The Selling of John Wayne, Part 2 …


ain’t nothin’ to me / johnny winter

Drinking … Canadian Style 

Much of my ’70’s is kinda hazy. We drank and doped without moderation. For whatever reasons, I felt compelled to run that gauntlet. Some of the people I did this with aren’t around anymore. And although I don’t advocate or recommend such an experience, I have no regrets. And I know that some of the survivors are still practicing that lifestyle. Sometimes a deathstyle.

In Canada, Booze, in the ’70s, was legal, very available, and cheap. I could go into any local bar with just $5 in my pocket and drink all night – and still often have enough money left to take a taxi home. Draft beer was only 10 cents a glass. 10 glasses of beer for a dollar! Insane.

I eventually got over all this and stopped drinking (and doping). Along with the substances most of my so-called friends also disappeared. Our whole relationship revolved around drinking and substance abuse. So when I stopped it all, I didn’t fit there anymore.

I walked away. Without regret.

draft-beer-glass-1970-1980

Glass of Canadian Draft Beer 1970 / 1980

draft-beer-glass-1970-1980-2

Glass of Canadian Draft Beer 1970 / 1980
One minute later.

draft-beer-bar

________________________________________________________________________________

“I never trust a man that doesn’t drink.”
John Wayne

John Wayne and Booze

John Wayne’s general movie image is that of a man who liked a drink and it’s generally believed that in his real life he was a fairly heavy drinker – part of the the Manly Arts – along with guns, fighting and smoking. Yet it appears he was a man who could hold his booze and who was not a drunk or an alcoholic. His sons, Patrick and Ethan say that his hard drinking image was exaggerated and not a problem – and that he didn’t drink every day and could do without it. Yet in another article son Michael says “He liked to drink. I once saw him drink a bottle of tequila before a meal, and a bottle of brandy after a meal. ???

I figure John was a guy who liked and appreciated a good drink, but could handle it.

And there is at least one telltale movie scene that attests to this – in his last Western The Shootist. It’s the final shootout scene – which takes place in a saloon no less – John strides up the bar and announces: “This is my birthday. Give me the best in the house.” In the movie, it was also his death day. ‘One for the road’.

john-wayne-the-shootist-bar-scene

john-wayne-the-shootist-bar-scene-2

john-wayne-the-shootist-bar-scene-3

john-wayne-the-shootist-bar-scene-4

________________________________________________________________________________

John Wayne IMBD Trivia

  • Produced and starred in a 1940s radio show about an alcoholic detective titled “Three Sheets to the Wind“.
  • His favorite drink was Sauza Commemorativo Tequila, and he often served it with ice that he had chipped from an iceberg during one of his voyages on his yacht, “The Wild Goose“.
  • He once made a cameo appearance on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962). In episode, The Beverly Hillbillies: The Indians Are Coming (1967). And when asked how he wanted to be paid, his answer, in return, was “Give me a fifth of bourbon – that’ll square it.”.
  • His image appeared on a wide variety of products including: 1950 popcorn trading cards given at theaters, 1951 Camel cigarettes, 1956 playing cards, Whitman’s Chocolates and – posthumously – Coors beer. The money collected on the Coors beer cans with his image went to the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

john-wayne-saloon-doors

Next:
The Selling of John Wayne, Part 3 …
“Leave the bottle”

John Wayne Filmography cont. Born to the West / Hell Town / Part 2 / Zane Grey


– jeff bridges 

Mustang Bar

zane-grey-banner-2

zane-greyPearl Zane Grey
(1872 – 1939)zane-grey-2

zane-grey-3

zane-grey-5

SIx Shooter Bar

Zane Grey Trivia: (Wikipedia)

  • Grey’s novels and short stories have been adapted into 112 films, two television episodes, and a television series, Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theater.
  • Pearl“? There are a few guesses at how Grey was originally named Pearl – but nothing seems conclusive. He later dropped it.
  • Had a violent upbringing – often beaten by his father – and acted likewise – often brawling as a child.
  • Grey was an avid reader of adventure stories such as Robinson Crusoe as well as dime novels featuring Buffalo Bill and “Deadwood Dick“. He also loved the the great illustrators Howard Pyle and Frederic Remington.
  • Zane wrote his first story, Jim of the Cave, when he was fifteen. His father tore it to shreds and beat him.
  • Grey attended the University of Pennsylvania on a baseball scholarship, where he studied dentistry.
  • He proved to be a poor scholar, but an excellent baseball player. He had to choose between Writing, Baseball or Dentistry, but unhappily concluded that dentistry was the practical choice.
  • Still tried his hand at baseball, but only earned a single major league game in 1903 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • Moved to New York: dentist by day, writer by night.
  • Married, but was an habitual and open womanizer with many mistresses.
  • Despite many rejections and false starts, he kept on writing.
  • Finally it clicked: In 1912 published Riders of the Purple Sage his all-time best-seller, and one of the most successful Western novels of all. Six movies have been made from this book.
  • Grey became one of the first millionaire authors. Was in the top ten best-seller list nine times.
  • Zane Grey was a major force in shaping the myths of the Old West; his books and stories were adapted into other media, such as film and TV productions. He was the author of more than 90 books, some published posthumously and/or based on serials originally published in magazines. His total book sales exceed 40 million.
  • Grey wrote not only Westerns, but two hunting books, six children’s books, three baseball books, and eight fishing books (his real passion).
  • Many famous actors got their start in films based on Zane Grey books. They included Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, William Powell, Wallace Beery, Richard Arlen, Buster Crabbe, Shirley Temple, and Fay Wray. Victor Fleming, later director of Gone with the Wind, and Henry Hathaway, who later directed True Grit, both learned their craft on Grey films.

