tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post6305133261494802785..comments2024-03-27T15:16:57.305-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: Heath Holland On...Finding John Wayne Through The SearchersPatrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-4138887229289247662013-08-22T02:03:14.508-05:002013-08-22T02:03:14.508-05:00Great write up Heath. I have literally seen the t...Great write up Heath. I have literally seen the trailer for this movie thousands of times (I used to work at the Great Movie Ride in Disney World and the Searchers is one of the movies) and while I'm definitely more a fan of the gritty Clint Eastwood down and dirty western, I still think a lot of John Wayne's movies are pretty good. He reminds me of Schwarzenegger who I think is a good actor but for whatever reason can't disappear into a character like Heath Ledger into Joker or Daniel Day Lewis into Lincoln.<br /><br />Wayne tried to do that when he played Genghis Khan in The Conqueror, he is so out of place in that film and the clips I have seen are some of the most awkward ever filmed.Tom Bartmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-2401890288864485552013-08-21T21:36:18.861-05:002013-08-21T21:36:18.861-05:00Dear Doug,
Stop being so god damn racist all the ...Dear Doug, <br />Stop being so god damn racist all the time. <br /><br />Ps. Never been much of a Wayne fan or a Western fan, I think im still stuck in the phase you described in the first few paragraphs. Might give this a go though. Sounds goodBrad Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18426952757794850746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-57383126121561820422013-08-21T21:11:28.073-05:002013-08-21T21:11:28.073-05:00Looks like it is! Looks like it is! Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00879330932031937557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-3452687143713153062013-08-21T17:34:06.927-05:002013-08-21T17:34:06.927-05:00Although I, too, tend to prefer spaghetti westerns...Although I, too, tend to prefer spaghetti westerns overall. I think Once Upon a Time in the West is my very favorite western.<br />John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-62813440086073604872013-08-21T17:33:10.968-05:002013-08-21T17:33:10.968-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-32704434033400134522013-08-21T17:31:12.548-05:002013-08-21T17:31:12.548-05:00Great column. I have The Searchers proudly sitting...Great column. I have The Searchers proudly sitting on my shelf and I decided to revisit it recently after I missed a showing of it on the big screen. It's one heck of a movie, and I love all the beautiful cinematography. I have to agree with the AFI that it's one of the greatest westerns ever made.John Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08810774557887719483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-40790463104657424342013-08-21T16:39:59.117-05:002013-08-21T16:39:59.117-05:00I really want to watch Gunsmoke. I'm bothered ...I really want to watch Gunsmoke. I'm bothered that it's not on Netflix nor is there a complete series collection. In fact, only 9 of the 20 seasons it ran are on DVD so far, so it definitely will take a commitment to get into it. Still, it's probably worth it. The Johnny Depp <em>Lone Ranger</em> movie brought me to the classic 50s series and I've enjoyed those a ton, so I bet Gunsmoke would be even better. Why? Because of the whores. Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-77962900967188281522013-08-21T16:38:10.275-05:002013-08-21T16:38:10.275-05:00I have not yet watched it, but I think it's on...I have not yet watched it, but I think it's on Netflix, isn't it? I believe I have it in my queue. Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-34029486296974744072013-08-21T16:23:27.815-05:002013-08-21T16:23:27.815-05:00Nice write-up as usual HHH, The Searchers really i...Nice write-up as usual HHH, The Searchers really is a true classic. The AFI Silver theater here in Maryland just showed it on the big screen last month. Regrettably I could not make the show.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10475027751253870681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-73170378566617229952013-08-21T14:29:57.837-05:002013-08-21T14:29:57.837-05:00Good review. The Searchers is an incredible film,...Good review. The Searchers is an incredible film, no doubt and John Wayne is absolutely amazing. It's one of those performances that is probably in the Top 20 of greatest performances ever put on film. John Wayne acts with his eyes, just watch his eyes in The Searchers and you will truly appreciate how good he is. Right up there with Nicholson, Bogart, Pacino, Hoffman...whoever. The Searchers also influenced Star Wars and many other genres of films. It is like Beethoven's 9th Symphony is to music! David Catafordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15857890948435332849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-44765143482874227922013-08-21T13:16:58.988-05:002013-08-21T13:16:58.988-05:00Hey - I lost my John Wayne/John Ford virginity to ...Hey - I lost my John Wayne/John Ford virginity to <i>The Searchers</i> about a year ago - they were gentle, but it still hurts when I laugh!<br /><br />Though not inspired to write a great little essay about it, I did really enjoy it - much like you I had pretty much written off John Wayne - though not a huge Western fan in general, I figured I liked mine more Eastwoody, but then found him very interesting to watch. I haven't gone on to watch any others but I would! I wonder though, regarding other movies where he presumably plays an anti-Injun racist, is there a Jeffrey Hunter to balance things out and show that we're not supposed to agree with Wayne? Because the racism in <i>The Searchers</i> would have seemed a bit much without that.<br /><br />And Ken Curtis - I thought he looked vaguely familiar but didn't realize he was Festus from <i>Gunsmoke</i>! Back in my short-lived 2-channel days, the CBC carried the show and I used to semi-begrudgingly (I was about 5) watch it quite a bit. We should get together sometime and you know, paint our toenails, do each other's moustaches and binge watch the whole damn series! The fact that I kinda liked it then makes me think I'd really like it now.<br /><br />Nice job, Heath - I think I'll revisit <i>The Searchers</i> and those bonus features again soon!Solhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03114869401584310369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-22515685916276580352013-08-21T12:49:46.731-05:002013-08-21T12:49:46.731-05:00Awesome write-up. Have you seen The Man Who Shot L...Awesome write-up. Have you seen The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Heath? It's the movie that sold me (as a teen) on Wayne. Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00879330932031937557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-21284300035286111962013-08-21T12:24:32.044-05:002013-08-21T12:24:32.044-05:00The comparison to Clint Eastwood is apt. It is in...The comparison to Clint Eastwood is apt. It is interesting to note that Wayne was originally approached to play the lead in Dirty Harry, and later regretted turning it down (he eventually made his own "Dirty Harry lite" movie called McQ). One of the things that makes The Searchers so interesting is the parallel between Ethan and Scar. They are both fearsome warriors embittered by the many battles in which they have fought. They have both lost family in those battles. They make similar quips ("You speak good Comanch - someone teach you?"). Scar at one point shows the many scalps he has taken. And what does Ethan do when he finds Scar's body? He scalps him. Dirty Harry does something similar by showing parallels between Harry and Scorpio (they are both loners and voyeurs, for example).<br /><br />The first time I saw The Searchers I really liked it, but was irritated by the Vera Miles character and her subplot. I thought it was extraneous and unnecessary. But when I saw the film later I realized what sneaky John Ford was up to. Vera is this tough but sweet frontier gal, who in her penultimate scene spews a horribly racist speech about how Debbie would be better off dead. Hearing such poison come out of this (supposedly) innocent woman is still a shock. Martin and Debbie are the hopeful bridges at the end between the hatred on both sides. And Ethan? He knows he has no place in either world, and walks off into who knows what.Steve K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02141959251034133806noreply@blogger.com