hi,
How do you became a John Wayne fan?

How did I became a John Wayne fan?

I looked since I was 5 westerns and that became because my father and grandfather always looked westerns and I was going to look those westerns too, all kind of westerns and I dont knew the actors then but I only watched the actionscenes with saloon fights and indian-army fights.

But a year later I saw Chisum and that was for me the great different between a John Wayne western and other kinds of westerns, ofcourse before Chisum I already saw the cavalry trylogy and Red River but I saw by Chisum the John Wayne style, and since then I was all time looking John Wayne movies, and I still do.

How do you became a John Wayne fan?

jwfan

I had always heard of John Wayne, but had never seen any of his movies until my father-in-law introduced me to them. He had so many of JW's movies on tape and watched them that I have now become a bigger fan than his is and have more movies taped.

Araner

i don't really know how i became a jw fan it just happened i grew up in the bush and his movies were the ones mostly shown at the local movie house so i must have been a jw fan since i was about 4yrs old we liked the indian fights and we used to act them out playing i was always the indian as i was the youngest and was a easy catch to tie up so thats how i became a jw fan

cheers smokey

It is fun to find out how different people come to love the Duke.

As for me, I've always been an unofficial fan, but in the last 4 years I have been increasingly renting, watching, and finally acquiring my own collection of John Wayne movies. I now consider myself an Official Fan. It has become an obvious addiction in my life. I'm not sure if there is a cure . . . . :huh:

You see, our family doesn't subscribe to cable, and where we live, if you don't have cable, all you get is snow on the screen. Our alternative entertainment has been to rent movies, and we have really enjoyed the older movies, as most of them are suitable for all ages (at least the ones we choose). As we started renting JW movies, we realized how much we really enjoyed them, and of course their star, the Duke. When we saw them on sale at K-Mart or similar places, we scooped them up, and that's how our collection began. Our youngest son, now 7, has been an avid JW fan at least since he was three years old, when he announced, "I a cowboy! I John Wayne!" He remembers more details from the movies than my wife and I put together - it's amazing! Our movie collection is up to 71 titles, not including 5 documentaries. Most are on video, and I am starting to build up titles in DVD now. "The Sands of Iwo Jima" movie poster hangs on the wall, about two feet away from a life sized cardboard cut out of the Duke. As many of you know, we just went down to Tombstone, Arizona, to celebrate John Wayne's 96th birthday with other members of Duke's Hollywood Cowboys. I've got the leather vest, now if I could only find the right hat . . . . It's a slippery slope, and I'm slidin' fast! :D

Chester

I guess I became a John Wayne fan when I was around 10 or 11. Every Sunday afternoon I would pile on the couch with my Dad and watch westerns. There was one channel on tv that would play westerns all day. We'd watch Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Maverick, Big Valley, and then they would always show a couple of western movies in the evening. The Duke was my Dad's favorite, and shortly became mine also. I started recording and collecting his movies. My Dad started my collection of memorabilia by giving me an old Look magazine with the Duke on the cover. I've been collecting ever since. My sister calls it a sickness. If it is... I don't want to be cured. :lol:

Amy

I Guess i was brought up with JW movies i think the first i remember is the Searchers my late father was my best friend and i would sit there and watch all movies and football and documentys as i was the only son so i couldn't play cowboys and indians till i got to shcool, there is a scene in the Searchers that reminds me of my father the look JW gives the girl who grabs the doll from martin he walks away and looks back before he goes out the door that was my father all over but the rest of the movie not a thing reminds me of him,so i think it was a great feeling to watch those old movies then it just struck home i was hooked.

Hi!
This is a very cool question!
When I was about 6 years old, we went down to Tuscon and visited with family. For fun they took us to Old Tuscon were some of John Waynes pictures were made! It has to be the best memory I have, going to Old Tuscon. Someone said it had burned down a while back, is that true? I hope not I would love to go back, to show my husband. Anyway, after getting home, because there was John Wayne everywhere, I started watching his movies and asking! And instead of a picture of like Shawn Cassody on my wall, which was on of the popular stars at the time I was growing up, I had a pictue of John Wayne on my wall! I have been a BIG FAN ever since!
I think he was the greatest!
Stacy

I have always loved John Wayne movies, every since I can remember, I remember when The Alamo came into the theater for the first time, My firend Bruce and I went, this was when I was 10 years old.
As I grew older, I watch a lot of TV and saw a lot more of John Wayne, I began to realize that what I heard about him was true, I never heard a bad thing about John Wayne except in the Hippie Days, when I remained a fan despite the fact that he was unpopular at that time because of his politics--I was probably the only John Wayne fan in those days who was also an ultra-liberal hippie type. Ultimately this disqualfied me from being a real hippie and I began to grow up. As I grew up my admiration for the man also grew.
He was, is, and will always remain my hero. With the passing of Peck, they are all gone, all the great actors which personified Hollywood, today no one even come close to the kind of man The Duke was. I can only think of one who may qualify and that would be Mel Gibson--who I have heard is a good father, honorable man, gun-owner, believes in the freedoms we enjoy in this country and doesn't bend to the Holywood "left".
Doug

Oh and I forgot, Yes Stacy, it is true, Old Tucson burned about 3 years ago now, it has been entirely rebuilt but it is just not the same anymore. Before you could see places in Old Tucson then see them again in movies like Rio Lobo and El Dorado.

Doug
Tucson

My fan status would be around 1991 when I started collecting John Wayne on the Timelife John Wayne collection. This started out with Rio Bravo, and I have been a rabid fan ever since.

But going back, I saw my first Duke movie in 1967 with the re-release of McLintock! and love the comedy. I especially enjoyed as a 6 year old the fact that adults could get a wooping if they act up, but the mud fight scene was the best. Later, I saw The Green Berets, Ture Grit, The Train Robbers, and The Shootist at the drive-in.

I collected John Wayne posters in the early days before his death, and of course hung them up with Farrah Fawcett Majors, and some other cute women (can't remember their names, must not have been important).

I remember seeing Duke on Bob Hope specials, Laugh-In, Red Skelton and Lucy Shows. He was always someone I respected and liked. I loved him on a Dean Martin Roast, and found him funny. So, I guess, I have always been a fan as long as I can remember, but more so today, because of his causes, and beliefs. He was tough, and hard, but he was a very fair man. He always wanted what was best for everyone, and he was no nonsense kind of person.

During the "hippie days", I didn't hear much about Duke, because I was caught up with the scene, and Duke didn't fit in that scene. He wasn't in my generation, and I was into what my friends were into.

By the time I got into high school, I had several friends who loved John Wayne and loved imitating him by his talk and walk. We all did that, and had a great time.

Most of the movies up to the time of 1991 I seen on TV were his movies in the '60's and '70's. So what a great discovery to find classics in video before the '60's.

Hondo B)

Thanks Doug for the information.
That is a bumber, it was so neat to see the areas were his films were shot. I loved going there, but like you said it just isn't going to be the same. Thanks for letting me know.

Stacy

I didn't grow up watching Duke on TV. If he was on, I didn't pay attention. None of my friends were fans, so he was never a topic of conversation. When I was 15, some friends and I were bored so we decided to go to the drive-in. We wanted to see a movie I know forget the title to but The Shootist was playing on the double bill. Well, seeing Duke up on that screen...dominating it...I was hooked. Whenever I came across him on TV, I started paying attention. Wow. I couldn't believe the enjoyment I got out of his movies. I am one to learn all I can when I get to wanting to know more, so I bought a book about him. Then another and so on. If you read his life story and all about his beliefs and what he stood for, you can't help but admire the man. I Started buying his movies after aquiring my first VCR. Then came the pics and statues and mugs. It never ends...nor do I want it to. I still have no other fans in my family so thank s to the internet, us fans finally have others to talk to about it. I am just sad that I came into being a fan after he made his last film. I would have loved seeing more of him on the big screen. dukefan1

I became a John Wayne fan in the 60's watching his movies on TV after school with my dad and mom, Even coming home on leave in the service I remember taking my mother to see the shootist at the theater.

Brian
Tulalip Wa

I'd like to "bring this topic back to the top", since there have been so many new members in the past few weeks, and this thread was tucked way back on page 16 or so.

I hope some of the newer members will enjoy reading about how some of us have come to love the Duke :wub:, and post their own stories as well. I enjoyed reading this entire thread again.

Chester

Hello :rolleyes:
Saturday and Sundays, and weekday afternoons with my father watching John Wayne :cowboy:

Monique :chickawow:

I have always been a John Wayne fan..My family is the typical All-American Family....We belive in God, Country, Family and John Wayne in that order. My daddy always tells me that without god we cant have country and without country we can't have family...and later on i added with out John Wayne we cant have the Honor...I can remember watching Sands of Iwo Jima and thinking that with out the John Waynes of the world none of us would be free. (I was a deep thinkiner as a child but I often saw things in black and white...your either good or evil, and John Wayne represent everything good in the world to me) But growing up I saw John Wayne in another light....He was a man with flaws....BUT he never used any of his flaws as a crutch that I see alot of ppl my age use. I think if you stop and watch and i mean really watch John Waynes Characters all had some sort of flaws...IE....Sgt Stryker(Sands of Iwo Jima) he was tough and he was a Marines Marine...and deep down what he wanted was for his Child to understand why he wasn't around, a hard drinker but very vaulable in teaching men to be Marines, he had a job to do and he did it...The Shearchers....Eathen He was a bigot hated everything about indians, even threathening to kill his own niece but in the end the family man in him would not allow him too. I could go on....he was a man with Flaws but he was also a Rock too many ppl. He belived what he belived and wasn't wishy-washy.
Crystal

A friend of mine had a copy of "Big Jake" but his parents thought the movie was too violent for him to be watching so they give it to me as I was older. :D Loved the Duke ever since and have never seen anyone who came close to him. Weirdly enough I was introduced to Clints movies before the Dukes but they didnt have the same impact on me.

