were using blacklists and threats against anti communist actors, writers, directors, screen analysts etc. The problem was that HUAC focused on Communist films rather then how the CPUSA used the unions to keep out anti-Communist films.

[leibniz771]

great actor

[ErikJoeNoise02]

home of the brave ... defenders of the gold, taken from the Native americans ... .

[0FindGlory]

I'm sure there's some wisdom to be found in his politics! but he comes across like his way of thinking is the right way - only way - and better than anyone elses. The man has a magic quality and I'm enjoying watching his films all over again.

[jobedied]

Where have all the westerns gone.

[888zzz]

He lied to get out of WWII. He was used as a propaganda tool by propagandistic Hollywood.

[ipfrehley]

Get your facts straight. Wayne was examined and declared unfit for duty due to being partially deaf in one ear. Was he used as a propaganda tool? You bet. ...and anyone reading your comment knows that you are just as guilty of spreading propaganda as anyone.

[gluband]

i'd like to see the whole interview

[gluband]

this is a real man.  not a mamby pamby

[menith84]

this is so awkward...he comes off as a very stupid robot

[jmccoy1976]

This just goes to show what a fool an otherwise intelligent person can be. The only explanation is ignorance. Anyway, he was still a star and a great man in many respects. Flawed, but great.

[gluband]

he's not a fool just because you don't agree with him...but you made a fair comment

[ultrakool]

obama should have listened to this before he embarked on his apolopalooza tour

[booval12]

What he said applies to this day as well. Wish we would hear from more famous people today that feel this way. They are out there but afraid of the nastiness of the far left types.

[MJMyrna]

I had no idea he backed McCarthy.

[oneandatwo]

There is nothing any different between the Department of Defense and McCarthy, just McCarthy's method.

[fesbahn]

there was nothing wrong with the dukes idea of what being an american should be, it just wasn't the reality. no reason not to try for it though. he was a good man. i miss him.