John Wayne Article – Feb. 15, 1976

The Duke as he looked in his final movie, "The Shootist"

The two Western cable channels – GRIT and Outlaw – have been playing a lot of great John Wayne movies lately (True Grit, Rio Bravo, The Searchers, Three Godfathers, McClintock, Chisum) so it's a good time for me to post this article from the Feb. 15, 1976 edition of the Journal. It's an interview with the Duke at the time he was filming his last movie, The Shootist.

As noted in past blog posts, I can't emphasize enough how much my brothers and I idolized John Wayne when we were growing up. Mom and Dad took us to see all of his new movies (including The War Wagon, Chisum, The Undefeated, The Cowboys, True Grit, etc.) beginning in the mid-1960s, usually at Amherst Theatre. A few we saw as part of the Summer Movie program (such as Hellfighters). Consequently, we first became familiar with him when he was already older (and fatter). Gradually we were able to catch his old movies on TV and see him at his best.

One of my recent favorites is El Dorado, with Robert Mitchum and James Caan (who is hilarious). It's often criticized as being just a rework of Rio Bravo, but I don't agree with that at all. The Duke is a sheriff in one and a gruff gunfighter in the other. But both movies have a dance hall girl as love interest for the John Wayne character, a drunken law officer, a grizzled deputy type, and a younger man helping in the fight against the bad guys.

Anyway, here is the Feb. 1976 interview. It's interesting that he was planning another sequel to Rooster Cogburn, which was already a sequel to True Grit. But sadly, he passed away before he was able to make another film.

It was great seeing James Stewart as the doctor who gives
John Wayne's character the bad news about his health.
Two film greats.

On Area Movie Screens – Sept. 30, 1953

We'll close out the week (and September as well) with a look at what was playing on local movie screens seventy years ago this month. Above is the movie page from the September 30, 1953 Lorain Journal. 

Opening the next day at the Ohio Theatre were perennial Lorain favorites Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall and the Bowery Boys in Loose In London. 

In this installment of the popular movie comedy series, the gang travels to London so that Sach (Huntz Hall) can claim his inheritance. 

(I remember the first time I saw the Bowery Boys was in the early 1970s, when Channel 43 showed the old comedies on Sunday mornings, billing them as the Dead End Kids. My brothers and I were soon imitating Huntz Hall, wearing our baseball caps with the brim turned up as we shouted, "Hey, Chief!")

For theater goers who preferred more mature movie fare, there was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Tivoli with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. (Contrary to the movie title, and I'm probably in the minority, but I prefer Jane Russell to Marilyn, especially since Miss Russell made a lot of appearances in Westerns.)

It's interesting that Howard Hawks was the movie's director. He was also the director of some of John Wayne's best films, including Red River, Rio Bravo and El Dorado, as well as Hatari and Rio Lobo.

Elsewhere on the movie page, we had Audie Murphy (another GRIT TV favorite of mine) in The Duel at Silver Creek (1952) playing at the Lorain Drive-in. It was a pretty good Don Siegel-directed movie – with Lee Marvin in it too! (BTW, during her last few years living at home, Mom was a real Audie Murphy fan too, watching all of his movies on GRIT.)

But what about the Duke?

Contrary to his normal Western roles, at that time John Wayne was starring as The Quiet Man at the Dreamland. It's one of my favorite John Wayne movies, and I watch it on DVD (or TV if it's on) every St. Patrick's Day like a true Irishman.

On Area Movie Screens – August 1, 1973

We'll kick off August with a look back at what was playing at local theaters fifty years ago today on August 1, 1973. Above is the page from the Journal from that day.

Regular readers of this blog know by now that this feature provides a shameless reason for me to write about John Wayne, and – sure enough – the Duke was starring in Cahill, United States Marshall at the Palace Theatre. 

Here's a lobby card for your perusal, Pilgrim.

Although I generally like all John Wayne movies, this one's not on my list of favorites. Its plot (Cahill's sons feel neglected by their pa and end up becoming involved in a bank robbery) seems to have been conceived to interest younger viewers. Gary Grimes, fresh from his appearance in Summer of '42 is one of the Cahill boys.

Gravel-voiced Neville Brand plays an old Indian buddy of Cahill. That's him on the left in the photo below.

Quite a different role for the decorated World War II war hero than his usual slow-witted oaf (like his role on Laredo).