:agent:

Robbie,

I hadn't realized you missed this thread the first time around until now. I don't think I knew how you started to like John Wayne. Did your friend come to like John Wayne as he got older? Did he have other JW movies? How old were you?

Enquiring minds want to know . . . (at least this one does :) ).

Chester

Yo Chesty

I was talking to him on Saturday but we only talked about football, but out of interst I will ask him the next time I see him. I think I was ten or eleven at the time. I remember at watching Rio Lobo recently with a group of friends it didnt go down too well. I've found that the best movie to show someone who hasn't heard of John Wayne is El Dorado. I know I got a friend of mine to like the Duke the movie that finally converted him was True Grit and that famous little scene.

Cheers
Robbie

:agent:

I was exposed to John Wayne movies at a very early age, it seemed that every holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and the 4th) my Dad would have some JW movie on the tube. I'm more of the Duke western nut :cowboy: , than a military one. But I'll watch either one just the same.

Hi again. Since I am new here I thought I'd add my story.

I became a John Wayne fan last summer. A friend at another forum I visit made a list of her favorite movie kisses and her very favorite was the one in The Quiet Man - the windswept one in the dark cottage. Well, bearing that in mind, I happened to be at Target a few weeks later and I saw that they had the DVD for $9.99. I bought it, watched it, and loved it. (But just between you and me my favorite kiss is the one in the cemetery.) Anyway, I'm in grad school and I haven't had a lot of time to devote to watching movies, but for much of the summer I've been trying to get my hands on Duke.

It's so funny about John Wayne. He's such an icon that you almost take him for granted. He's always on TV (if you have cable or satellite) and you just don't pay him any mind until something sits up and makes you take notice. Now I have something more in common with my grandma, since she's been a JW fan for a long time.

Another thing that draws me to him is the comparison that is always made between him and the great ballplayer Ted Williams. I've been a Ted fan much of my life and it just makes sense now that I like Duke too. Ted loved Duke's movies. I have a great picture of the two of them at a party with Bruce Cabot and Patrick Wayne. In between Duke and Ted (two big guys!) there is teeny tiny little Red Buttons.

My favorites so far are probably TQM (obviously), The Three Godfathers, and Red River. Being of the female variety I guess I am not quite as keen on the war flicks but I still enjoy them and can appreciate them, even the non-love scenes.

Favorite quote so far: "Drift."

Yes, I'd have to say that I too watched westerns with my family mostly on the weekends. I was 9 when John Wayne passed away. I always looked forward to see one of his movies on t.v.. I too never had cable t.v. until maybe 6 years ago. I live out in the sticks so it's still fascinating to me to see all of the different programs. The computer also didn't come into my home until 4years ago. I just think it is so neat to be able to communicate with other Wayne fans.
Little Duke

I just remember simply growing up watching his movies on TV after Church on Sunday afternoons and stuff like that. Sometimes seeing him on Laugh In or whatever and my granddad was a big fan too. The one that sticks out in my mind as like the first one I can remeber vividly seeing was War Wagon and one of my personal favorites Eldorado and of course my names sake! Rio Bravo... :D

----------------------------
"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk..."

I grew up watching the Duke of the great screen. My father who was a commercial pilot wasn't home all the time. But when he did come home, if a Wayne movie was on at the theater, we HAD to go see it. I only remember seeing a few pics like "The Shootist", which we saw up at Brigaham City, Utah, where dad was stationed, when we went to visit him.

The earliest movie I remember was "Circus World". We went to a drive-in to see that one. About an hour into the movie, I fell asleep in the back seat, after all, I was really young then.

When the VCR came to the household, my father asked me to tape the movies for him when they come on if he wasn't home. Dad had a large collection by the time of his death in the early 90's.

I started collecting his films for myself around the 80's. John Wayne and my father were a lot alike. Both are big and a bit weather beaten, but well loved by all. I just hope that I'm like them both.

OK, I know I "brought this to the top" recently, but we have lost any of the newest replies, and I hope some who posted will please post again (Arthur and Popol Vuh, are you hearing me :rolleyes: ?). There are many others who have joined since August of last year (Chilibill, Stumpy, SXViper . . . too many to remember again . . . :blink: . . . but you know who you are . . . ).

So please . . . tell us how you came to be a fan of the Duke!

Mrs. C :angel1:

[ATTACH]14]

Hi Mrs C

With the crash this week and in response your request to repeat how we became John Wayne fans here goes.

I have been a fan of John Wayne for as long as I have been watching films and that is from the late 1940s.

We used to go the cinema every Sunday night, to the Shaftsbury the local cheap cinema that never showed new pictures , alway ones that were a few months old, lot of Joun Wayne pictures. And during the summer holidays most of te time was spent at the cinema, with Saturday mornings at the Gaumont Saturday Cinema Club.

My first memories of John Wayne were The Fighting Kentuckian and Wake of the Red Witch, and I still retain a very soft spot for these pictures. Then Island n the Sky, and one night going to the Troxy, which at the time, was the only cinema in town showing Cinemascope pictures, to see The High and The Mighty, I even went and bought the record of the theme music by Norrie Paramour on a 78, and up to a couple of months ago thought I still had it, but its gone.

In the late fifties I went to the Gaumont to see a special screening of Red River and came out having seen one of my all time favourite John Wayne pictures. Then my mum told me about the fight scene in the Quiet Man, and lo and behold when it came back to the good old Shaftsbury, off I went and saw my all time favourite John Wayne picture.

Since then with the invention of the video I have managed to see and collect many of his earlier films especially his work for Monogram.

Later I used to write to a man in Canada whose uncle was the cowboy star Rod Cameron and he put me on to someone he knew who had John Wayne tapes.

The amazing thing was I sent him one letter telling him I was interested, he sent back ten video tapes, that could play on English television, containing films such as Hangman's House, Salute Men Without Women, many of the three Mesquiteer series The High and the Mighty and Island in the Sky. seventeen in all, with no question of payment. There ar'nt many people like him around.

From Bill Cameron I also got the address of the stunt man Neil Summers. I wrote to him and he sent me a couple of autographed photographs. As I opened one I realised it was a photograph of Neil standing next to John Wayne and both had been signed. Just for a brief second I thought that all my Christmas's had come at once but looking I realised that the photo including Dukes signature was a print . But Neils signature was real and I still treasure it.

Tis pen picture is slightly different from the original but there it is.


Regards


Arthur

I cant say I was a big fan growing up...but I never turned a John Wayne movie off in the middle.
I guess I became a fan after I saw True Grit and realized that I've become like Rooster Cogburn myself!
"Fill your hands you son of a bitch!"
God I love that movie! Big Jake is another one of my favorites.

Ok you ask for it! It was in the late 1930s in Phoenix, Arizona, and as young kids we would go to the Saturday movies at the old Fox Movie Theater in down town Phoenix. In those days there would be Two main Movies, a Serial like Flash Gordon, and the News of the day. Some times we would sit thru them at least two times. This was long before T.V. and the Computer.

Some time in 1939 there was a Big Promo drive on a new film that was shot in Monument Valley that was about 200 miles north of Phoenix as the bird flys. The name of the Film was "Stagecoach" and was to have as one of the Stars "John Wayne" that we had seen in the B-Westerns many times before at the old Fox Theater. When the movie came we made a big thing of going to the movie because we had gone on a camping trip to Monument Valley a year before and wanted to see all the places at the movies, that we had seen before in person. Duke played The Ringo Kid and from that time on that was who I wanted to be, I was about 9 years old. That movie made John Wayne a Big Star.

Some 10 years later I was to work in 4 of the Duke's films that were done in Northern Arizona at Sedona, Monument Valley and Moab Ut. as a Extra and Handyman. And then about 25 years later to spend 3 days with him in Northern California! So I think you could say that I have been a "Duke Fan" for about 65 years. Chilibill :cowboy: :fear2: :D

I can't remember not being a Duke fan...for me he was always kind of there! Growing up in Texas around cattle ranches and rodeos I've always been a Western fan, and I always liked John Wayne westerns the best; I would watch his old movies on TV and got to see his last westerns, from "The Cowboys" to "The Shootist" when they were new. As a kid, all my friends were getting into Star Wars, and various action heroes. They did nothing for me; to me The Duke always was and always will be the coolest! Of course my dad had a lot to do with that... he always reminded me of The Duke...just a shorter (but tougher) version!

My father has taught me many things, and in some I have become even better than he. My love for John Wayne is an excellent example. I am a person who quotes movies all the time, and one of the oldest quotes I remembered was "Everything happens to me and now I've been shot by a child!" I did not realize I was quoting True Grit, so young was I when I first saw it I had forgotten all but that line. I have wanted to rewatch True Grit and see Rooster Cogburn for many moons now. I would have to say that my favorite JW movie is The Searchers, but McLintock! is a lot of fun. (I own both those.)