born-to-the-west-helltown-3

Honors and awards

  • The National Park Service maintains his former home in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania as the Zane Grey Museum, a part of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River area.
  • His home in Altadena is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Zanesville, Ohio has a museum named in his honor, the National Road-Zane Grey Museum.
  • Zane Grey Terrace, a small residential street in the hillsides of Altadena, is named in his honor.
  • The Zane Grey Tourist Park Bermagui, Australia.
  • Zane Greys’” a headland at the western end of Matapaua Bay, New Zealand.
  • The Zane Grey Continuation School is located adjacent to Reseda High School in Reseda, Los Angeles, California.[citation needed]
  • Zane Grey room is located at the Sigma Nu – Beta Rho house in honor of where Zane Grey lived for part of his time at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Wilder Ranch State Park near Santa Cruz, California named the Zane Grey Trail after the author.

SIx Shooter Bar

Hugh O’Brian ____________ Not your average Cowboy Pt 3 The Shootist


the outlaw way / railbenders

buntline-bar

I hadn’t intended to do a post on The Shootist until I reached it via my series on John Wayne’s Filmography. But Hugh O’Brian’s passing and his role in the important Western Classic moved it up the ladder. I won’t do a full posting on it here, but there’s some interesting things about this movie and O’Brian’s involvement.

the-shootist-poster-1 the-shootist-poster-2 the-shootist-poster-3

I have to confess I’m puzzled why all these posters are different in coloration?

buntline-bar

the-shootist-poster-4

the-shootist-poster-5

the-shootist-john-wayne-1the-shootist-don-siegelthe-shootist-lauren-bacall the-shootist-james-stewart the-shootist-john-carridinethe-shootist-scatman-crothers the-shootist-richard-boone the-shootist-hugh-obrianthe-shootist-ron-howard the-shootist-harry-morgan the-shootist-sheree-north the-shootist-bill-mckinneythe-shootist-richard-lenz

buntline-bar

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
– origin unknown – Often attributed to Mark Twain

Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) says this:

“Contrary to popular belief, John Wayne did not have cancer when he made this film. His entire left lung and several ribs had been removed in surgery on 17 September 1964, and in 1969 he was declared cancer-free. It was not until 12 January 1979, almost three years after this movie had been filmed, that the disease was found to have returned. According to a 2014 biography “John Wayne: the Life and Legend” by Scott Eyman, Wayne had been found to have stomach cancer in 1975 but it had gone into remission before filming began on this movie.”

MFW: The contention here, of course, is that John didn’t know this was his last film/Western. I’m no detective, but I do know that almost the entire cast of The Shootist – including Director Don Siegel – were handpicked and invited by Wayne to be in this movie. Does that sound like somebody that doesn’t know this is the end of line?

the-shootist-hugh-obrian-2 Hugh O’Brian’s role in The Shootist is interesting. He seems to get a bit of preferential treatment. His role basically reprizes his previous portrayal of Wyatt Earp from his popular TV series “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp” (1955–1961). Also, in The Shootist, Hugh’s character is a Faro dealer in the saloon. This was Earp’s real life side occupation when he was a Marshall in Tombstone.

the-shootist-hugh-obrian-faro-dealer

Hugh also wears the gentleman’s garb of vest and tie vest – almost identical to O’Brian’s portrayal of Earp in his popular TV series.

the-shootist-hugh-obrian-3 the-shootist-hugh-obrian-4

Next, when John goes to the bar at the start of the final shootout scene, he pours himself a drink – and salutes only one of the three patrons in the bar: Hugh O’Brian. Ignoring Richard Boone and Bill McKinney. I’d say that’s a hell of a compliment – from the Dean of Western Heroes.

the-shootist-waynes-salute

Hugh salutes back. ‘See ya John’.

the-shootist-obrians-saluteWhen the final shootout takes place, Hugh – a true gentleman – doesn’t enter the fray until Boone and McKinney are dispatched.

the-shootist-hugh-obrian-5

buntline-bar

Epic stuff … all the way around.

buntline-barSo long Hugh.

the-shootist-so-long-hugh

Johnny does Hockey …


The Good Old Hockey Game / Stompin’ Tom Connors

hocky cowboy bar 3

In 1937 John appeared in a real head scratcher:
Idol of the Crowds – a hockey movie!

hocky cowboy bar 3

Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 2

Yes, John made an occasional non-Western,
but I never knew he ranged this far afield!?

Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937

I couldn’t access any video, but it looks like John
really knows what he’s doing out there!
Amazing!

JOHN WAYNE 1937 idol of the crowd

Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 IMDB reviewIdol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 Allmovie Review In the synopsis you can see that John plays a guy called Johnny Hanson. This is rather interesting coincidence, because one of my favorite (guilty pleasure) movies is Slapshot (1977)  a hockey sendup Starring Paul Newman! (believe it or not) and these amazing characters: The Hanson Brothers, who have become big Canadian celebrities.

The Hanson Brothers hockey cards 2
The Hanson Brothers – signing their real names
JOHN WAYNE 1937 idol of the crowds hockey card
John Wayne as Johnny Hanson

The Hanson Brothers deserve a Post to themselves
so I’ll get back to them later.

hocky cowboy bar 2Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 chicken and a kidMeanwhile … John Wayne plays a chicken farmer who plays hockey. With all due respect to chicken farming, how does one go from
being a Western Hero to a chicken farmer hockey player?

JOHN WAYNE 1937 idol of the crowds screencap 2

Idol of the Crowds 1937 screencap 4Idol of the Crowds 1937 screencap 5Idol of the Crowds 1937 screencap 6Idol of the Crowds 1937 screencap 7Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 lobby cardIdol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 lobby card 2Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 lobby card 3Idol of the Crowds John Wayne 1937 lobby card 5

Idol of the Crowds 1937 screencap 8
Those chicken farmers get all the chicks

Idol of the Crowds 1937 screencap 9hocky cowboy bar 3Sheila Bromley
Idol of the Crowds 1937 sheila bromleyIdol of the Crowds 1937 sheila bromley 2

John Wayne … Iconic Images / Stagecoach Run / 1936


dust in the wind / Melanie

stagecoach bar

Stagecoach Run is Winds of the Wasteland the same movie restored and colorized by Legend Films. I couldn’t find any new posters or advertising media for it though. Just a few clips.

Yakima Canutt does plenty of stunt work in this movie – plus some acting (as a badguy) – but receives no Credit on the Bill !! Those stunt guys don’t get no respect !

Lew Kelly provides a little Comedy relief inside the coach.

Stagecoach Run bannerStagecoach Run John WayneStagecoach Run Phyllis Fraser

Not sure how many stagecoach stunts Yakima Canutt performed in his career,
but there was plenty. This one is pretty tame by his standards.

Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 1 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 2 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 3 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 4 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 5 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 6 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 7

Then Yak jumps into the driver’s seat and magically transforms to John Wayne.

Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 8 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 9 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 10

Most of Yak’s and John’s stunts were seamlessly done – you honestly
believed it was John performing the action.

stagecoach bar

But Yak’s not finished yet – he jumps onto the horses !

Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 11 Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 12

Below: Not sure how this was done, but it appears
John is doing a bit of stunting himself?

Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 13

There’s a bit of a wardrobe screw-up here though as John and Yak
appear to have different colored vests on. ??

Stagecoach Run Yakima Canutt stunt 14

Those Actors – always wanting to do their own stunts.

Onward …

John Wayne … Iconic Images / Winds of the Wasteland / 1936


dust in the wind / kansas 

stagecoach bar

John keeps making ’em – I keep posting ’em. John is 29-years-old now and Winds of the Wasteland being his 5th of 7 Westerns he made in 1936. Though interesting, the movies are not that great. But as long as the images and Posters are good, (and they are) I’ll keep putting them up …

Winds of the Wasteland poster 1

Winds of the Wasteland poster 2

Winds of the Wasteland poster 3

Winds of the Wasteland poster 4

Winds of the Wasteland banner
John is ‘The Man’ and his name is Billed above and before the Title of the movie.

Winds of the Wasteland John Wayne

Winds of the Wasteland Phyllis Fraser

Winds of the Wasteland IMDB review

Winds of the Wasteland AllMovie review

Winds of the Wasteland screencap 1

Winds of the Wasteland The End

stagecoach bar

Winds of the Wasteland image 1

stagecoach

stagecoach bar

Phyllis Fraser (1916–2006) 

Phyllis Fraser

Phyllis Fraser

Yakima Canutt / Western Stunting 101 … The Art of Falling / Part 1


Ben Hur Theme / Miklos Rosza

YAKIMA CANUTT 6

Western Movie Stunting 101:
 The Art of Falling: Part 1:
Elementary Western Horse Stunting

There’s only one good thing about Falling off a horse. It’s damn easy.
(Especially galloping full speed, handling a weapon, or without a saddle)
Making it look good however – and landing safely – is another matter.

Image result for falling off a horse
Not a good Fall.

Bucked off

So Saddle up … or not … we’re goin’ Stunting!

