Cowboys and Indian

 

I love a good ole western and I have a theme within a theme because the 3 I chose stars John Wayne and they are all directed by grumpy John Ford. John Wayne has truly fallen from favour in the past few years and not without some merit but I believe he is not a simple a- hole like many say. Now, I never met the man but I've read quite a few books and articles including the Playboy one. He actually reminds me of my dad. My dad was an old timer who said some wrong things but his actions spoke differently. When Satcheen Littlefeather declined the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando because of the plight of the American Indian, I remembered my daddy saying, " God dammed son of a bitch, someone take her off the stage." If my dad was there, he probably would have been held back, like Wayne, but not to abuse her but to go to the microphone and say that there is a time and a place. Remember, every woman who worked with Wayne always said that he was never mean but gentlemanly to them even when he took Maureen O'Hara through the country on her keester. My dad could be ornery and sometimes unfair but he was very loving, would stand up when he saw injustice, loved Christmas and, when he died, there were people who stood outside to pay their respects. If my dad was famous, he would be looked at in a more negative light rather than the complicated person he was. Old timers could be very wrong but we can’t make them just two dimensional.

1. STAGECOACH-1939

This film brought back the classic western, made John Wayne a star and made Monument Valley a star as well. John Ford created the classic story we now see in movies, TV and everything in between, where a group of travellers all with a story board a stagecoach. We have the genteel southern, pregnant lady, a card shark, a hooker with the heart of gold, a corrupt banker, an alcoholic doctor and so forth. Along the way they meet up with the Cisco Kid, played by John Wayne, who hooks a ride with the stagecoach much to the travellers’ chagrin since he is a wanted man. Throughout their travels, they deal with each other, a birth, prejudice, the great valley and, of course, Indians. Along with the Indians, we have the Calvary come in to save the day before Cisco decides to deal with some bad, bad men.  This is an excellent film that Orson Welles watched 40 times before making Citizen Kane. It’s where we have great cinematography showcasing that great valley and excellent stunt work made famous by Yakima Canutt. A must see, in my humble opinion.

2. FORT APACHE-1948

This is another  excellent film directed by John Ford that not only stars Wayne but also Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple plus his staple of Ford players like Ward Bond. Fonda plays a by the book, snot nosed commander of this outpost with Wayne as second in command who has a much better understanding of the Native American than Fonda. Shirley Temple plays Fonda’s daughter who falls in love with one of the soldiers played by her real life husband at the time, John Agar. This is a good character study and a good action film where the Navajos played Apaches and were always thankful to Ford for providing jobs to their reservation helping them financially. Poor John Agar took the brunt of Ford’s nastiness but John Wayne took him under his wing helping him through this film and always grateful to The Duke. Henry Fonda had issues with Ford, on the set, and their friendship broke as a result. Maybe Fonda’s Democratic leanings didn’t jive with Ford’s right wing thinking..maybe but Ford could be a real nasty asshole and would pick on a person like Agar( Wayne got smacked down in Stagecoach). Who knew the very young Shirley Temple was pregnant during the making of this film.

3. THE SEARCHERS-1956

“That’ll be the day”..a quip Wayne says, as Ethan Edwards, throughout the film and one that a young Buddy Holly was inspired to write a song around that quip, after seeing the film. You have Monument Valley, Ford’s stock company, John Wayne, Indians and the Cavalry along with Olive Borden and Harry Carey Jr as a tribute to the silent Western star Harry Carey who was married to Olive and HarryJr was..his son. This is arguably, considered the best western ever made and I love it. John Wayne loved this film and named his youngest son, Ethan. He plays a man who visits his brother, sister in law and their kids. You can see that Ethan and his brother’s wife have an unrequited love shown only by subtle gestures. Unfortunately, Comanches come and kill most of the family taking the 2 daughters. Ethan, now, full of vengeance, is on a quest to get the girls back but he is saddled with their adopted son who is part Indian. Wayne’s character can’t stand the young man because of his skin colour but, over 5 years, they grow to understand one another. Natalie Wood plays the younger niece taken in by the Comanches and is a wife to Scar, a murderous man full of hate just like Ethan. You have no idea what Ethan will do once he “saves”  her from the Natives he despises. Vera Miles, who is still alive, and will be 95 on Friday, is the love interest to Jeffrey Hunter, who plays the adopted son of  Ethan’s brother. 2 anecdotes…when a young Indian girl became very sick with the flu and had a very high temperature, JohnWayne got his own plane to bring her to the hospital and paid for her care. The young Comanche woman  who becomes the wife of the young lad was quite upset and Wayne asked her what was wrong. She asked the big wigs to be allowed to go to her son’s wedding but was denied. She only wanted 3 days but the executroids said no until Wayne stepped in and said he is going to be gone for the exact same days. He made sure she could get to her son’s wedding and be back without any problem. 

What cowboy and Indian movies can you think of? 

So, yesterday I had my which song won the Oscar yadda, yadda… Sooner or Later, Dick Tracy, won the Oscar, the John Williams song from Home Alone was nominated and Mo’ Better Blues from the film of the same name got nuttin’!