-CClemens B)

CClements,

I'd like to welcome you to the great message board in the world that honors a great legend, John Wayne! That's a pretty good quote even though it didn't come from Rooster (Duke) Cogburn. This came from Cheney after he was shot from that child. Anyway, this is a good quote, and I hope you get to see that movie very soon. Again, welcome and glad to have you here. I see that you've been signed up for a while. That's alright. I just wanted to officially say, "Howdy Pilgrim."

Cheers B)

CClemens,

We'd like to join Hondo in welcoming you to the John Wayne Message Board, the best of its kind on the 'Net! You find yourself among a group of friendly, highly knowledgeable folks.

How old were you when you started watching the Duke with your Dad (is he still around)? Our youngest son was about three years old (he's eight now), and he used to strut around with an oversized Stetson, telling people, "I a cowboy, I John Wayne!"

Anyway, we just wanted to say "Howdy!" and also thank you for letting us know a little about yourself. We hope you decide to hang around!

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

You don't become a John Wayne fan you are just naturally born that way don't fight it go with it . It's one hell of an experience! :jump:

Hi Johnwayneabe

Welcome to the John Wayne Message Board. I guess your probably right it seems that John Wayne fans arrive early and it lasts for all their lives.
I hope you keep posting.
Love the signiture it's like Gone With The Wind.

Regards

Arthur

When I was a kid, the only John Wayne movie I really watched was "The Alamo." This was back when local tv stations played a movie each weeknight. I liked the movie, but wasn't what you would call a fan. I do remember sitting in front of the tv the day he died. I was surprised, even at age 8--that the legendary Duke had died. It would be fifteen years before I became hooked on the Duke's films, life and times. "El Dorado" was the movie that did it for me, and I haven't looked back. I find myself obsessed with the 1940s-1960s era in general. The time from WWII up to the late 1960s really fascinates me.

Hi Cole Thornton

I agree with you it covered some of his most memorable work.


Regards

Arthur

El Dorado is one of my very favorites as well! My brother and I even went so far as to memorize the poem by Poe.

I started watching the Duke at what must have been a young age... but I don't remember when. It wasn't that long ago time wise, maybe ten or so years. Yep, Pop's still around. We still watch the Duke together when we can.

Yes, if you haven't figured it out, I'm still not yet twenty. :D

Hi CClemens


I'd like to welcome you to the John Wayne Message Board as well. I hope you will enjoy a long stay.

El Dorado is a very good picture have you got the theme music? I know its around on a couple of CD's.

Regards

Arthur

I can't really remember not being a John Wayne fan. I can remember seeing Rio Bravo at the drive-in theater (how many years ago is that). Of course, all the excitement locally (in San Antonio) when Duke was filming "The Alamo" at Bracketville and the subsequent World Premiere here in October, 1960 remain firmly in memory. I guess his powerful screen presence and the generally high morality of his movies made a steadfast impression.

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all :newyear:

Jay

:cowboy: I'm surprised that I had not seen this topic before.

Well here goes.....

The first movies I can ever rememebr seeing were John Wayne movies. The first ones I remember watching (not necessarily in order) Rio Lobo, Big Jake, The Green Berets, The Alamo, Rio Bravo, Donovan's Reef, Hatari, Rooster Cogburn, The Cowboys and The Shootist..

I never saw any of the really older ones untill we got cable TV in the lats 1970's. At that time, I got my first exposure to Stagecoach, Hondo, The Searchers, McClintock, Red River, Rio Grande, Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Three Godfathers, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Flying Tigers, The Flying Leathernecks, Big Jim McClain, Jet Pilot, They Were Expendable, North To Alaska, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Hellfighters, Brannigan, True Grit, Cahill U.S. Marshal, etc. It took about another 10 or so years before I finally got to see some of his earlier stuff. A friend of mine's Dad waas a hugh JW fan and had on tape every John Wayne film. He had friends and relatives around the country who taped movies never shown in our area. I then got to see great ones like: Alleghany Uprising, Hell Town, Haunted Gold, 'Neath Arizona Skies, Man From Utah etc.

In about 1992, I got my first exposure to his Serials like: The Three Musketeers, The Hurricane Express etc.

I was weened on John Wayne movies.

Best regards--TRK.

Just curious Ringo could you explain how you became a John Wayne fan? You told us the first movies you watched, and that you were weened, but that doesn't tell us that much about your beginnings of being a fan. Example, could your father have been a fan, and you watched movies with him? Just interested in how you started out on Duke.

Cheers B)

Originally posted by Hondo Duke Lane@Dec 29 2004, 07:47 PM
Just curious Ringo could you explain how you became a John Wayne fan?* You told us the first movies you watched . . . .
13382

I don't know, Hondo, but it sounds like a simple case of immersion to me. He almost couldn't help himself :D !

If I remember correctly from the many of TRK's posts I've read, Ringo's in his late thirties, which would mean he was born during the Duke's last decade of making movies. He got "drug" to the theatre to see most of the movies in his first paragraph, as a young child. You get to the late seventies, when cable TV came into his life, and if an adult in one's life was really into John Wayne (as you have suggested, Hondo) and was taking full advantage of having those movies in the comfort of one's own home - even if you weren't a fan right off, you'd grow into one without hardly tryin'.

So c'mon, Ringo, give us a little more detail. :rolleyes: . . . please?

Mrs. C. :angel1:

This hasn't been up front since January and I'm sure there are many new members out there who haven't told the board how they became JW fans. So, in my normal resurrection mode, here it is!!!
Cheers - Jay :D

Well said Jay, my Texan friend,
(actually you're the only person, I know in Texas)
but good of you to bring this one up again,
but please, just a little more personal info
would really help us, to get to know each other!!
And as a reassurance to any newbies,
I am sure, my fellow members will agree,
that the divulging of any personal thoughts, or information on this site,
has never been a threat!!
Thanks, in all ways, to the administration team.
Be good!!

Originally posted by ethanedwards@Jun 2 2005, 06:59 PM
just a little more personal info
would really help us, to get to know each other!!
17150

Hi Ethan -
Well, I have been a life-long (62 years)fan of John Wayne's since I can remember and was thrilled when I discovered this board in November. I am currently editor of a community paper, the Southside Reporter (the good news paper) here in San Antonio, which is in its 71st year of publication. I am celebrating my 41st anniversary with the paper this Sunday. I am a life-long resident here, but since my father was in the Air Force, we made overseas trips to Japan and Germany in my formative years. We actually stayed in London for a few months in the spring of 1954 prior to our final location in Frankfurt A.M.. We were in a suburb of London called Teddington near Bushy Park.
I've worked in all aspects of the newpaper here, but one of the things I am most proud of is turning my love of classical music into coverage of the local concerts, playing the part of critic (don't like that word) which I have been doing since 1979.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that our admiration of John Wayne brings us all together on this board for wholesome dialogue and exchange of information and just plain fun - it's easy to get addicted here.
Cheers - Jay :D :D :D

Jay,
That's a wonderful bio!,
in fact after, i'd been a member, for only a cuople of weeks,
I added more personal things to my profile,
I think we've mentioned before, that not everyone
wants to add details, but, it would be really much better,
if we even knew where folks lived!
Jay, you may well be the only Texan, I get to know,
but if they're all like you, Texas, must be a great place!!
Thanks,
ethanedwards

Hi Guys

As you say, not everyone wants goes out of their way to give info about themselves.


As for when I became a Duke fan, It was in the early 60's. They were going to show "THE QUIET MAN" for the first time on TV. The build up to it seemed to last for weeks. every night they would show a little bit of the trailer, So when it came on, on that sunday night, I sat with all my family round our little black and white box, and from that moment on I was a John Wayne Fan.

Emmanuel. :jump:

Originally posted by chester7777@Jun 27 2003, 11:07 AM
It is fun to find out how different people come to love the Duke.

As for me, I've always been an unofficial fan, but in the last 4 years I have been increasingly renting, watching, and finally acquiring my own collection of John Wayne movies.* I now consider myself an Official Fan.* It has become an obvious addiction in my life.* I'm not sure if there is a cure . . . .** :huh:

You see, our family doesn't subscribe to cable, and where we live, if you don't have cable, all you get is snow on the screen.* Our alternative entertainment has been to rent movies, and we have really enjoyed the older movies, as most of them are suitable for all ages (at least the ones we choose).* As we started renting JW movies, we realized how much we really enjoyed them, and of course their star, the Duke.* When we saw them on sale at K-Mart or similar places, we scooped them up, and that's how our collection began.* Our youngest son, now 7, has been an avid JW fan at least since he was three years old, when he announced, "I a cowboy!* I John Wayne!"* He remembers more details from the movies than my wife and I put together - it's amazing!* Our movie collection is up to 71 titles, not including 5 documentaries.* Most are on video, and I am starting to build up titles in DVD now.* "The Sands of Iwo Jima" movie poster hangs on the wall, about two feet away from a life sized cardboard cut out of the Duke.* As many of you know, we just went down to Tombstone, Arizona, to celebrate John Wayne's 96th birthday with other members of Duke's Hollywood Cowboys.* I've got the leather vest, now if I could only find the right hat . . . .* It's a slippery slope, and I'm slidin' fast!* :D

Chester
1695




Chester I'm not sure if I'm doing this right but I would sure like to hear more about the group " Dukes Hollywood Cowboys" .

so long kilo 6

kilo 6,

Unfortunately, Duke's Hollywood Cowboys was disbanded about a year ago. I think some of the former members are involved in re-enactment events and such.