Those Poor Horses

Yakima Canutt. was a Rodeo Champion, before and during his career as a Western Film Stunt Artist. He knew what Falling was all about – and it’s obvious side effects – injury and death – though he obviously Fell a lot less than most cowboys. But his experience in Rodeo is definitely what led to his place as a Western Film Stunt Master.

But getting bucked off in a Rodeo, and Falling in a Western movie, are not quite the same thing. In Rodeo you don’t want to Fall. And if you do, you aren’t very concerned about how it looks. In Stunt Falling you’re trying to Fall – and make it look good – the more sensational, the better – higher, farther, faster …. always pushing the envelope. And in Rodeo, and especially Stunting, Yak pushed the envelope big time. He pretty well invented the Stunt industry. In either case however, you still need to land safely. Not an easy thing to do.

Bronc riding
Unknown bronc rider … and unknown bronc … at an unknown rodeo

Yakima Canutt bar

But before we ride any further, there’s one thing that needs to be mentioned … the Horses.
Early Western Horse Stunts seemed to demonstrate a tremendous disregard for the safety of the horses.
One example: Stunt Falls from horses sometimes employed trip lines that tripped/yanked the horses down – while galloping at full speed. The Stuntman, of course, knew a Fall was coming – the horse did not. I haven’t seen any statistics, but I can surmise there was a considerable toll on the horses. This was rightfully criticized and eventually stopped. Nowadays Stunt horses are extensively trained in Falls and any other Stunts involving horses. To Yak’s credit he later took great care and pride in inventing techniques which greatly limited injury to both man and beast – culminating in his masterpiece – one of the greatest Stunt events in film history – the spectacular (and dangerous) – Chariot Race in Ben Hur (1959) – a monumental stunting achievement that took Yak two years of planning and preparation. And despite urban legends to the contrary, there is no evidence that any horses (or actors) were killed.

Yakima Canutt bar

Ben Hur …

Ben Hur - 1959

Ben Hur - Yakima Canutt instructing Charleton Heston
Yak gives Chuck (Heston) some pointers …

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 2

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 4
They’re off !!!

Ben Hur - 1959 Camera Truck

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 5

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 6

Joe Cannutt Ben Hur stunt
Yakima Canutt’s son Joe does the famous crash jump …
Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 7
Spiked wheels … ??

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 9

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 10

Ben Hur - chariot race 1959 11

Next:

Western Movie Stunting 101:
 The Art of Falling: Part 2:

John Wayne … Iconic Images / The Lonely Trail / 1936


There’s-a-long-long-trail / robert-mandell-with-the-romantic-strings-voices

Mustang Bar

The Lonely Trail title 2

The Lonely Trail poster

The Lonely Trail poster 2

The Lonely Trail poster 3

I’m guessing you noticed that those rascals used a couple of the same posters from King of the Pecos – an annoying, but not uncommon practice in those days. Not bad posters though.

Mustang Bar

This movie is hard to come by – I could find no clips, previews – hardly anything – just a few pics – though it appears to be shown on TCM occasionally.

Mustang Bar

Reviews

One average Review, one friendly Review, and one trashing Review …

The Lonely Trail IMDB review

Mustang Bar

DVD Talk
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/60347/lonely-trail/
The Lonely Trail /April 30, 2013 /
Review by Stuart Galbraith IV | posted May 26, 2013

“A Reconstruction-era Western with John Wayne battling a scurrilous carpetbagger, the meaninglessly titled The Lonely Trail (1936), is fairly good, early Republic production. Though cheap ($20,000, of which Wayne received $1,750), it lacks the sausage factory mechanicalness of many of that studio’s later Westerns. The company style hadn’t quite set yet, and the picture is fresher and a bit more adult, if creaky and less fine-tuned.
Yakima Canutt, the great actor-stuntman-second unit director who helped shape Wayne’s screen persona, plays Holden’s main henchman. In an early scene, Canutt gets to demonstrate his dexterity with a pair of six-shooters that still impresses today. And it might very well have been him doubling for Wayne in a terrific stunt where Wayne’s character leaps from a galloping horse onto a runaway buckboard.
Parting Thoughts: It looks great and, for fans of B-Western, loads of fun, The Lonely Trail is heartily Recommended.”

Mustang Bar

“Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
LONELY TRAIL, THE (director: Joseph Kane)
“Standard Western.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz 10/4/2005 GRADE: C
Standard Western directed by Joseph Kane from a story by Bernard McConville, who also handles the screenplay with Jack Natteford. Republic boss Herbert Yates was a NYC stockbroker who went to Hollywood and began Monogram Studios. His cinema philosophy was all about the money–not giving two cents about a film’s artistic worth. Yate’s philosophy was that a film should make back at least three times of what it costs to make. In John Wayne, Yates found a dependable and bankable star. For Wayne, these cheapie films became his school where he learned how to act. This is one of those middling film where if Wayne wasn’t in it, it would be of little interest.

