Fifty years ago today on September 3, 1971, two aging entertainment giants were sharing the bill at the Lorain Drive-In Theater. Even though both performers probably did their best work in the 1950s, they were still hanging on and hugely popular with their fans.
I’m talking about the Duke – John Wayne – and the King – Elvis Presley.
Together, they made one heck of a double bill at the Lorain Drive-In. First up was John Wayne and Richard Boone in Big Jake (1971), followed by the Elvis Presley documentary That’s the Way It Is (1970) at 10:35 p.m.
Here’s a color version of the Big Jake movie poster.
In the movie, “Big Jake" McCandles (John Wayne) is enlisted by his estranged wife (played by still-beautiful Maureen O’Hara) to rescue his kidnapped grandson “Little Jake” from some outlaws holding him for ransom. Little Jake is played by John Wayne’s youngest son, Ethan Wayne. Richard Boone (TV’s Paladin of Have Gun Will Travel) plays the head of the outlaw gang.
Most of what little humor there is in the movie comes from the abrasive relationship between Big Jake and his resentful adult sons, one of whom sarcastically calls him, “Daddy.” Big Jake spends some time punching both of them.
Although the movie was a big hit in 1971, Big Jake is not one of my favorite John Wayne movies. Why? Because of violence and disturbing characterizations.
I remember watching it at Amherst Theater with my family, and being somewhat upset seeing Dog and Sam Sharpnose both get brutally killed by a big, bearded galoot with a machete. Both victims seem to be forgotten at the movie’s inevitable ‘happy ending’ when Little Jake is rescued.
Two longtime members of John Wayne’s movie ensemble are also in Big Jake and don’t fare much better. John Agar – so good in Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon – has about two minutes of screen time before he is shot and killed in one of the opening scenes. And Harry Carey Jr., who appeared as a good guy in some of John Wayne’s best movies (The Searchers, Red River, 3 Godfathers, Rio Grande, etc.) plays one of the scumbag kidnappers.
The movie review that appeared in the Journal on September 3, 1971 wasn’t exactly glowing.
Want to judge for yourself? Big Jake is on tonight on GRIT TV at 8:00 p.m. So get some popcorn ready!
6 comments:
Ah,Hugh Gallagher,a man I loved to disagree with, particularly in his opinions of the horror/sci-fi product shown at the local movie houses.
BIG JAKE isn't my favorite John Wayne western (that would be MC CLINTOCK!), but I still enjoy watching it. I didn't see it theatrically, but saw it for the first time in 1972 on a 16mm print whilst a "student" at Hawthorne Hills School.
In 1970, we still had the Lorain,Tower,Auto-Rama, and Carlisle Drive-Ins, plus the Tivoli, Palace, Ohio, Amherst, Midway,Rivoli, Capitol, Lake (I think),Apollo, Avon Lake, and Liberty Theaters.
Good times.
I meant 1971.
"That's The Way It Is" is a classic Elvis documentary.Even if you don't care for Elvis,this film offers behind the scenes footage of an artist who cared about his craft.I recommend this film to anyone who wants to see what pop music was like back in the late "60s-early "70s,instead of the voice altering garbage that they have now,where anyone today can be a singer.Has anybody actually heard Post Malones voice.Fake as fake news.He should be working at Big Lots stocking shelves.The King wasn't fake about anything he did.The King was at the top of his game in looks and in performance.It's hard to believe but a few short years later Elvis would be dead.Long live The King.
I don't think Elvis was washed up by the time That's The Way It Is came out.He was only 35 in 1970.He still owed MGM a few movies in his contracts and wisely did a documentary instead of the same old bubblegum movies he was doing.Plus he couldn't tour due to his movie career.This documentary revived his interest in touring again when his movie contracts were over.Then in the 1970s he was more popular than he was in the 1950s right up until he died in 1977.Or maybe he didn't die as I saw a guy who looked just like an 85 year old King walking down Broadway Ave in Lorain the other day.Maybe the King is living in Lorain?
I agree, Elvis was by no means washed up in the early 1970s. On the contrary, he was entering that phase of his comeback career during which he would gain the new fans that would embrace him as a legend, making him a showbiz giant forever. It is particularly sad that neither Elvis nor the Duke would make it through the 1970s alive. I still remember where I was when I heard that Elvis died (I was driving on the Ohio Turnpike).
Elvis was, and continues to be, the greatest entertainer the world has ever known. I saw Elvis four times in concert, twice at the Richfield Coliseum and twice at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis. In the 44 years since his death I have seen countless other big-name performers, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Hall & Oates and the list goes on. While all very good in their own right, none compares to Elvis. During the "That's The Way It Is" era, Elvis was at his all-time best. He was not in decline, but on the rise again. No artist since his untimely passing has even approached Elvis' status as evidenced by his continuing popularity. If you don't believe me just remember that tens of thousands continue to attend the candlelight vigil in August in Memphis all these years later.
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