Chester :newyear:

I feel very sorry for the new generation of children growing up. As early as I can remember I had my cap guns and ten gallon hat hanging by my bed, and at 49 I still do!
Now children are discouraged to play cowboys, or cops and military men. What a shame.
Clearly it would be far better to have kids running around playing cowboys than sitting in their rooms on the computer.

Wall-Mart takes a lot of heat these days but it is the only place you can go in and outfit your little cowboy or cowgirl.

I have always loved the Duke, Roy the long Ranger and Chuck. I remember the first time I saw the Alamo my Mom bought me a four foot Paris wooden musket, I still have it. Wow I loved than gun. I lost count of how many times I won the Alamo! My Dad made me a leather pouch and I cut roll caps so I could have quick single shots....I can still smell the powder from those old caps.

Mike

Hi Michaelaucutt,
WELCOME to the JWMB
I'm sure you will meet many friends here,
Have a good time!

Best Wishes,
ee

Welcome Michaelaucutt to the JWMB where you'll find a lot of friendly people around to discuss our favorite actor, John Wayne and almost any other subject you can think of. Visit us often - glad you're here!
Cheers - Jay :D

Michaelaucutt,

We, too, would like to welcome you to the John Wayne Message Board, the best of its kind on the 'Net!

I've had to resort to ebay for a fair amount of outfitting for my little cowboy (not so little anymore - he's nine years old now, and growing like a weed!). Sometimes, at events like a Civil War reenactment or Mountain Man Rendesvouz, some really neat guns for kids are available (or course, at a price :( that would strain one's budget a little, to say the least). But we've spent many a dollar to generate enthusiasm for the Western legacy amongst our kids and grandkids (only one has really taken to it, although there is no lack of enthusiasm for guns in general, especially amongst the boys).

Anyway, we sure hope you will become a regular around here! :D

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

hi micaelaucutt

welcome here we are warm and friendly. i have to say we are not so bad down under we can still buy toy guns in quite a few shops and some of them sell the sets which have gun, holster, belt s badge so i have bought my lad a set ( he just broke his gun a few weeks ago so i replaced it) he has had quite a few hours of fun with them. to be trueful i think this is a good way for children to learn about guns safely as they cant shoot someone by mistake.

once again welcome see you come back soon

hooroo smokey

Hi,
I became JW fun only that year, and it begins with the collection of four John Ford movies with him - Stagecoach, The Searchers, Fort Apache and The Horse Solgies. After that I began to look for JW movies wether I can find them. I have now all that were here - it wasn't too much.
Senta

By his western movies, the classic Ford and Hawks ones shown in TV in the late 1970´s. He was my first love at the age of 12, and in the same time I strongly identified myself with his roles. Before you ask, yes I´m female, but I´ve never identified with princesses.
I´ve never stopped liking him, but I only started to collect dvd´s and to watch his movies otherwise than by chance every now and then, less than a year ago. And now I own about 70 and the amount is increasing.

Originally posted by etsija@Feb 25 2006, 03:56 AM
I´ve never stopped liking him, but I only started to collect dvd´s and to watch his movies otherwise than by chance every now and then, less than a year ago. And now I own about 70 and the amount is increasing.
27920
It's addicting, isn't it :D ?

Glad to have you join us, etsija!

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

I grew up watching JW movies with my grandfather, who loved any western and my father, who has JW's look alike face! He has the same nose and eyes. I have admired JW and loved every single movie I have seen him in. My DVD collection is not very big but it is growing. I am 38 yrs old now and my 11 yr old son is a JW fan also. Our favorite movies to watch together is Hatari and McLintock. He loves the scene of the huge mudfight. He has seen every war movie JW has made. When my son isn't watching a Star Wars movie, he has on John Wayne. He knows that gets mom and dad to sit on the couch with him for a show.

Dukette,

It's great to see you back after a long absence! We hope you'll become a regular:D!

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

Dukette,

It's great to see you back after a long absence! We hope you'll become a regular:D!

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:
I agree, How are you?

I guess it was just a matter of timing. The first movie I saw was Rio Bravo, from that point on I was hooked. Unfortunately, a character such as The Duke would not be as successful in todays culture. He is too upstanding and doesn't swear enough. I feel fortunate to have been exposed to John Wayne and try to expose my son to his movies as much as possible.

I became a John Wayne fan before I was conscious of anything else, when I was a wee lad of about three my parents would always watch John Wayne films in fact the most played movies were Rio Bravo/El Dorado. But it wasn't until the beginning of the century that I became a huge John Wayne fanatic and started collecting all of his on DVD.

My first acquisition was the 11 movie set from Platinum Disc company, it had most of his Lone Star Westerns and with that purchase I became forever a Duke fan. That was 2003.... now 4 years later I now own 106 Wayne movies on DVD.

Hi Brannigan. I could be wrong, but have we crossed paths on the imdb before?

My parents took me out to Hollywood, actually Huntington Beach, to visit an Aunt. We went to Hollywood to do some site seeing with my Aunt and she knew where some of the stars hung out. I don't remember the specifics but the only star my parents told me I was impressed with was a man we saw at a restaurant one afternoon, the man stood up and he towered above me, my mouth dropped open and I guess he said something to me like excuse me sonny and after that I just stood there. That's right... it was The Duke. My father introduced himself and me to Wayne and from then on all I remember is watching Westerns as I grew up. I went to every movie I could that John Wayne was in. I remember seeing his last movie when I was stationed overseas and then hearing he died. I only remember bits and pieces of that one day but I do remember it was the day I met John Wayne.

That must have been something Dakota! Wow!

I've just always been a Duke fan myself since I can remember. His movies were always on in our house on Friday and Saturday evenings back when the local stations had late shows on.

Hi Brannigan. I could be wrong, but have we crossed paths on the imdb before?

Indeed we have, gt, For I am thefirsttripleh!

Well welcome to the best website on the planet tr...oops! I mean Brannigan. Looking forward to getting to know you better.

I became a John Wayne fan before I was conscious of anything else, when I was a wee lad of about three my parents would always watch John Wayne films in fact the most played movies were Rio Bravo/El Dorado. But it wasn't until the beginning of the century that I became a huge John Wayne fanatic and started collecting all of his on DVD.

My first acquisition was the 11 movie set from Platinum Disc company, it had most of his Lone Star Westerns and with that purchase I became forever a Duke fan. That was 2003.... now 4 years later I now own 106 Wayne movies on DVD.

Welcome to this great site and, looks like you going to give Colorado Bob, a good running on having so many of the Duke's films. You have me beat by appx 40 or so titles.

Well welcome to the best website on the planet tr...oops! I mean Brannigan. Looking forward to getting to know you better.


I look forward to getting to know every one better, this is the first time I have been able to be around large number of Duke fans ever and I love it.

Welcome to this great site and, looks like you going to give Colorado Bob, a good running on having so many of the Duke's films. You have me beat by appx 40 or so titles.

I grabbed most of them while they were on sale for 8 bucks, but the set that set me back the most was Warner's fabulous John Wayne/John Ford collection. But I am not as blind as to feel that John Wayne has never made a bad movie... I submit for you consideration The Conqueror (1956).

Yeah, I'm still stuck somewhere around 75 myself, and as far as The Conquerer goes, I also had a hard time with The Barbarian and the Geisha.

I myself bought them as I found them but the titles that are giving the most fits are the Republic titles. But thankfully Lionsgate is participating in the 100th B-day celebrations and are re-releasing all their titles.

I agree with ya, the Duke as Gengis Kahn left something to the imagination for sure.

The less said the better

Hello all,

This is my first posting to the site, so talking about how I became a Wayne fan seemed a good place to start. To be honest, I'm pretty new to Wayne fandom. I'm only in my 20s and didn't grow up watching Wayne or even many westerns for that matter, but I'm currently in school to be a film historian and starting watching some Wayne westerns from the late 40s and 50s like Red River, the cavalry trilogy, Hondo, and others and got hooked. Especially in the academy, there is a pervasive idea that all of Wayne's work is virulently racist, sexist, imperialist, and any other "ist" you can throw in there, but when you go back and watch the movies there is so much complexity and nuance that often gets overlooked. So right now I'm working on a research project on the Duke's international appeal in the 1950s and what drew people around the world to Wayne fandom at the time. Speaking of which, anyone know a good way to get a look at international posters for Wayne's movies? Many of the studio archives in LA don't have those advertising materials. Anyway, glad to be here, and I look forward to posting again sometime.