Mustang Bar

The Lonely Trail lobby poster

The Lonely Trail lobby poster 2

Mustang Bar

Screencaps

The Lonely Trail screencap

The Lonely Trail screencap 2

I really had to wonder if my difficulty in finding this movie had something to do with it’s depiction of Black Americans in that era. It is clearly an outdated Social/Political depiction – even though it may be of some historical accuracy. I also wonder then, if future social climates will permit this film to return to our Libraries and Archives ?? I have to wonder.

The Lonely Trail screencap 3

Etta McDaniel
From Rotten Tomatoes:
Actress Etta McDaniel made her stage debut along with her seven siblings as a member of H. M. Johnson’s Mighty Modern Minstrels, a Denver-based musical troupe. In the late 1920s, McDaniel and her older brother Sam headed to Hollywood, where both found steady work in bit parts. In keeping with Hollywood’s racial attitudes of the 1930s and 1940s, she was confined to the stereotypical roles usually assigned black actresses of the era: housekeepers, maids, mammies and African natives. Unlike her younger sister Hattie McDaniel, who eventually attained co-star billing and an Academy Award (for Gone with the Wind), Etta McDaniel spent her entire Hollywood career in minor roles.

John Wayne … Iconic Images / King of the Pecos / 1936


Clapton / the breeze (jj cale)

Mustang Bar

King of the Pecos / 1936

Four pretty damn good posters:

King of the Pecos poster 3

King of the Pecos poster 2

King of the Pecos poster

King of the Pecos poster 5

Mustang Bar

King of the Pecos banner

King of the Pecos 1936

King of the Pecos 2
Yakima Canutt gets some lines in this movie, but is still low on the Bill.

King of the Pecos 4

King of the Pecos 3

King of the Pecos 5
Yak often played a bad guy.

King of the Pecos IMDB review

King of the Pecos Allmovie review

Mustang Bar

King of the Pecos lobby card 1

King of the Pecos lobby card 2

Mustang Bar

John demonstrates his quick draw fanning technique:

King of the Pecos quick draw
POW !!

King of the Pecos John Wayne 1

King of the Pecos John Wayne
Outta here …

John Wayne … Iconic Images / The Lawless Nineties / 1936


Lonely Hobo Lullaby / Hollies

Mustang Bar

The Lawless Nineties / 1936

John’s second Western of 1936. Not much to say about it. Average ratings. Only one (not too bad) poster …

The Lawless Ninties 1936 poster

The Lawless Ninties 1936 Republic Logo

The Lawless Ninties 1936 Allmovie Review

The Lawless Ninties 1936 IMDB Review

The Lawless Ninties 1936 John Wayne

The Lawless Ninties 1936 screen cap The Lawless Ninties 1936 John Wayne 2

The Lawless Ninties 1936 lobby card

The Lawless Ninties 1936 John Wayne 3The Lawless Ninties 1936 lobby card 2The Lawless Ninties 1936

 

Yakima Canutt / Western Stunting 101 … Part 2

YAKIMA CANUTT 6

Western Stunting 101:
Elementary Western Stunt Horsemanship
and Weapon Handling Cont …

STAGECOACH opening scenes

Stunt 2:

Alright … your next Stunt is another location shot. It’s pretty simple – no riding or shooting involved.
I just need you to climb out of the speeding stagecoach and get on it’s roof … nothin’ to it.
What? You want a safety harness!!??? Wellll … we don’t have any of those … how about an extra five bucks?

Good … here we go …

STAGECOACH Stunt 2

Action !! … Open the door … out you go !

STAGECOACH Stunt 2.1

Hold ‘er steady boys !!!

STAGECOACH roof stunt

Just climb up there … !!

STAGECOACH Stunt 2.3

Hey! Not bad! – Didn’t fall or anything.
We might make a Stuntman outta you yet. 

Here’s your 15 bucks.

Next:

Stunt 3:
Western Stunt Gun Handling

Stunt 3 is mostly a series of ‘close up’ shots – so to speak – done in the studio.

You’re playing Andy Devines role – stagecoach driver. You’ll only have to pretend to handle the reins – but there’s no horses on the set. Just try to look like you know what you’re doing; Handling a real team of horses would be Advanced Western Stunt Horsemanship ...

STAGECOACH Andy Devine

Here’s an interesting  anecdote from Stagecoach (IMDB): “(Director) John Ford liked to bully actors on the set, and this was no exception. At one point he said to Andy Devine, “You big tub of lard. I don’t know why the hell I’m using you in this picture.” Undaunted, Devine replied, “Because Ward Bond can’t drive six horses.” Point taken.

Because Andy Devine usually played a ‘comic relief” role in Westerns, his skills as a Western Actor are massively under-appreciated. He was a really a very accomplished gun handler and rider. And obviously could do other things – like drive a rig.

Yakima Canutt bar

Now for Stunt 3 … this scene will clearly demonstrate some of the dangers of Western Gun Handling / Firearms.

