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Apr. 3, 2003 Recently I purchased several John Wayne and Clint Eastwood DVDs, hoping to begin a nice viewing library. I am finding that the western genre is fast becoming a favorite of mine all over again. Mostly due to John Wayne himself. The man, who I grew up watching as a child with my father, still moves me. His presence on the screen is one of a kind and unmatched. With his signature walk, the way he dons his hat, or the way he draws his gun, he can still give off pure magic that somehow pours out of the screen and right into my home. While not every one of his movies was a hit, his acting was top-notch quality, he gave everything of himself, and he was a natural. He is a man who I would have liked to meet. There is something about the old westerns that still has appeal to me. I certainly appreciate them more now then I did when I was small. Maybe it was that the violence to me now doesnt seem as scary, kind of hard to beat the actual violence we now see on our daily news. Perhaps it is because I now watch it with different eyes. Mostly I enjoy being drawn into a new place and time where I have never been before. I love to watch the cowboys riding through the beautiful landscapes and scenery of Texas, Utah, Colorado and such places. The mountains loomed off in the distance and the prairies stretched for miles. Even with the black and white pictures you were still drawn to the incredible sense of beauty and the far as the eye can see space. John Wayne knew how to draw his gun, using strength, style, speed and grace. All he had to do was give a look and it spoke a thousand words. His eyes conveyed so much emotion and his smile, so genuine and full of charm. He exuded confidence with each new man he played, being the one who usually you didnt want to tangle with. It was wonderful to watch him step into so many roles, playing tough, witty, dangerous, and lively characters. Who can possibly forget his turn in True Grit! He always rose to the occasion and gave his all in each performance. Other favorites of mine include The Searchers, El Dorado, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, Red River, War Wagon, and Horse Soldiers. In my many years of watching him, I myself have gone through different phases. When I was young he was the father I wanted, then the hero I needed, the kind of man I would want to marry, and now an icon who still moves me, and in memory, lives on forever. To sit back and be taken into the glorious world of a western is a heartwarming experience. The dialogue is fun and the action is furious. From the cowboy and Indian days to the saloon, hanging, and gambling days, somewhere there was action waiting in the form of a bad guy versus the good guy. I always enjoyed the comedic partners John Wayne collected along the way, giving him reason to cast that luminous smile of his. The ladies in the westerns were never really big roles, but probably my favorite strong woman role was that of Maureen OHara in The Quiet Man. While John Wayne did star in many other wonderful movies outside of westerns, it was as the cowboy that I will always remember him by. Clint Eastwood is another favorite, though in a different way. For many of the movies he was the silent gunslinger with the piercing look in his eyes spelling tough guy. While The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly had some elements of silliness, Clint shone and was always a step ahead of the others. The dramatic pause and the camera panning from one character to the other was both unnerving and comical, awaiting who would draw first and prevail. Through his many diverse roles in the western genre, we also got the gritty yet honest look of Unforgiven, the path of corruption of ones soul, a gem among Eastwood movies, which he also directed. Both of these actors had their turn in front of the camera, proving they learned a lot from their predecessors. John Ford, Howard Hawks, and others gave us adventures that have withstood the test of time. There have been a few attempts to bringing westerns back but I doubt they can ever succeed. Somehow they all lack the luster of the true cowboy ways and they lack the leading men who made the westerns something extra special. About the author: Nancy Jackson is a full time author and poet with works in Literati, Twilight Times, Anotherealm, Sonny World, and various anthologies. Her pasttimes include spending time with her loved ones, drinking wine, and lots of writing! Email Nancy Jackson: coryann93@yahoo.com ------------ Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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