Hello all,

This is my first posting to the site, so talking about how I became a Wayne fan seemed a good place to start. To be honest, I'm pretty new to Wayne fandom. I'm only in my 20s and didn't grow up watching Wayne or even many westerns for that matter, but I'm currently in school to be a film historian and starting watching some Wayne westerns from the late 40s and 50s like Red River, the cavalry trilogy, Hondo, and others and got hooked. Especially in the academy, there is a pervasive idea that all of Wayne's work is virulently racist, sexist, imperialist, and any other "ist" you can throw in there, but when you go back and watch the movies there is so much complexity and nuance that often gets overlooked. So right now I'm working on a research project on the Duke's international appeal in the 1950s and what drew people around the world to Wayne fandom at the time. Speaking of which, anyone know a good way to get a look at international posters for Wayne's movies? Many of the studio archives in LA don't have those advertising materials. Anyway, glad to be here, and I look forward to posting again sometime.


rmeeuf welcome to the site, and I'm glad you posted.

There is this prevailing attempt to dis-credit Duke on so many levels. What is truly amazing is that the harder the 'anti-duke' members of the industry try to dis-credit his works the more popular he seems. Almost 30 years out from his death he's still found in the top 10 in the Harris Poll (http://www.jwayne.com/news/archives/00000052.shtml), and named as the Top Money-Maker of All Time (http://www.jwayne.com/news/archives/00000054.shtml) in the Quigley Publishing Company annual star poll.

As for the international posters I'm sure that there would be someone here on the board that could help you in that area.


Cheers,

Kevin

I can't believe that I forgot to say, WELCOME rmeeuf! This site is the best John Wayne on the web and it would be site I feel that Duke himself would be proud of.

Hi meeuf

Just to welcome you to the site. Hope you stay after you have completed your project.

As for the posters. if you work through the Forum and pick up on the Dukes films listed here you will probably find a number of pictures of International posters just browse.

Regards

Arthur

Welcome to the best site on the net rmeeuf. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please stick around for awhile.

Hello all,

This is my first posting to the site, so talking about how I became a Wayne fan seemed a good place to start. To be honest, I'm pretty new to Wayne fandom. I'm only in my 20s and didn't grow up watching Wayne or even many westerns for that matter, but I'm currently in school to be a film historian and starting watching some Wayne westerns from the late 40s and 50s like Red River, the cavalry trilogy, Hondo, and others and got hooked. Especially in the academy, there is a pervasive idea that all of Wayne's work is virulently racist, sexist, imperialist, and any other "ist" you can throw in there, but when you go back and watch the movies there is so much complexity and nuance that often gets overlooked. So right now I'm working on a research project on the Duke's international appeal in the 1950s and what drew people around the world to Wayne fandom at the time. Speaking of which, anyone know a good way to get a look at international posters for Wayne's movies? Many of the studio archives in LA don't have those advertising materials. Anyway, glad to be here, and I look forward to posting again sometime.

Welcome to the site, glad you decided to join. I am sure if you spend anough time here and join in on the conversations that you will grow a even deeper appreciation of JW and what his films and life stood for.

Hi rmeeuf - WELCOME to the JWMB where we friendly folks look forward to communicating with you. Jump in, the water is fine!
Cheers - Jay:beer:

Welcome rmeeuf!

Glad to see the Duke has caught your interest! This is a great board. Enjoy your time here learning more about JW.

I came by it honestly ... dad was a died-in-the-wool JW fan and we always watched what dad wanted (1960's, only one TV and only some of the shows were in color ;-)

cheers - boomer

Let me relate an amusing (I think) little anecdote about my mother (bless her dearly departed soul), who steered me toward love for our hero.

She was a hardcore Duke fan. In the late Forties, my Dad took us all to the drive-in to see one of his movies (might have been "Fort Apache" or "Three Godfathers".)

On the way home, my Mom was gushing over Big John's performance. My Dad, who was also a Wayne fan but not so much as my Mom, apparently became a little jealous about Mom's remarks because suddenly he said, "Oh, I wish you had John Wayne stuck up your rear".

Mom giggled, wriggled her butt a little on the car seat, and said, "Me too!" Naturally, this served to further aggravate my Dad. :teeth_smile: :wink_smile: :teeth_smile:

:ohmy: :embaressed_smile: :teeth_smile: Thatl's too funny Stumpy!!

This is a neat subject! I grew up watching all the John Wayne War movies with my Dad and the Westerns with my Grandpa. I loved them ever since I can remember. When I was about 10 yrs old I would dream that JW was my real dad. (I was adopted at birth.) I later discovered that my adopted dad and JW resemble each other a lot even though I hadn't picked up on it earlier. I think my favorites are the ones that include Maureen O'Hara. The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, & McLintock.

I just wanted to (bump) this back up for the benefit of our newer members. There's some pretty good reading, if you start at the beginning and see how folks came to love John Wayne!

Chester :newyear:

when we were young in the 60s, cowboys and indian games were all the rage - mum, dad and grandad were all big john wayne fans and, in the days of having one tv set only in the house, you sat and watched them together. i must admit, i grew out of it all in my teens and it was only when they started to come out on dvd that i started collecting them again - i started with the alamo and found i was totally hooked on him. watching john wayne films takes me to a nice place - i can t put my finger on what it is but it also helps that he is sooo sexy

I remember my dad watching JW movies , when they came out with tvs with picture in picture he bought one so he could watch his JW movie and get the lotto draw numbers at same time. Now I watch the JW movies but don't play the lotto :wink_smile:

...I know the day I knew him: the 10th of May, 2008. Yes: I knew him just one year ago. I saw "The Man who shot to Liberty Valance", which my mother brought to me. This movie opened my eyes: I didn't know before I've seen it that John Wayne was existed! Well, actually I knew him because is very famous, but I had never seen his face. The 11th of May I wanted to see the movie again, then I decided that John Wayne was meant for me :D
"The man who shot..." is still my favorite movie of him :shades_smile:


I guess I'm doing some mistakes with the use of simple past. Feel free to correct me!

I just wanted to (bump) this back up for the benefit of our newer members. There's some pretty good reading, if you start at the beginning and see how folks came to love John Wayne!

Chester :newyear:

Good idea: this thread is a very good reading! :wink_smile:

...I know the day I knew him: the 10th of May, 2008. Yes: I knew him just one year ago. I saw "The Man who shot to Liberty Valance", which my mother brought to me. This movie opened my eyes: I didn't know before I've seen it that John Wayne was existed! Well, actually I knew him because is very famous, but I had never seen his face. The 11th of May I wanted to see the movie again, then I decided that John Wayne was meant for me :D
"The man who shot..." is still my favorite movie of him :shades_smile:


I guess I'm doing some mistakes with the use of simple past. Feel free to correct me!
Terry,

Well, I guess we should wish you a Happy Anniversary for being a John Wayne fan!! Did your mother give you the film because she is a John Wayne fan? What a great story you have shared.

BTW, do not worry about your (VERY) few mistakes. I can only speak for my wife and myself, but we find the slight "stumbles" of our members for whom English is not their native language to be endearing. We really appreciate the effort you make, and applaud you for being here! Keep it up!

Chester :newyear:

Terry,
I Second What Chester Said, So Don't Worry about it , Just get in Here and Have Fun Making Posts, we need More Young Blood on The Site !!!
:teeth_smile:
Chilibill
:cowboy:

May I third that? - You're doing great, Terry! Hope to see you here very often.

That's right, some days ago was the Anniversary of me and John Wayne. :wink_smile: Sadly I could not watch a movie of him because I had to study!
No, my mum didn't know John Wayne very well, she brought me that movie only because it's a classic and she know that I love old movies.


I thank you!!

My late father got me hooked on western movies and John Wayne, oh, way back. I was born in '48 (no, 1948 not 1848) so it must have been around the mid '50s. Western movies were big then, everyone was making them. Then when we first got TV they were on much of the time, and dad loved them so it was part of the family time around the TV.

I used to get the small western comics, Buck Jones, Kit Carson, JW, and many others. I think that part of my childhood never left me, and the association with JW was particularly strong.

Some years ago I started collecting the plates made about JW, starting with the Franklin Mint ones. I then started getting as many others that I could find. I have always had the 'collecting' thing. That stopped for some years as I was too busy with work and family, then it started again a few years ago. I recently resurrected my web site on JW plates (http://www.johnwayneplates.info) after I found that some new official plates were on sale.

I wonder if today's young children will carry on the legacy as most of their interests are with computer games and the like. They do not seem to be interested in westerns.

Bob

That is a very nice collection. Thanks for sharing it with us. I have a few plates, but not like you do. :wink_smile:

Mark

Watching Stagecoach on TV. I was maybe 11.

Back in the late 1930s we would go to Old Fox Theater in Phoenix every Saterday and spend the day watching Western Movies and all the Great Movie Cowboys of that time !
:teeth_smile:
Then in the Late 1939 There was a Block Buster Film Called,
"Stagecoach"
:stunned:
From That time on I was a John Wayne Fan !!!
(bud)
Chilibill
:cowboy:

I became a John Wayne fan very young. When I was little during the summer my dad would come home for lunch everyday and he would put in a John Wayne film. Through all of these movies I would sit and ask my dad question after question about the people on places and events and he would patiently answer every one that he could. Not only did I really enjoy spending time with my dad but I also loved these movies many of which are still some of my favorite John Wayne movies.

Not really sure. It just kind of grew on me over time. I started liking his war movies the best but then swung on over to his Westerns.