After you (Yakima Canutt) climb up on the roof of the stagecoach the shooting starts in earnest …

STAGECOACH John
John Wayne starts firing …

STAGECOACH John 2

STAGECOACH John 3
… and gets a facefull of smoke … *cough cough*. 

But he keeps on shootin’…

STAGECOACH everybody shootin'

Marshal Curley Wilcox (George Bancroft) is ‘riding shotgun’ … and let’s fly …

STAGECOACH shotgun blast

John gets smoked again …
Note the huge muzzle flash from the shotgun … about 3 feet long!
Imagine standing in front of that?!

Doc (Thomas Mitchell) starts shootin’ too …

STAGECOACH Doc shootin'

STAGECOACH Doc shootin' 2

Did you notice Actress Louise Platt covering her ears?
She’s not Acting …

STAGECOACH Doc shootin' 3

That idiot is shooting his pistol about a foot from her face !!!.

STAGECOACH Doc shootin' 4

STAGECOACH Doc shootin' 5

The boys keep blasting away …

STAGECOACH shotgun blast 2

OK … time to get you into some action !!

Hold still … while we blast a shotgun off beside your head …

STAGECOACH shotgun blast 3

No whining.

Here comes Johnny !

STAGECOACH John shootin'

Ooops, missed …

STAGECOACH John shootin' 2

Did I detect a Wilhelm?

Good work.
Hello?

Yakima Canutt bar

Next: 
Advanced Canutt Stunting …

Yakima Canutt / Western Stunting 101 …

YAKIMA CANUTT book 2
Forward by Charlton Heston / Afterword by John Wayne

YAKIMA CANUTT book 1

Western Stunting 101 

Read carefully:

Stunting is dangerous.

Injuries sustained by Yakima Canutt during his career:

  • Rodeo (evidently a form of Stunting – or may lead to Stunting) While bulldogging in Idaho, Canutt’s mouth and upper lip were torn by a bull’s horn. After stitches, Canutt returned to the competition. It was not until a year later that a plastic surgeon could correct the injury. Yak was Cowboy tough.
  • Yak fell off a 12-foot cliff and broke his nose while filming “Branded a Bandit” (1924). Minor injury.
  • Yak broke six ribs when a wall fell on him in “San Francisco” (1936). Not minor.
  • Yak punctured a lung when a horse fell on him during the filming of “Boom Town.” Life threatening.
  • Yak broke both legs while falling off a wagon in “Idaho” (1943). Potentially crippling.

Wikipedia: “In the five years between 1925 and 1930, fifty-five people were killed making movies, and more than ten thousand injured. By the late 1930’s, the maverick stuntman willing to do anything for a buck was disappearing. Now under scrutiny, experienced stunt men began to separate themselves from amateurs by building special equipment, rehearsing stunts, and developing new techniques.” – from Falling – (How Our Greatest Fear Became Our Greatest Thrill by Garrett Soden)

In early Stunting there were no rules, no guidelines, no techniques, no unions … nothing. Stuntman and horses were cannon fodder. Somebody would walk up to the Stunt guys and say: “I’ll pay 10 dollars for someone to fall off a 30 foot cliff.” Fall – not jump – not mentioning the rocks. Some stunt guy would jump up and say” I’ll do it.” Hey, it was the 20’s and 30’s – 10 bucks was a lot of money. Off he’d go. And possibly return. But maybe not.

But I figure Stunting accidents and injuries are greater than reported. The Stuntmen didn’t want anyone to know they got hurt – nor did the Filmmakers. Especially animals.

Because of all this Yakima Canutt rose to forefront of modern Stunt innovators – creating techniques and devices that enhanced Stunting while saving life and limb.

Lesson 1:

Elementary Western Stunt Horsemanship
and Weapon Handling

So … let’s practice some Elementary Western Stunt Horsemanship and Weapon Handling.

We’ll use the famous chase scene from Stagecoach (1939) (Directed by John Ford and Starring John Wayne) as an exercise backdrop:

STAGECOACH poster

Yakima Canutt bar

OK … here we go:

Western Horsemanship: Though many people wouldn’t consider riding a horse much of Stunt, over the years a great many Stunt injuries occured from riding and horse Stunting – probably more than any other Western Stunt. Good Horsemanship in Westerns is therefore, a requirement. But in Western Stunting EXCELLENT Horsemanship is a necessity.

Weapon Handling in Westerns: Guns can kill you – and are meant to do so. Over the years there have been accidental deaths and many injuries caused by firearms in Westerns and Action movies. Even prop guns employed in Film Making and using blank cartridges are dangerous. And as I said before, there’s likely been a lot more incidents than have been reported.

