That’s one of my favorite images of John Wayne, by the way – from Red River. He’s so IN it, isn’t he?? I wish I could have found a closer image of his face – He is so in that moment.
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors
Here’s a couple of exchanges between Bogdonavich and Wayne that, I think, points out Duke’s incredible dedication to his craft. Italicized lines are Bogdonavich’s:
One of the most memorable moments of any picture I’ve seen you in is a silent moment in The Searchers. After you see what’s been done to the white women, there’s a close-up of you, camera moves in —
I turn back. Terrific shot. Helluva shot. And everybody can put their own thoughts to it. You’re not forced to think one way or the other.
Your gestures in pictures are often daring — large — and show the kind of freedom and lack of inhibition you have. Did you get that from Ford, or did you always have that?
No, I think that’s the first lesson you learn in a high school play — that if you’re going to make a gesture, make it.
To be honest: that has to be some of the best acting advice I’ve ever heard.
“If you’re going to make a gesture, make it.”
So much of bad phony acting is when people make gestures half-heartedly, or they PRETEND to make gestures …. hoping the audience won’t pick up on the fact that they’re not REALLY making the gesture …
but audiences always know the difference between phony and real. They just do.