My case is a bit out of the ordinary. Had some sort of night terror attacks when I was very young. My Dad got tired of me crying outside their door and it was the 60's. A therapist? Hell no! Mom and me (there were 6 other children) slept downstairs on the couch. I had inherited her "lack of a need for sleep". When I was "put" to bed something went wrong in my head. ANYWAY. The way it worked, for about two years, was I would be sent into the living room at my regular bedtime and lay on the couch while my older brothers and sisters watched TV in the den. When they all went to sleep Mom would come in and open up the couch, get crackers and we'd start watching old black and white movies till I eventually fell asleep. I never had trouble getting up in the morning so this wasn't a problem. I fell in love with ALL the old movie stars, but decided John Wayne was the one I would marry. First childhood trauma? My Mom got sick of hearing me say it and told me I couldn't because he was as "old as grandpa". First childhood rebellion? Called my Mom a big, fat liar, stamped my foot, told her I'd do what I said I'd do and stormed off. Waited until I got to my room to cry...Hell, even when I was a punk rocker I loved John Wayne...as a graduate film student I loved John Wayne...I have always and will always love John Wayne...and when my mom passed away early this year I "retreated to the womb of Wayne" and spent a week watching John Wayne movies non-stop. And there you have it!

Hi Duchess61,

WELCOME
to The JWMB- The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Duchess61,

Wow, that is a unique, wonderful story!! Thanks for sharing it with us!

WELCOME to the Original John Wayne Message Board, the friendliest forum dedicated to John Wayne that you are likely to find anywhere!! As you will discover (if you haven't already), you have joined with fans from around the world who share a love of the great John "Duke" Wayne. It is a friendly, knowledgeable bunch that range in age from teens up into the eighties. We love to talk about John Wayne, and a variety of other topics as well.

Have fun, and we look forward to getting better acquainted in the days and weeks to come!

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

Welcome to the board, Duchess61. Feel free to make yourself at home. Take a good look around and jump right in.

Mark

Hello everyone, I became a John Wayne fan back in summer of 1969 when I went to the movies with my parents at the Jersey Shore and saw True Grit. Every time I see the movie or Duke, it brings back memories of my father. Although my father has been gone for 20 years, I still have connection to him through John Wayne. I have collected Wayne autographs over the last 15 or so years. I have over 40 examples, not just photos or album pages. I have some very unique items including a screen actors guild signed application, a hotel regestration, several signed movie contracts, a wonderful letter to Hal Wallis detailing how Rooster Cogburn should be portrayed in the opening scenes of "Rooster Cogburn". Two of my most prized possessions are a hand written Thanksgiving card to his ailing mother while filming in Durango, and finally...Duke's working script from the Shootist which was signed by Wayne, Bacall, Morgan, Howard,Boone and the rest of the cast and production crew. This script was inscribed by Duke and given to the Carringtons. The Carringtons owened the home that used in the film that was run by Bond Rogers played by Lauren Bacall. This home is now known as the Kreb-Peterson Home. Can you imagine owning John Wayne's last script?
Although I do not do this as any type of business, I would be happy to answer any questions regarding your Duke autographs. I can tell a forgery in a secound or two. I can even tell you in which period the signature was done as his autograph had changed a bit over time. Good luck to all!

Hi truegrit1969

First of
WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

Fantastic post you made and fascinating reading.
Also so interesting to read all about your great autographs,
and your connections.
Perhaps you might find time to post some
here on the forum?
If you did, we would be so interested.
Fantastic that you have the script to The Shootist.

This script was inscribed by Duke and given to the Carringtons. The Carringtons owened the home that used in the film that was run by Bond Rogers played by Lauren Bacall. This home is now known as the Kreb-Peterson Home.

We have the house in our locations forum,
and I have copied it here for your interest

Krebs-Peterson House - Carson City

Where Duke spent his final days in The Shootist

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/john-wayne/John%20Wayne/376547_350.jpg

Hope to hear more from you

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Thank you for the welcome. Really don't have any connections other that scanning the net for vintage Wayne signatures. I have always strictly dealt with well known
UACC autograph dealers over the years, but some of my items came through private collections. I would'nt suggest anyone without knowlege buy a signature privetely as it's too easy to get burnt. The script is truely a one of a kind piece, but I think my favorite is the handwritten card to his mom. Duke has written how he misses his mother and due to his filming schedule he would not be able to see her over the Thanksgiving Holiday...ALL HANDWRITTEN! Best of all he signed it "Marion aka Duke"
On a letter to Hal Wallis, Duke has signed "Your Ever Lovin Duke or Rooster" Just the thought of owning these items brings a smile to my face on a bad day. I hope they are passed down through my family for many years to come! I really don't buy much any more with the exception to something with a great inscription. I recently bought a life magizine cover which reads "IF I must be hung, May it be at McGinlly High. John Wayne"...not really sure what it means, but thought it was a great western reference. I am still looking for a John Wayne bank check. Although scarce, I know that they are out there! :wink_smile:

Hello and welcome to the forum, truegrit1969. Make yourself at home. Thanks for sharing your story about the autographs you possess. That Shootist script is an awesome find. If your going to pass those items down through your family, I'm going over to Ancestry.com and seeing if I can trace my family tree and tie it into yours. We could be distant cousins. :))):

Mark

As a matter of fact, there's a bunch of John Wayne lovin' cousins around
here. Just one big happy family! :))):

As a matter of fact, there's a bunch of John Wayne lovin' cousins around
here. Just one big happy family! :))):
Mark,as Jim says,
We don't have to trace our roots,
we're obviously all related, we must be!!!

I also welcome both Duches61 & Truegrit69 to the board.
When I first join I did not know what to expect, or how long i would stay. But as time pasted you come to think of a lot of this members as friends. But like Duke and some of his friends did not always agree. You respect the other person opinion.
You both can have a good time here. Meeting know friends.
Also tell us a little more about yourselfs.
TAKE CARE.

I was born in '42 and grew up. Now with all the Cd's and statellite. I watch Duke's
movies over and over. Visted Newport Beach in 1994. Took a tour and they pointed out
his round house, three of his yacht's, including the minesweeper. Also,where some of
the "Sands of Iwo Jima" was filmed, all houses by then.
I just bought "There rode a legend", tells and show his ranch in Arizona. I really
enjoyed Patrick Wayne in the movies.
In 2007 went to Ireland, to Cong a nice place to visit, took a Quiet Man tour", really
enjoyed it. It was June and salmon were running there. Also saw the bridge and the train station. The bar building was not a bar yet, but they said it was going to be.
Bought Maureen O'hara's bio., good and a book on the making of "The Quiet Man"
Don't remake it, that's all they will show on TV from then on. Like that awful stagecoach by willie nelson.
God Bless Duke's family, with faith in God and long happy lives,
ColKid

colkid,

First of all - WELCOME to the Original John Wayne Message Board, where fans come to have FUN, and without a doubt the friendliest forum dedicated to John Wayne your likely to find anywhere, bar none! You have joined an international community of fans who are not only friendly, but quite knowledgeable regarding the life and career of John Wayne, but a variety of other subjects as well.

You've been to so many Duke related locations, we hope you might be able to go to the festivities in Winterset at the end of May! We are hoping to be there as well!

Again, welcome, and we hope to get to know you better in the days and weeks to come.

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

Welcome to the board, colkid. join in often and enjoy yourself.

Mark

Hi Colkid,

WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

I also went to winterset,Ia one, they closed the door on the house at 5p.m,
We arrrived about 5:15, walked around and looked in the windows. Bought some
gas and talked to several of the locals. The town tried to get Duke to come back
and visit,but he never did.
We go to minneapolis every year, so go by on the freeway, winterset is about
15 miles off and a small nice little town.

Its much better when there are several thousand crazed fans milling around town! :lol

Come the last weekend in May, that is what you will find!

Chester :newyear:

I also went to winterset,Ia one, they closed the door on the house at 5p.m,
We arrrived about 5:15, walked around and looked in the windows. Bought some
gas and talked to several of the locals. The town tried to get Duke to come back
and visit,but he never did.
We go to minneapolis every year, so go by on the freeway, winterset is about
15 miles off and a small nice little town.

colkid60, let me add my welcome here on this message board. When traveling on the Interstate, and you come up to the exit in Winterset, is there a sign on the highway also mentioning The Birthplace of John Wayne?

Cheers :cool: Hondo Duke Lane

When traveling on the Interstate, and you come up to the exit in Winterset, is there a sign on the highway also mentioning The Birthplace of John Wayne?
Cheers :cool: Hondo Duke Lane

Yes, on Interstate 80 there is a large State highway sign indicating the Birthplace exit, then its about 15 miles south.

Chester :newyear:

Hello everybody...my story is one you have heard many times before...my Father was a fan of his movies, and I remember watching them on British Television as a child....

Recently, decided to watch them all again...and all these memories came flooding back....damn...I'd forgotten just how good he was....

Found this site by accident while surfing for John Wayne photos...and think I may never leave...and I've just arrived !!!!!!

Hello everybody...my story is one you have heard many times before...my Father was a fan of his movies, and I remember watching them on British Television as a child....

Recently, decided to watch them all again...and all these memories came flooding back....damn...I'd forgotten just how good he was....

Found this site by accident while surfing for John Wayne photos...and think I may never leave...and I've just arrived !!!!!!


Welcome RedRiverDee, your story is similar to mine, so I started a website. :wink_smile:

Thanks for joining & being apart of our community!

Welcome to the board, RedRiverDee. Glad you found us. Make yourself right at home.