Gun Handling in Westerns opens a particularly rather large can of worms. Why? Because the Stars of the Westerns are required to handle guns (Hand Guns and Rifles …) and perform some Stunting/shooting. And Stars, in a lot of instances, are most likely not experts in Weapon Handling – NOR Stuntmen. Therefore …

Training is required – by experts. If you have no training or expertise in Weapon Handling you are a danger to yourself and and a risk to your co-workers. Movies, these days, employ Licensed Weapon Specialists to ensure the safety of the actors and crew production insurance premium as well. None of this existed in Yak’s day.

There are at least 2 ways in which Western prop firearms they can injure you:

Blank cartridges. There was notion conveyed in early Westerns was that blanks couldn’t hurt you – blank cartridges essentially being bullets with the lead projectile removed. As already noted people have been seriously injured – and killed – by guns firing blank cartridges. The initial concussion/blast – muzzle flash discharge from the barrel of the gun is deadly. I’d say it’s generally unwise to stand less that 8 feet away ?? Let’s make that 10 if possible. And often it’s not.

“Firing Blank Guns are REAL guns that have been modified to use blank ammunition. These firearms are to be considered extremely dangerous and should never be handled by anyone other than a legitimate firearms expert” – The Entertainment Weapons Specialists: http://propguys.com/gundanger/

Listen carefully: The second way in which guns can harm you is NOISE!!: BOOOM!! BWAM!! POW!!! Guns are very loud and can be damaging to your eardrums. Use earplugs when necessary/able.

Got it?

OK. For your first Stunt we’ll start you off easy:

Stunt 1

STAGECOACH Stunt 1
While galloping at full speed …
I want you to reload your rifle – then fire it.
This will require that you ride using no hands –
Yeah … again it would be useful if you had some experience in riding and handling firearms …
and sorry … you’re required to use blanks for this. We need to see some flash and smoke.
I’d prefer duds – safer for you – the horse – and everybody else. But …
OK … now go ahead, try it …
Got it loaded yet ??? … Good …
Now …. try leveling the rifle and shooting at something. Anything.
Uh huh …
Easy eh?
Now … do it again.
(I won’t wait)

Here’s your ten bucks.
There you go – Lesson 1: Elementary Western Stunt riding and Weapon Handling.

Yakima Canutt bar

Next: 
Advanced Western Horse Stunting and Weapon Handling
and Stunt 2:

John Wayne … Iconic Images / The Oregon Trial / 1936


Lucy / The Hollies

Mustang Bar

The Oregon Trial / 1936

In 1936, John Wayne appeared in 7 more B Westerns – 5 for Republic and 2 for Universal. The Oregon Trail was the first – also Starring Yakima Canutt.

Shot on location in Lone Pine, California, this film is ‘Lost’ – completely missing. Oddly, 40 stills were found in 2013. That is all that remains. Thus no Reviews.

And the existing poster are not all that great. ??

The Oregon Trail poster

The Oregon Trail poster 2

Seems to have been a lot of hand to hand fighting in this movie. In most of these early Westerns such fights mainly consisted of sloppy wrestling matches. Yakima Canutt is credited with eventually improving the fight choreography and fake punches that were thrown – thus improving the action and the safety of the stunts.

The Oregon Trail poster 3

The Oregon Trial lobby card

The Oregon Trial lobby card 2

The Oregon Trial lobby card 3

The Oregon Trial lobby card 4

The Oregon Trail poster 4

The Oregon Trial lobby card 5
Yak gets the drop on Duke and his pals

The Oregon Trial lobby card 6

The Oregon Trial
But John still gets the gal …

John Wayne … Iconic Images / The Dawn Rider / 1935

 
The Wayward Wind / The Browns / 1960

Mustang Bar

The Dawn Rider / 1935

John Wayne’s 8th and last Western of 1935 – B Movies all – and I get the impression this is was not one of the better ones. AllMovies reviews it as 1.5 out of 5. Ouch! Nor does it have any bounty of posters as some of John’s other movies of the era. But we are definitely starting to see the famous John Wayne persona evolving – the confidence, the swagger, his manner of talking. If you make 50 of these things you better learn something …
The Dawn Rider poster

The Dawn Rider poster 2

The Dawn Rider AllMovie review

The Dawn Rider IMDB review

The Dawn Rider lobby card

The Dawn Rider banner

The Dawn Rider lobby card 2

The Dawn Rider 1

The Dawn Rider 2

The Dawn Rider 3

The Dawn Rider 4

The Dawn Rider lobby card 3


John Wayne … Iconic Images / The Desert Trail / 1935

Western Poster Art

I couldn’t say which decade was the greatest era for Western Poster art. There was great posters all the way from the late 20’s to the late 50’s. Spectacular work – fit to be be framed. Then, as the popularity Westerns seemed to decline in the late 50’s, Poster Art in general seemed to decline also ? with most poster images moving to photos instead. 

The Desert Trail / 1935

One thing is for sure, John was riding high.

