I'm so glad I found this board! I stayed up all night reading. But I'll have to save the newbie intro for later, as I'm watching Rio Grande again on AMC, and I have these questions nagging on my mind, and I feel dumb ....

There are two scenes in Rio Grande between Kirby and Mrs. York that go over my head; I guess I'm missing the proper frame of reference. I'm betting you folks can explain them to me.

1) During the formal dinner, the General asks Mrs. York to make a toast, whereupon she toasts to "My only rival ... the United States Cavalry" (or words to that effect) while staring deeply into Kirby's eyes to gauge his reaction. He solemnly drains his glass and very deliberately turns it upside down on the table, which pleases her immensely. What is the significance of this gesture?

2) When Kirby pays Mrs. York for doing his laundry, he pays her with a ten dollar bill. She reacts with what I took to be excitement at his generosity, but then discovers that it's a confederate bill, worthless as money, and meant as a joke. He (and the audience) thinks she's angry, but it quickly becomes apparent that she's enormously pleased and touched. What's the symbolism of his paying her in confederate money? I'm assuming some sentimental symbolism, but I don't quite get it.


Anyhow ... commercials' over, time to get back to the movie! Thanks and I love this message board.

Sue

I think I can help with #2. Her family had a plantation that he had to destroy in the war. I think the gesture is to help her remember the south as it was perhaps. Maybe a bit of atonement.

I have no clue about #1. I've often wondered about it myself.

Sue,

WELCOME to the John Wayne Message Board!

Clever moniker ;) .

We're always happy to have another female perspective here. We can understand how one might stay up all night reading around here - it's almost addictive, and there is SO much information to go through (at least it keeps us out of the bars :dead: ).

I don't really have an answer to your question, but I can assure you there are those who frequent this place who will (itdo, where are you when we need you??).

I haven't seen that movie for a long time, but am inclined to agree with Araner regarding the confederate money. I am pretty sure it had something to do with her Southern roots.

Again, welcome, and we look forward to hearing from you again in the days to come.

Mrs. Chester (a Sue by another name . . . :rolleyes: )

hi sue

welcome to the best place in the world :D

as for the symbolism of the turning of the glass upside down after the toast i feel that it represents his agreement with her in that his loyality to the USCalvery was the reason that they went their separet ways durning the civil war, and that is why she had the smile on her face.

and the paying of her in confederate dollars for his washing is a way of saying that he remembers where she came from and a form of appology for the burning of her plantation durning the war and a suttle way of showing her that all things aside he still has a great love for her and really didn't like to do what he was ordered to do.

well that my pobs worth hope they help you out

cheers smokey

Thanks for the answers and the welcome! Must go now; lots to do before the Searchers comes on in an hour. (lol .... ain't I pathetic?)

Originally posted by Sue D Nim@Sep 21 2003, 10:05 AM
Must go now; lots to do before the Searchers comes on in an hour. (lol .... ain't I pathetic?)
Sue,

Pathetic? Because you are planning on watching a JW movie? I think not!

Of course there are advantages of owning the movie, then you can watch it on your own schedule.

:D

Chester

sue

just got the searchers on dvd and have watched it twice once with the little fellow and once on my own as he had lots of questions and i spent most of the movie explaining things to him :lol:

like chester says great to own so you can watch it any time and get into trouble if you watch it without telling the other jw fan in the house :headbonk:

cheers smokey

I have a question about The Searchers. Maybe someone can clear something up for me. A few days ago, I confessed that I'd never managed to see this movie all the way through. It's always on at the wrong times! Yesterday it was on during the football game but I still set aside time to watch the first 20 minutes or so.

I'm confused about something... If Martha & Aaron & their son (can't think of his name now - sorry) die after Debbie is kidnapped, who are the people there to welcome her when Ethan brings Debbie home? You can tell I've watched this piecemeal because I just don't have it all together! :unsure:

Btw, what is the history between Ethan & Martha? Is that ever explained in the film? I could really feel something there. Ethan is always following her with his eyes.

This movie really kind of disturbs me, though. It's so dark and so many awful things happen.

Okay, never mind. I found my answer. Debbie goes home to stay with the Jorgensons. I think I have finally seen the whole movie, just not all in one setting and not in a linear fashion. :rolleyes:

Btw, in case anyone's interested, here's where I found the info. This site goes into a great deal of detail about several JW films:

http://www.filmsite.org

Greetings:

Turning your glass upside down after a toast means that's the end of the toasting and that last toast can't be topped. It's done when you want your toast the greatest. Let's say we toast to smokey. If you want smokey to be the greatest toast, you either turn your glass upside down or throw the glass into the fireplace and break it. That means the toastings over. It's alot like when you have actors perform on stage, the greatest performer always comes last because no other actors are good enough to follow them. It's the ultimate complement. :D P.S. I wouldn't recommend tossing your glass into the fireplace, as hostesses get very upset with destroying their best and very expensive crystal glasses.

As for the Cofederate money, smokey is right. Remember, back in those days, pictures were vary rare. The type that they used were hard to carry around on a person. Or he just didn't have a picture of her. So he had confederate money to remember her by. He gave it to her so she would know that he always had something abut her close to him, to remind him of her. He still loved her and let her know. It was not ment to be insultive. <_<