TCM Schedule for Friday, April 25, 2014 -- Star of the Month - John Wayne

[Staph]

It's the last day of Five Days of John Wayne, so in the daylight hours TCM is working through the 1940s and 1950s of the John Wayne ouevre, and in prime time, the films featured are his later efforts, including Wayne's last film The Shootist (1976). Enjoy!



6:15 AM -- Tall In The Saddle (1944)
A woman-hating cowboy signs on with a lady rancher.
Dir: Edwin L. Marin
Cast: John Wayne, Ella Raines, Ward Bond
BW-87 mins, CC,

Although playing a much older man, Donald Douglas was only two years older than John Wayne.


7:45 AM -- Without Reservations (1946)
A woman writer falls for a war hero who's a perfect match for the hero of her latest novel.
Dir: Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Claudette Colbert, John Wayne, Don DeFore
BW-101 mins, CC,

The opening shot shows "Arrowhead" Pictures motion picture studio. This is the actual RKO Pictures Studio Building at 780 Gower Street in Hollywood, retouched with "Arrowhead" replacing the RKO signs on the building. It remains a historic structure on the corner to this day.


9:45 AM -- Tycoon (1947)
While building a tunnel through the Andes, an engineer falls in love with his possessive boss's daughter.
Dir: Richard Wallace
Cast: John Wayne, Laraine Day, Sir Cedric Hardwicke
C-129 mins, CC,

James Agee's review of the film included one of the most famous critical quotes of all time: "Several tons of dynamite are set off in this film, none of it under the right people."


12:00 PM -- Angel And The Badman (1947)
When a Quaker girl nurses a notorious gunman back to health, he tries to adopt her peaceful ways.
Dir: James Edward Grant
Cast: John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey
BW-100 mins,

The first film produced by John Wayne.


1:45 PM -- Trouble Along the Way (1953)
A famous football coach uses underhanded means to turn a bankrupt college's team into winners.
Dir: Michael Curtiz
Cast: John Wayne, Donna Reed, Charles Coburn
BW-110 mins, CC,

Sherry Jackson's character Carol issues the quote "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing!", which many years before became indelibly associated with Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s.


3:45 PM -- Big Jim McLain (1952)
A U.S. agent takes on communists in Hawaii.
Dir: Edward Ludwig
Cast: John Wayne, Nancy Olson, James Arness
BW-90 mins, CC,

Nancy Olson hated the script but she figured six weeks in Hawaii and a chance to work with an icon like John Wayne seemed a good enough reason to accept. Besides, she thought the film would flop and nobody would see it. She was right to a degree - it wasn't one of Wayne's more successful pictures - but she didn't count on the constant TV exposure it has had and says people stop her all the time to say they've seen her in the film. Olson, a staunch liberal Democrat, said she and Wayne would often have political arguments but she would always let Wayne have the last word.


5:15 PM -- Rio Bravo (1959)
A sheriff enlists a drunk, a kid and an old man to help him fight off a ruthless cattle baron.
Dir: Howard Hawks
Cast: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson
C-141 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

After seeing the film, Gary Cooper said it was "so phony, nobody believes in it." Ironically, Cooper had been a visitor to the set since he was filming The Hanging Tree (1959) nearby. "Rio Bravo" is considered to be John Wayne and Howard Hawks' reply to Gary Cooper's own film "High Noon" because neither Wayne or Hawks thought a real lawman would want or need to ask for help in handling a problem like Cooper's character did in that film.



TCM PRIMETIME - WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: STAR OF THE MONTH: JOHN WAYNE



8:00 PM -- North to Alaska (1960)
Two prospectors cope with woman problems and a con man.
Dir: Henry Hathaway
Cast: John Wayne, Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs
C-122 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Richard Fleischer was originally hired to direct the picture. He accepted, but when he asked to see the script he was informed that one hadn't been written yet. Also, after talking with Capucine, he thought she was all wrong for the role of the prostitute - he didn't think she was sexy or earthy enough to convince anyone that she was a hooker, and he informed producer Charles K. Feldman of his conclusion and asked that she be replaced. Unfortunately for Fleischer, Feldman and Capucine were living together at the time, and he had already promised her the role. So Capucine got the part and Fleischer got the boot. He was replaced by Henry Hathaway.


10:15 PM -- McLintock! (1963)
A cattle baron fights to tame the West and his estranged wife.
Dir: Andrew V. McLaglen
Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne
C-127 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

The inspiration for this raucous John Wayne comedy was none other than William Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew", which producer Michael Wayne and director Andrew V. McLaglen thought would have even more of a comedic kick if it were set in the Old West.


12:45 AM -- The Shootist (1976)
A dying gunfighter tries to set his affairs in order.
Dir: Don Siegel
Cast: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, James Stewart
C-99 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration -- Robert F. Boyle and Arthur Jeph Parker

Although now widely regarded as one of the finest final movies of any star, along with The Misfits (1961) starring Clark Gable and On Golden Pond (1981) starring Henry Fonda, this was never actually intended as John Wayne's last movie, particularly since it was not until January 1979 - three years after filming had begun - that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. In July 1978, after recovering from open heart surgery, he announced that he was intending to make a movie called "Beau John" with Ron Howard, but for some reason it never happened.


2:30 AM -- The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
A ranch-owner's four sons vow to avenge their father's death.
Dir: Henry Hathaway
Cast: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer
C-122 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

This picture marked the return of John Wayne to work after having a cancerous lung removed just four months earlier. He insisted on doing all his own stunts to show the public that the illness hadn't slowed him down.


4:45 AM -- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
All-star epic retelling of Christ's life.
Dir: George Stevens
Cast: Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Robert Loggia
C-199 mins, CC, Letterbox Format

Nominated for Oscars for Best Cinematography, Color -- William C. Mellor and Loyal Griggs (William C. Mellor's nomination is posthumous, as he died from a heart attack during the film's production. Loyal Griggs was brought in finish the movie.), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color -- Richard Day, William J. Creber, David S. Hall, Ray Moyer, Fred M. MacLean and Norman Rockett, Best Costume Design, Color -- Vittorio Nino Novarese and Marjorie Best, Best Effects, Special Visual Effects -- J. McMillan Johnson, and Best Music, Score - Substantially Original -- Alfred Newman

Being a perfectionist, George Stevens did many takes of John Wayne's single line, "Truly, this man was the son of God." A rumor has long persisted that at one stage Stevens pleaded with Wayne to show more emotion, an overwhelming sense of awe. During the next take, Wayne changed the line to, "Aw, truly this man was the son of God."