The Desert Trail poster 1

The Desert Trail poster 2

The Desert Trail poster 3

The Desert Trail imdb

The Desert Trail Allmovie Review

The Desert Trail 1

The Desert Trail 1935

The Desert Trail 2

The Desert Trail poster 4

The Desert Trail poster 5

The Desert Trail 24

The Desert Trail poster 6

The Desert Trail 5

The Desert Trail poster 7

The Desert Trail poster 8

The Desert Trail poster 9

The Desert Trail 6

The Desert Trail poster 10

John Wayne … Iconic Images / Lawless Range / 1935


See the Sky about to Rain / The Byrds

SIx Shooter Bar

Why?

Marilyn (over at Serendipity Blog https://teepee12.com/) was asking me why I’m posting all these old John Wayne movies? since most of them were “pretty bad”.  Yup, it’s true – as Gabby said – once you’ve watched one of them, they seem to be pretty much the same thing over and over: The New Frontier, The Lawless Frontier, Lawless Range etc  But … well I’m doing it as a John Wayne Filmography. This interests me. (You too I hope) For me, there are enough excellent images and great posters to sustain this project. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t bother. Historically speaking though – especially in the History of Western Film – all these movies are important. And become even more so every year. In part, because they are John Wayne movies – the greatest Western Film Star of all time – but also just because they are part of early Western Film – going all the way back to the 20’s. Frankly I’m surprised that so many of these old Movies still exist. Much of the film from that era has been lost or thrown away. For instance, many of John Ford’s early works are gone.

But don’t worry … we are gradually approaching that important year in Western Film History: 1939 – the year John Ford and John Wayne made Stagecoach … the movie that broke the Western B Movie mold and elevated Westerns to legitimate Theatre art …

Lawless Range / 1935

Lawless Range poster 1
Another pretty dang nice poster

Lawless Range review 1

Yep … the reviews weren’t too good. 

Lawless Range review 2

Lawless Range poster 3

Lawless Range poster 2

Lawless Range screencap 3

Posters often featured colorized screen caps though the movie was B&W

Lawless Range poster 4

Lawless Range screencap 2

Lawless Range screencap 1

Lawless Range poster 7

Lawless Range poster 6
There were at least 3 attempts to turn John Wayne into a ‘Singing Cowboy’ – but the perpetrators were hunted down and hung

SIx Shooter Bar

Lawless Range / 2016 

Lawless Range 2016
NOT based upon the original

SIx Shooter Bar

The Real Lawless Range

John Wayne … Iconic Images / The New Frontier


They Call the Wind Maria / Pernell Roberts

SIx Shooter Bar

The New Frontier / 1935

The New Frontier Poster
Not sure John would have approved of this poster
The New Frontier IMDB
The reviews were worse than usual too
The New Frontier review
1 and a half out of 5 … ooooooo
The New Frontier Poster 2
This is better … a pretty good poster

The New Frontier screencap

The New Frontier Poster 3

The New Frontier Poster 4
Another pretty good poster

SIx Shooter Bar

New Frontier / 1939

The Three Mesquiteers

From Wikipedia: “The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a Republic Pictures series of 51 Western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne. The name was a play on mesquite and The Three Musketeers, and each film featured a trio of stars.”

The New Frontier Poster 5

New Frontier IMDB

The New Frontier Poster 7

The Three Mesquiteers
Max Terhune, John Wayne and Ray Corrigan

The Three Mesquiteers 2

The Three Mesquiteers 3

john wayne rc cola

SIx Shooter Bar

John Wayne … Iconic Images 1935 / Paradise Canyon


Rosanne Cash

SIx Shooter Bar

In 1935, John Wayne as 28 years old. I doubt that he was worried about much. Many people were literally starving in the 30’s – could barely survive – while he was a Movie Star – though probably not too rich. He might well have wondered when the bubble was going to burst – and surely had no idea that the real movie paradise was just up the canyon.

SIx Shooter Bar

Paradise Canyon / 1935

Paradise Canyon poster 1
Rating this poster at least a 9 out of 10. Magnificent!

Paradise Canyon All Movie Review

Paradise Canyon IMDB

Paradise Canyon 1

Paradise Canyon 2

Paradise Canyon poster 2

Paradise Canyon 3

Paradise Canyon 4

Paradise Canyon 5

Paradise Canyon poster 3
Another pretty damn good poster – John looks a bit like Gene Autry here
Paradise Canyon poster 4
Example of a generic poster – just change the title and use it again.

SIx Shooter Bar

John Wayne … Iconic Images 1935 / Rainbow Valley

|
Wayfaring Stranger / Emmylou Harris

SIx Shooter Bar

In 1935, Rainbow Valley was John Wayne’s 3rd of 8 B&W Westerns
he appeared in for Lone Star Productions.
It was a mill … and they kept grinding.

Rainbow Valley 1

Rainbow Valley 2

Rainbow Valley 3

2 things I couldn’t stomach in a Western … singing …

Rainbow Valley 4

Rainbow Valley 8

Rainbow Valley 6

… and cars. What’s a car doing in a Western?

Rainbow Valley 7
“Beats me?”

SIx Shooter Bar