Mark

Hello everybody...my story is one you have heard many times before...my Father was a fan of his movies, and I remember watching them on British Television as a child....

Recently, decided to watch them all again...and all these memories came flooding back....damn...I'd forgotten just how good he was....

Found this site by accident while surfing for John Wayne photos...and think I may never leave...and I've just arrived !!!!!!

Well, we are sure glad that you found us by accident. I think most of us do, but that's great. I believe I found this by accident as well, when I was goggling myself, looking for anything John Wayne and well the rest is history. That was 7 years ago. It might have been some other search engine, now that I think about it. :))):

Cheers :cool: Hondo Duke Lane

From watching John Ford movies.

I saw my first JW movie when I was 11 years old and I set through it five times. Back then, if you went to the movie, you could go in at anytime during the movie and you could stay still the theater closed. I stayed still it closed. The movie was "A Lady Takes a Chance" with Jean Arthur. I thought he was the most handsome guy I had ever seen.

:wink_smile: I loved the unruly lock of hair that kept falling down in his face. I have been collecting his movies for a long time. Now I am trying to find the real early ones and some of his TV appearances.

As I got older, I understood that he was a man that had real character. He believed in and stood for the kind of things that make this country great. I guess I have always been a fan but this is my first attempt to make it official

Hi Wanda,
Thanks for your post, and I have made a Welcome to you here
Welcome, New Members (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?p=95732#post95732)

I was always aBig WESTERN fan,going right back to the early days of RAWHIDE on TV. My Dad used to Bike Ride, with me on the back as a Toddler, along the narrow Country roads of County Down,Ireland. When we passed Cattle in the Fields,We used to Sing The RAWHIDE THEME. It was a Magical Time and Vivid Memory for me,moreso cos Dad has passed away.

Thank The Lord that I am Old enough to have Seen most of my JW Movies at THE CINEMA/MOVIE HOUSE.Despite the Current Trend towards HOME ENTERTAINMENT Systems,The Old Nite out at The Movies Experience was "Something else!!!".

My all Time Favorite Movie is THE QUIET MAN which is SPECIAL for many reasons,it was Shot in the WEST of IRELAND in 1951 and featured THE JOHN FORD STOCK COMPANY, includig The FAMILIES of the many Stars and Crew.Maureen O'Hara missed out on The OSCAR for her unique performance as JW's Wife, Mary Kate dannaher/Thornton. Apparently $15,000 would have secured her Nomination and ultimate Collection of the ACADEMY AWARD. Maureen chose to waive that Privilege and surely is in line for a belated LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from her peers in The AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE. This would be so Fitting in this her 90th Year.

JW and Maureen tried to Buy THE WHITE 'O MORN Cottage from The Movie,to Preserve it for all time.It's a Tragedy that The Cottage was allowed to fall down and die. It's in the hands of American Owner Greg ebbit,whether We shall ever see a RESTORATION.

Duke and Maureen had a SPECIAL Relationship on Screen that is Timeless.
JW has IRISH ROOTS traceable back to his Great Great Grandfather who Lived and worked in TEMLEPATRICK,County Antrim. So my Two Favorite Movie Stars are of IRISH STOCK.

I'd love to get a hold of Harry Carey Junior's Book "Company of Heroes - My Life with the John Ford Stock Company".This is a unique Narrative on the institution that was the FORD REPERTORY FAMILY which Graced so many Celluloid CLASSICS.

I'm very PROUD to be a Member of this worthwhile FanClub in Honor of One of Hollywood's Greatest sons.

Jimmy Kennedy

Hi Jimmy

WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Thank you for your comments regarding the forum,
and we hope that you enjoy yourself here.
Indeed we have several members in Ireland and Northern Ireland,
one particular member lenrehn who is a specialist in all things
The Quiet Man (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=1825)


My all Time Favorite Movie is THE QUIET MAN which is SPECIAL for many reasons,it was Shot in the WEST of IRELAND in 1951 and featured THE JOHN FORD STOCK COMPANY, includig The FAMILIES of the many Stars and Crew.

JW and Maureen tried to Buy THE WHITE 'O MORN Cottage from The Movie,to Preserve it for all time.It's a Tragedy that The Cottage was allowed to fall down and die. It's in the hands of American Owner Greg ebbit,whether We shall ever see a RESTORATION.
Duke's Movie Locations- Ireland (The Quiet Man) (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=2621)

.....and featured THE JOHN FORD STOCK COMPANY, includig The FAMILIES of the many Stars and Crew.
The John Ford Stock Company (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4863)

I'd love to get a hold of Harry Carey Junior's Book "Company of Heroes - My Life with the John Ford Stock Company".This is a unique Narrative on the institution that was the FORD REPERTORY FAMILY which Graced so many Celluloid CLASSICS.
Take a look at
Pals Of The Saddle- Harry Carey Jr. (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=1958)

A personally signed edition of Harry's book(one of which, I am proud to own)
used to be available directly from him, but depending upon his health,
I am unsure of that these days!!
Company of Heroes: My Life as an Actor in the John Ford Stock Company
is avalable direct from Harry or
Amazon.co.uk: (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Company-Heroes-Actor-Scarecrow-Filmmakers/dp/1568330685/ref=sr_1_3/203-4927017-0043165?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188311227&sr=8-3)

I have always admired The Duke for as long as I remembered. I didn't see one his movies until about 3 years ago. I was instantly hooked.

John Wayne reminds us of what real men were like. Be good to people, stand by your word, be proud, and don't take crap from anyone. Men now in days are seriously lacking some of those qualities. I'm trying to raise my son with those things in mind because kids have little respect now in days.

Now I'm a avid collector of JW's movies, plates, and neat stuff I can get my hands (and wallet) on.

Thanks for the site, lots and lots of great info. (maybe to much, I don't want to know bloopers.. kinda ruins it for me) :D

-jason

Hi 909punk,

and also to you

WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-

John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)
Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Jason, you'll have to close your eyes
when you get to the Bloopers bits.
Before the bloopers were more well documented,
we had threads where many members added
their own observations.
It's entirely up to personal choice ,
how you wish to use or not use the information made available!

Look forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks Keith :D

As a Arizona resident, It's great to see some of the locations that were filmed here.

Monument Valley is calling my name. I MUST go there! Thanks to JW's movies, I have been captivated by Arizona history with the Apache Wars, Mining, and early settlements.

All good stuff.

Hello and welcome to the forum, 909punk and Jimmy. Glad you found us. Feel free to look around and jump in wherever your interest takes you.

Mark

"Shepard of the Hills", a long time ago when I was a litle boy, hooked me.

My first post/

I became a Duke fan waaay back in the 60's watching TV westerns with my manly-man uncle on Sundays. He was a duke fan and a fan of westerns in general. I didn't have a dad, so he was my male role model growing up--my uncle, that is.

Recently, thanks to a TCM western night a couple yrs ago [or was it AMC?] on TV, I fell in love with B westerns. I didn't see many Gene Autry or Roy Rogers westerns before then, but I was hooked. I'm a film guy anyway [NYU film school] and I'm a fan of cinema history in general...silent film, screwball comedies, comedy shorts, etc.

Since then, I've been researching B westerns with no real purpose in mind, but to entertain myself. Obsessed is a word that comes to mind.

Anyway, I discovered a DVD of early Wayne films pre-Stagecoach that I found fascinating--that Wayne was swimming in the poverty-row pictures that would soon be dominated by Gene Autry is amazing to me. Gene is fun and all, but Wayne is a man. Gene seems too doughy to take seriously as a movie hero. Roy Rogers was more in the Wayne mold.

And since I live the SF valley in the Los Angeles area, I knew there were old movie ranches nearby...though I didn't know where exactly. These were ranches that were used to make movies in the B western golden age....some with western town sets. Roy had one, Gene had one [Melody Ranch], Crash Corrigan had one, Disney had one, Republic had one, etc.

So it was a few months ago, I was looking for a place to hike and lose some weight. I thought I'd stick to the north end of the SF valley...close to the hills/mountains to find some good hiking trails.

Lo and behold, I came across Corriganville Park...the remains of Crash Corrigan's Movie ranch. I parked in the near-empty lot and started to explore. I didn't expect much, but I was surprised to find photo-markers that pointed out some of the ranch's main features. Of note are the Jungle Jim lake [a concrete-lined artificial lake that's not been filled with water since the 60's, I think]. I saw the "lake" in a Gene Autry western just today [The Old West].

The western town is gone--the buildings having been burned down in two brush fires in the 70's---too bad. But the foundations are still there, so sharp-eyed fans like me can see where film cameras were set up from certain shots in the old films.

Back to the John Wayne connection--one of the major sets on the ranch was the Fort Apache set from the John Ford/John Wayne film.

Just yesterday I saw the set featured throughout a film called Escape from Fort Bravo [the sets were reused a buncha times in different films]. I had been hiking there just the day before. The terrain was familiar, but sadly the buildings are gone now.

The day before, too, I was able to locate the area of the ranch/park where the underground bunker in Fort Apache was located--the trading post run by the corrupt Indian official in the movie. Of course, not much remains of the set except for a ditch.

The original ranch was about 2,000 acres. Thanks to Bob Hope buying the ranch and selling parcels off to developers, only about 300 acres remain as a state park. It's still an amazing place, though--I think my favorite place on earth [next to my bed].

