[quote=“Yodlaf Peterson, post:19, topic:1327”]Nonsense, I love film and watch different things from all over the world but don’t like John Wayne, so I too have no interest in any of his films…
…nor any film with Hugh Grant or Russell Brand in for that matter.[/quote]
Well, neither Hugh Grant or Russell Brand are exactly “icons”. Anyhow, you have to admit, despite your dislike, that he had a huge influance on the Western genre.
I agree with you - we all love film in one form or another but we should not have to love a certain actor, director, etc. It’s all about taste and Wayne is not for everyone.
I’m not saying you should love him (that brings up some scary thoughts), just a levell of respect for a man, along with John Ford, brought the Western genre to life after a long string of two reelers and B-movies that peppered the '30s, with Stagecoach.
easy cowboy… you know what I meant. He along with several others did make the genre bigger and better for American audiences. I definitely feel the glorification of violence and war in his movies (almost with others of that time) did nothing but prepare young men to die needlessly. Being a hero isn’t always about dying on some God forsaken rock but returning home to make the world a better place.
Woah, woah, “madness?” All I said is I have no interest in his films. Like Talby said it’s just a matter of taste. There are just as many people out there who say they aren’t interested in Clint Eastwood’s movies but I wouldn’t imply that they’re insane. John Wayne was a cultural icon, true, and helped bring westerns to the forefront of cinema. This I recognize. There’s no need to go bullying people just because they have different tastes in film.
Agreed.
Yeah, I won’t say I have no interest, but John Wayne’s films don’t appeal to me much. I’ve had to force myself to watch them just because I think they’re important in terms of cinema, and especially westerns.
Used to watch his films when I was younger, but just do not seem to bother these days.
really boring actor, i don’t know how made him star of the westerns
huh? who made him - I would assume it would be the producers of the movies but that’s my guess.
The audience made him. And he was and he is a superstar. A cinema icon.
That sums it perfectly.
To me Clint Eastwood is a million times better and he has quite an “audience” as well. Not to mention all the awards he’s got.
I think this thread has run its course.
I never understood these Forum discussions (in general) about films and talent one doesn’t like at all.
What’s the point?
If it’s real junk - why not.
Otherwise that lack of any respect makes me often want to leave certain forums
for good altogether. Know what I mean? When opinions pop up that Kubrick is cold
and mediocre, Billy Wilder is over-rated or ‘One flew over the cuckoos nest’ is a bad film
and Ford is static…
Never understood how one can claim to be a film lover and at the same time is not
open to (acknowledged, thank God) talent - whatever the genre or decade.
Probably there’s no point in writing this (and can here the comments coming :))
Anyway, just checked out the thread because of its name.
I didn’t write this to defend the man (he certainly doesn’t need it), but
Wayne was and is the biggest movie star ever. Just because of his enourmous
output no-one will ever come close to his career and popularity.
He was a good actor when he had the right Director & project.
He made many mediocre films for ‘his’ audience (mainly in his last 15 years)
and some real turkeys.
When I talk to people how can’t stand him I often stop the discussion when
I learn that they saw TRAIN ROBBERS or CHISUM, but not SHE WHORE A YELLOW RIBBON or
THE SEARCHERS. They know THE UNDEFEATED or THE SEA CHASE but not RIO BRAVO
or RED RIVER.
My preference is in the so-called NEW HOLLYWOOD, films like EASY RIDER, MIDNIGHT COWBOY
or TAXI DRIVER. Not much in common with WAYNE-country 
Still I can love and appreciate gems like HATARI!, LIBERTY VALANCE, COMANCHEROS,
QUIET MAN or RIO GRANDE. Not difficult at all, WONDERFUL films
Now let’s take care of the snow in the driveway… MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!
A big star, nothing gonna change that. I guess that when I was young I (and most people) had fewer access to movies (no internet etc etc) so big stars were big stars, these days with so many films burned into a DVD, actors like Wayne and others don’t seem of so importance at least to me, I more focused on the films as a all.
In any case Wayne was never among my favourite all time big stars, he had his great films and also his turkey’s, but for my personal taste I always preferred guys like James Cagney or Mcqueen.
Well, this is a SW forum, and for some reason some SW fans are always very keen on bashing Wayne a bit (and the US western in general, despite the fact that the US westerns are so different that there isn’t only ONE Type of US westerns, but at least 2 dozen types). And some of Wayne’s films had their influence too on the SW genre, and I assume that most SW directors, who made SWs out of a general love for the western genre, did also love several John Wayne films.
And the Wayne westerns are also more different than many people think. There is already a great enough difference between Wayne in a Hawks film and Wayne in a Ford film. E.g. the German critic Joe Hembus makes a general difference between the suffering Wayne in the Ford films and the redeemed Wayne in the Hawks films.
And I sometimes too think that talent should get a bit more respect. The respect which makes the difference between saying I don’t care for his films (or I don’t like his films) and calling one’s films utter crap.
On the other hand there are some guys where I don’t see any talent at all. Quite tricky to respect them. 
Mike and Stanton summed my feelings up perfectly - you don’t have to care for him, but at least give him some respect. Without him, John Ford and Stagecoach, we wouldn’t even have Spaghetti Westerns.
Right, never forget Leone’s biggest hero was Ford. People who knew Leone
told me the photo Ford signed for Leone maybe was his biggest ‘treasure’…
In the end, a true film lover should judge and rate films in the right perspective.
I can like Fulci & Tourneur both (I do) - but once one starts to ‘compare’ it becomes pointless
in a way. Different approaches - different results.
If I want to watch a western with a wooden actor I prefer Anthony Steffen to John Wayne.
![http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/peckinpah69/wayne/comancheros-bel.jpg[/IMG]](http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/peckinpah69/wayne/comancheros-bel.jpg%5B/IMG%5D){kind=link}