The Journal wasn't crazy about the movie either. Here's the review from the August 3, 1973 edition of the paper.

Although the Bradys didn't see Cahill, United States Marshall at the Palace, we did see it at Amherst Theatre (where else?). And amazingly, it was the last film of the Duke that I remember seeing first run in a movie theater. I missed The Train Robbers, both of his non-Westerns (McQ and Brannigan), as well as his last movies, Rooster Cogburn and The Shootist – all of which I saw on TV. 

In fact, with the exception of The Sound of Music, which my family saw in Cleveland when it first came out in its 'road show' version, I don't think I've seen any of the other movies shown on the page. We had the Sound of Music record, which Mom played occasionally on the stereo that was in the living room (which we never used and generally stayed out of). That record was played so often that I can 'play' much of it in my head to this day. 

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Of particular interest to me on the page, however, is the ad for the Lorain County Fair appearance of Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass. Since the Bradys loved the sound of trumpets and brass (we had all the Herb Albert albums), Mom and Dad took us to the fair to catch the show. I'll be doing several Lorain County Fair posts when it gets closer to Fair Week.

Click here to learn more about Danny Davis and his band.

On Area Movie Screens – June 1, 1963

Looking at the Journal's movie page from June 1, 1963 makes me feel a little wistful. 

Not just because you can't see a first run movie in Lorain, Avon Lake, or Vermilion these days (although that's bad enough). It's because Hollywood no longer has the kind of producers and directors who would envision a movie; get the financing or backing of a studio (or produce it on their own) so they could make it; assemble a group of talented actors and actresses, including stars and a supporting cast, to act in it; hire a cinematographer to photograph it; find a composer to write a memorable musical score for it; and ultimately create cinematic magic.

Nowadays, a movie doesn't get greenlighted unless it can predictably be a monster hit. Which is why we see mostly superhero movies (and their endless sequels) consisting almost entirely of CGI.

Anyway, sixty years ago this month, there was an incredible selection of movies playing in the area. The one that leaps out at me on the page is the area showing of the first James Bond film, Dr. No, at the Palace in Lorain. The film had only been released in the United States in early May 1963. I like the graphic design and use of color on the top poster.

For John Wayne fans, two of his latest – The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Hatari were still making the rounds at the drive-ins as a double feature. Both Tower Drive-in and the Lorain Drive-in invited their patrons to saddle up with the Duke. 

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a great film (and Lee Marvin is terrific in it), but it isn't one of my favorite John Wayne films. That's because I'm not too crazy about the wimpy James Stewart character, who steals the Duke's girl and becomes a pompous windbag by the end of the film. Meanwhile, Wayne ends up in a pine box.

The Lorain Drive-in also had a Jerry Lewis double feature comprising The Sad Sack and The Delicate Delinquent, as well as a Bob Hope oldie from 1950, Fancy Pants. It's kind of odd seeing Old Ski Nose and Lucille Ball on the big screen in a movie that was already thirteen years old.

For horror movie fans (like Alan), at the Ohio Theater there was The Day of the Triffids, about man-eating plants from outer space. Although the Journal gave it a good review, it looks rather nauseating to me. And I keep thinking of cute, lovable tribbles instead of disgusting triffids.

There were plenty of other now well-known films being shown locally, including the original West Side Story at Avon Lake Theater. But it just doesn't seem right that there wasn't a feature-length Three Stooges epic in local distribution at that particular time.

On Area Movie Screens – Nov. 10, 1962

While many (most?) people prefer to stream movies in the comfort of their own home these days, sixty years ago you had to head out to the theaters to see your favorite stars.

So what was playing on area movie screens back then? This page from the November 10, 1962 Journal tells the story. 

As usual, there was something for everyone – and here's a sampling from the listings.

It may have been November, but the drive-ins were still open. John Wayne was starring in three features at the Lorain Drive-in: North to Alaska (1960), Blood Alley (1955), and The Wings of Eagles (1957) 

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Not exactly "Big John's" three greatest roles as the ad says, but North to Alaska is a lot of fun, and hey, any John Wayne flick on the big screen is okay with me, pilgrim.

Tower Drive-in was showing two films in the bawdy "Carry On" series: the first in the series, Carry On Sergeant (1958), and Carry On Constable (1960). There was also Hayley Mills in Whistle Down the Wind, which was probably low on the bawdy meter.