I try to hike there at least twice a week. Five, if I can manage it.

Down the road is what's left of the Iverson Ranch--where the famed Lone Ranger rock can still be seen [from the show's opening theme sequence]. Since I was a kid I wondered where that rock was. I was on the East coast then...who knew yrs later it'd be a few miles from my house?

Kurt Hathaway
film freak
Western nut

Hi dukedood

WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Well that was some first post if there ever was one!

So interesting to hear your insights about the great movie ranches,
we at the JWMB have dedicated threads on the ranches, including,
Duke's Movie Locations- Corriganville Movie Ranch (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=5058)
Duke's Movie Locations- Iverson Movie Ranch (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=5061)
profiling the two ranches mentioned.
your input would be greatly appreciated

Welcome aboard, dukedood. I bet is is fun trying to rediscover the old sites seen in films out there. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Mark

I became a fan through a forum viewing of Hondo, the first movie starring John Wayne I ever saw. Let me tell you, I haven't looked back since! Got me hooked right away. Great movie, greater star.

My Dad was a huge John Wayne Fan. I grew up as a kid watching his movies. John wayne was a household name. As a kid there was always a JW movie on somewhere.

Saw "The Cowboys" when I was about 15...totally hooked me in.

The Cowboys, defiantly one of Dukes best.

So, where abouts do you hang your hat, Duke76 ?

Chester :newyear:

My first posting:

As I read through all these posts I see a definite pattern that also directed my JW infactuation as well. John Wayne was a household star that was passed down from father/grand-father to son. My story is no different. Some of my very favorite memories is going to the theater with my dad to see a John Wayne flick.

Later in life I saw two movies on cable I had never seen before, North to Alaska and Jet Pilot. It was then I realized that I had not seen everything JW did AND that my wife was wrong. She always accused me of already seeing whatever JW movie I was watching. Not true. So I bought a book with his filmography in it and started my collection.

I first started taping movies from the TV. Later buying VHS tapes like many who have posted. Then getting DVD's. Then finding Franklin Mint stuff. And then came E-bay. Boy did my John Wayne collection explode then.

Last month was the big auction selling all of John Wayne's personal items. I really, really wanted to get something personal of his that he actually owned. My favorite item was the big oak desk from his office. I just didn't have the $50K in my back pocket to get that, even though my wife said I could. How cool would it have been to buy something that HE actually owned and touched. I am so disappointed.

Recently my wife kicked me out of the family room and I had to bring all my JW collection into a spare bedroom for display. I can't even fit it all in. Someday I will have a dedicated room in my home for JW memorbilia and to watch movies in. I keep dreamin'.

I am thankful that I was able to write a short story for Tim Lilley in his Big Trail series. It ended up it was in volume 10, the last one Tim did. It is the story of "My John Wayne Day" when I was in LA. Since then I have visited more places where JW footprints have been left. And there are so many more places to go.

Thanks for reading my story and I hope to post more.

Hi rnederhoed

WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Thanks for such a fascinating first post,
pity about that desk, perhaps it may not have fitted in that spare bedroom!

In my family it wasn't an option not to like the Duke. His films were always the choice for family viewing.

Oh, what a fun subject!

My father was a fan of JW since the 1930's. I can still remember going to JW movies in theaters and standing up with my father and sister and clapping when JW would first appear on the screen (much to my mother's chagrin).

Not only did my father enjoy JW movies, but also agreed with his politics. This helped shape my life philosophy.

I still remember coming home from high school and my dad telling me that JW had died. I was just as upset as if a member of my family died.
Thankfully, the legacy of JW lives to this day.

Laura

Hi Laura,

WELCOME to The JWMB-
The Original John Wayne Message Board
where fans come to have fun!

Please take a look around,
we're a friendly bunch of folks,
and there is a wealth of information to see,
regarding the great man.

You may find these links useful:-


John Wayne:- A Newbies Guide to Duke
(http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4134)

Link to Duke's Movies, Co-Stars- Pals Of The Saddle and Movie Locations (http://www.dukewayne.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5")

Laura thanks for your insightful posts and for joining us.

Laura, I see you joined a year ago, and have finally jumped in and got your feet wet with your first couple of posts! Congratulations - don't be a stranger now! Thanks for sharing, it was fun reading.

Peridot, we got a chuckle out of your remark, " . . . it wasn't an option to not like Duke." :))):

rnederhoed, it was neat reading your generational passing down of John Wayne's legacy! Regarding the recent auction, I remember looking at how much Duke's things sold for, and it was sad that there was nothing really affordable for us 'little people.' Sounds like you've got a good little Mrs. who is pretty supportive of your Duke habit! Somehow I missed getting that last Tim Lilley publication - I would enjoy reading what you wrote for it.

Anyway . . . thanks to y'all for sharing with us how you came to be a John Wayne fan, we never get tired of hearing these stories!

Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

:wink: Delighted to have brought a smile to anyone, Mr Edwards. It's nice to be here.

Yes, there is a sign, but I don't remember it.
colkid

i grew up watching him was going to grow up and marry him!!!

It is fun to find out how different people come to love the Duke.

As for me, I've always been an unofficial fan, but in the last 4 years I have been increasingly renting, watching, and finally acquiring my own collection of John Wayne movies. I now consider myself an Official Fan. It has become an obvious addiction in my life. I'm not sure if there is a cure . . . . :huh:

You see, our family doesn't subscribe to cable, and where we live, if you don't have cable, all you get is snow on the screen. Our alternative entertainment has been to rent movies, and we have really enjoyed the older movies, as most of them are suitable for all ages (at least the ones we choose). As we started renting JW movies, we realized how much we really enjoyed them, and of course their star, the Duke. When we saw them on sale at K-Mart or similar places, we scooped them up, and that's how our collection began. Our youngest son, now 7, has been an avid JW fan at least since he was three years old, when he announced, "I a cowboy! I John Wayne!" He remembers more details from the movies than my wife and I put together - it's amazing! Our movie collection is up to 71 titles, not including 5 documentaries. Most are on video, and I am starting to build up titles in DVD now. "The Sands of Iwo Jima" movie poster hangs on the wall, about two feet away from a life sized cardboard cut out of the Duke. As many of you know, we just went down to Tombstone, Arizona, to celebrate John Wayne's 96th birthday with other members of Duke's Hollywood Cowboys. I've got the leather vest, now if I could only find the right hat . . . . It's a slippery slope, and I'm slidin' fast! :D

Chester

If you're looking for an authentic John Wayne hat and cost is irrelevant, search no farther. What you want is The Last Best West. Google them; they've just changes web hosts. Their hats are made of authentic beaver (get your mind out of the gutter!) and last forever.

Then again, which John Wayne hat?

Check their site, they have lots of different styles from Western films, including hat stands and bands and sassy ladies hats. They have so many I can't decide which one is prettiest!

How did I become a John Wayne fan? Reckon I was just born at the right time. I don't claim to be the world's greatest John Wayne fan. Truth is I never really regarded myself as a fan. It's just that John Wayne was always there, one of the great constants in my life, like a mother or a father. I grew up knowing him as a big indestructible man. I liked him. I trusted him. He believed in hitting a lick for what's right and he was big enough to do it. People like John Wayne ain't supposed to die. If anyone's passing emphasized the sorry truth that everyone's gotta go sooner or later, his did. But he made his mark and he touched many people's lives, including mine. It’s something I'm grateful for.

you have that right

Thanks Linda. I get something right once on a while.

Not sure what the average age of most Wayne fans seems to be, but I'll bet it's older than myself. That being said, until a couple years ago I'd never seen a John Wayne film. Sure, my father had watched Sands Of Iwo Jima in the same room as me and maybe a couple others, but I'd never sat down and watched them myself.

But I run a website, and one of the main features on said website is a running tally of every major Action stars onscreen kills. I thought Wayne was quite the icon, and it was a bit odd that I'd neither seen his movies nor tallied his kills. So, starting with his first starring role in The Big Trail, on through as many of his movies as I could find, I watched Duke's films in chronological order until The Shootist.

It was a fun trip, one which I will have to fully regale folks such as you one day. Suffice it to say, it's very hard not love the big lug. And The Shootist was one of the most emotionally satisfying and yet bittersweet final films I've ever watched.

Not sure what the average age of most Wayne fans seems to be, but I'll bet it's older than myself. That being said, until a couple years ago I'd never seen a John Wayne film. Sure, my father had watched Sands Of Iwo Jima in the same room as me and maybe a couple others, but I'd never sat down and watched them myself.

But I run a website, and one of the main features on said website is a running tally of every major Action stars onscreen kills. I thought Wayne was quite the icon, and it was a bit odd that I'd neither seen his movies nor tallied his kills. So, starting with his first starring role in The Big Trail, on through as many of his movies as I could find, I watched Duke's films in chronological order until The Shootist.

It was a fun trip, one which I will have to fully regale folks such as you one day. Suffice it to say, it's very hard not love the big lug. And The Shootist was one of the most emotionally satisfying and yet bittersweet final films I've ever watched.
Kain,
great post, and observations.
I am sure no one has counted how many 'kills' Duke made,
but it was a few to say the least.

Incidently we have many young members starting in their 20's,
and this thread will interest you, and maybe you can join in.
When were you Born? (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=2430)