Reviews of movies with John Wayne.
Friday, May 23rd 2008
Grade: B-
Synopsis: The estranged wife (Maureen O’Hara) and son of a Calvary officer (John Wayne) join him at a fort out west.
Rio Grande was something of a throwaway film for director John Ford. While it’s now considered part of the director’s “Calvary Trilogy,” at the time, Ford made the picture as part of a deal in order to secure financing for his pet project, The Quiet Man. Thus, it’s understandable that Rio Grande is somewhat thinner than Ford’s other Calvary pictures, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Fort Apache.
That’s not to say Rio Grande isn’t entertaining, far from it. Leads John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara are dynamite together, and the supporting cast includes great turns by Ben Johnson and Victor McLaglen, both of whom played different characters with the same names in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Ford handles the action well, and the script includes a great, action packed third act that leaves a very pleasant taste in your mouth once the credits roll. MORE »
Posted at 12:19 PM in Movie Reviews, John Ford and John Wayne.
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Thursday, May 22nd 2008
Grade: C
Synopsis: A group of merchant seamen endures the early days of World War II.
The Long Voyage Home is an entertaining melodrama, provided you can accept John Wayne as a Swede.
At the time, The Long Voyage Home was only John Wayne’s second pairing with director John Ford, after his breakout performance in Stagecoach (1939), and though he has top billing, Wayne’s role is essentially a minor character in an ensemble story. Thus, it’s easy to see how audiences of 1940 probably had an easier time swallowing Wayne as a naïve, lumbering Swede –accent and all. Nowadays, it’s near impossible.
That said, the film is a nice little melodrama, featuring some excellent effects during the storm sequences, and great turns from Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter and Ward Bond. MORE »
Posted at 6:25 PM in Movie Reviews, John Ford and John Wayne.
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Thursday, May 8th 2008
Grade: C
Synopsis: A young Quaker (Gail Russell) nurses a wounded gunman (John Wayne) back to health only to fall in love with him.
Angel and the Badman is a solid John Wayne western notable as both the first film produced by Wayne, and as one of only two directorial efforts by Wayne’s longtime screenwriter James Edward Grant.
The film itself is solid. Wayne carries it well, and Gail Russell makes a good co-star with believable chemistry. Granted, the “thees” and “thous” in her dialog get a little grating after a while, but not enough to put you off the picture. Also, Harry Carey does a great job providing atmosphere with his role as a Marshal just itching to get Wayne’s character’s neck in a noose. This isn’t an epic story, or even a terribly original one, but it is well told. MORE »
Posted at 4:16 PM in Movie Reviews and John Wayne.
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Friday, April 25th 2008
Grade: D+
Synopsis: A captain (John Wayne) fights his boss over a woman (Gail Russell) and a fortune in gold.
Wake of the Red Witch is a train wreck of a film. From the promotional posters featuring a strapping, shirtless John Wayne behind a ship’s wheel, to the bizarre ending, the entire affair is a disaster, albeit one which can’t help but elicit a morbid curiosity.
The script is an uneven mess of flashback sequences and plot threads that never pay off, resulting in a film that feels as though it was made up by the filmmakers as they went along. Did I mention John Wayne fights a giant rubber octopus? Underwater? Yeah, it’s like that. MORE »
Posted at 12:13 PM in Movie Reviews and John Wayne.
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Wednesday, April 23rd 2008
Grade: C+
Synopsis: A hardened Marine sergeant (John Wayne) pushes a group of young recruits until they’re ready to fight.
Sands of Iwo Jima is a fairly solid war picture notable for star John Wayne’s first and only Oscar nomination until his win twenty years later for True Grit (1969).
The film features some great battle scenes and a choice role for Wayne, as a battle hardened marine who rides a group of new recruits, knowing full well it’s his job to make sure they perform on the battlefield, and if it means they hate him, so be it. Wayne brings his usual swagger to the part, but also a welcome restraint, particularly in the dramatic scenes, that serves the story well. Granted, it helps that Wayne’s character doesn’t have a love interest, so the required range is somewhat limited. MORE »
Posted at 2:55 PM in Movie Reviews and John Wayne.
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