Carry On Sergeant actually looks pretty funny, kind of like a British Stripes. In fact these "Carry On" movies remind me of the Bowery Boys.

The latest Walt Disney animated feature, Lady and the Tramp, was being held over at the Ohio.

Although we saw a lot of Walt Disney movies, I don't recall seeing Lady and the Tramp, although it was one of the stories in my Walt Disney Story Land book, which I still have. (It was a gift from my parents on my fifth birthday.)

At the Palace was What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, the horror thriller that revived the careers of its stars, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. 

Slightly more appealing to me than What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was the documentary We'll Bury You! showing at the Tivoli.

With the way things have been going in the world these days, maybe this documentary should be re-released. 

Oh, and the Carry On movies too. We could use some good laughs.

On Area Movie Screens – October 1, 1962

Regular readers of this blog know that from time to time, I post Journal movie pages from fifty and sixty years ago. The ads provide a nice snapshot of cultural tastes, and reveal what society found entertaining at that time.

Since the fifty-year perspective (and 1970s films in general) can be somewhat depressing, leave us turn back the hands of time, and see what was on area screens sixty years ago.

Back on the Journal movie page of October 1, 1962, we see that the classic Hollywood star system was in decline, with less star-driven pictures. Popular actors and actresses were taking more control of their careers, with many producing their own films. Of course, this meant that they could get the credit (or blame) if the movie was a dud.

Alan Ladd's team produced the crime film 13 West Street, which was showing at the Tivoli, with The Hellions as the second feature. 

Sadly, Alan Ladd passed away in January 1964 at the age of fifty, with the cause of death (according to his Wiki page) of "an accidental combination of alcohol, a barbiturate, and two tranquilizers."

At Amherst Theatre was Hell is For Heroes, starring Steve McQueen in one of his early films. The Journal movie ad was pretty stark – all bland lettering – compared to the movie poster.

Also featured in the war flick was Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, and Bob Newhart.

Over at Avon Lake Theatre, John Wayne was starring in the action film Hatari, directed by Howard Hawks. Hawks helmed five of the Duke's pictures, including Red River, Rio Bravo and El Dorado. Also on the bill was The Music Man.

For those who were interested in horror films, the Ohio was showing The Phantom of the Opera (1962) and Face of Fire (1959).

What about the drive-ins?

Lorain Drive-in was catering to filmgoers (gentlemen?) who preferred blondes and brunettes, preferably from Europe. Gina Lollobrigida and Ernest Borgnine were starring in Go Naked in the World. (I hope the title wasn't referring to Mr. Borgnine's attire in the movie.) Brigitte Bardot was the star of the second feature, the truth. 

I wonder what kind of reception these two films received in Lorain, where only a few years earlier, Bowery Boys movies seemed to be perpetually airing on various screens downtown?

Tower Drive-in had a double feature of Splendor in the Grass and September Storm. September Storm looks pretty good, predating Jaws by many years. Plus it stars Joanne Dru, who was in Red River and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon with the Duke. Now those are some good credentials in my book!

Lastly, at the Palace – the only movie house that is still around in some form today – a jolly double feature of The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus and The Manster (half man, half monster) was lighting up the screen.

At least a Merrie Melodie Cartoon was included on the bill.

Hugh Gallagher Review: John Wayne in “The Cowboys"

Promotional photo of John Wayne in The Cowboys
which appeared on the cover of Life Magazine

Fifty years ago, first-run John Wayne movies were still being shown in theaters, and one of them – The Cowboys – was reviewed in the Journal on Feb. 17, 1972.

Alan Hopewell’s favorite Journal movie critic, Hugh Gallagher, did the honors.

It’s interesting that Mr. Gallagher thought that the Duke was better in The Cowboys than he was in True Grit, which featured his Oscar-winning performance.

Back here on this post, I mentioned how I remembered seeing The Cowboys at Amherst Theater, and getting teary-eyed seeing the loathsome scumbag Bruce Dern murder the Duke. I haven’t been able to watch the movie on TV since. (Yes, I know that’s pretty goofy.)

(For the record, I didn’t mind seeing John Wayne get wiped out in The Alamo. After all, he was playing Davy Crockett and we knew in advance that everyone there was gonna die. At least he literally went out with a bang.)

Anyway, here’s the Hugh Gallagher movie review of The Cowboys.