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I am not at all in love with the new season of Rock of Love. It cannot come close to the brilliance of the first season – and I can’t believe I am saying this, but I miss Lacey! As heinous as that bitch was, she MADE that show. All the girls on the show now seem to be strippers with enormous collagen lips. Nobody seems normal. They all seem like ragged whores on the edge of oblivion. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, if they’re happy … but the first season was so good because there were a handful of relatively normal girls (albeit clinically insane) – who were vying for Bret Michaels’ attention. But now it doesn’t seem to have that OOMPH. Because yes. I do want Bret Michaels to find someone to “continue to rock his world”. I yearn for his happiness. I lose sleep over it. But to see those girls whip around the roller rink with baby carriages … in some sort of maternal roller-derby situation … My God. Television has never been so awesome. But where is Lacey? And Heather? I love those girls!
— I am reading James Monroe: The American Presidents Series: The 5th President, 1817-1825
— Watched Fort Apache last night, and was struck, for the 5000th time, with John Wayne’s effectiveness as an actor and movie star. He has one moment where he shouts, “HOLD YOUR FIRE, MEN” and then says to himself, “Hold your fire.” A possibly cheesy moment. But John Wayne doesn’t have a cheesy bone in his body. You cannot force that man to ham. To overplay. The movie is interesting because it places Henry Fonda in the position of being the true alpha-dog … and usually it’s John Wayne who’s the alpha, in his films. To see Fonda be above him, and watching Wayne have to deal with that – is fascinating. They both have their points – and in Wayne’s moving monologue at the end, we can see that he has conceded to Fonda’s position … that Fonda’s hard-ness had made the regiment better. He was willing to be “the bad guy” to his men – in order to make them better. And Shirley Temple is adorable in the movie. Surprise surprise. I love John Ford’s movies because it’s like an old-time regional theatre, where the same people keep showing up, in project after project. Like: Ward Bond (GOD WHO IS BETTER THAN HIM??) and Victor Maclagen (LOVE HIM) … John Ford standbys. Always good. His movies would not work without that rock-solid ensemble of players. Love the movie.
“I do want Bret Michaels to find someone to ‘continue to rock his world.’ I yearn for his happiness.” James Monroe. Fort Apache and John Wayne. The shallow elitist rides again! I love this place.
If I ever get one of those big honking book deals you sometimes hear about bloggers getting – that will be the title of my book.
Sheila O’Malley: The Shallow Elitist.
hahahaha So silly!!
I’ll buy it. But only if you write a chapter about yearning for the happiness of Bret Michaels. I completely understand this, because I am currently deeply yearning for the happiness of Nikki Sixx. There’s something I never thought I’d type.
I also meant to comment on the juxtaposition of Bret Michaels and James Monroe. So funny. High and low brow happily coexisting. All on the day that your essay is being highlighted by The Sewanee Reveiw. Biographers will have a field day with this one.
Emily – //yearning for the happiness of Nikki Sixx//
hahahahahahaha
Yes, you totally understand!!
“ragged whores on the edge of oblivion”
A few posts before you write about yearning to write the way Cavett did, and you drop that phrase on us. Being able to turn a phrase may not be everything, but it’s definitely something.
Thanks for the compliment – but it’s like apples and oranges. I know I can turn a phrase. I know I’m a good writer. Just saying that Cavett’s type of writing is what appeals to me most – and it’s what I strive for, when I write more personal stuff.
I love it when you write about the Duke. I hope you get a book deal to write about actors. I’d be first in line to buy it.
Dan – it never ceases to amaze me: I have seen those movies probably 50 times apiece. You know. I know bits of them by heart. But he STILL is effective. I STILL feel like: Jeez. Is that guy even aware that the camera is there??
Of course he was – he knew about film acting more than anyone – but he seems utterly unselfconscious. It’s remarkable.
Also – even in crowd scenes, with 20 people on horses – where the camera is far back – I can pick him out, just from how he rides.
Love the guy!!
Oddly enough he hated horses.
Have you read any good bios of Wayne that you might recommend? I seem to recall you mentioned a Cary Grant one, but not a Wayne one (that I can recall).
Dan – There really isn’t a good one out yet. He deserves it. Same with Joan Crawford – unbelievable that she hasn’t been given a true in-depth biography – one just came out but it’s more of a fan-boy type biography, which is not the same thing.
If you look on Amazon, you’ll see lots of books – many of them I have – but they’re unsatisfying. Another guy who deserves an in-depth treatment and hasn’t gotten it yet is Gary Cooper.
The best way I’ve learned about Wayne is reading the books about the directors he worked with – Hawks, Ford … the anecdotes there are awesome, because he was, of course, a huge part of their lives.
//There really isn’t a good one out yet.//
Well until the O’Malley edition is published, I’ll have to make do with your suggestions above. Thanks!
Dan – just out of curiosity (and forgive me if I’ve asked you this before) – but what’s your favorite Wayne performance? And why? I’d love to hear.
That’s a tough call, to single just one out. There are, of course, the ones that always pop up as favorites: Rio Bravo, The Shootist, Stagecoach, Red River and so on. And I do love all of those, and more. But I hold his performance in The Cowboys near and dear – have you seen it? John Wayne ushers a bunch of young man into manhood while on a cattle drive. I haven’t been able to figure exactly why I love it so much – all I can say is that Wayne, as always, hits the right notes and makes it look very very easy. The scenes with his wife – so brief and so important to setting up his character. Anyway, that’s one I’d pick as my favorite. Today anyway. Might be a different answer tomorrow.
Dan – No, I’ve never seen that one! Putting it on Ye Olde Netflix queue right now. I love watching an actor make it look easy. It’s a mystery. How does he do it??
Alex and I were watching a video on Youtube once (we were on the phone together, watching Youtube clips – in unison – across the country from one another – hahahaha) – anyway, we stumbled over a compilation of clips from the studio era, with actors endorsing different causes. There was Bette Davis pontificating on literacy. And Charles Laughton trying to raise money for a flood-ravaged era – you know, the typical thing. I think John Wayne did a commercial for the Red Cross. Anyway, he stands there, a towering hunk in a suit – in a hospital, I think – talking about the good works of the Red Cross (or whatever it was) – Alex and I were riveted. We did not speak.
There’s just something so goddamn honest about him. No sentimentality, no puffing himself up, no … hamminess. He uses himself in SUCH an honest way – at all times.
I said to her, demanding, almost angry, “Did he EVER lie?”
Alex responded bluntly, “No.”
This clip kills me. I mean it’s not THAT funny, in the abstract. But it always draws a giggle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd5xBDdG9UI
HAHAHAHA He’s lip synching! That is so so awesome
Okay I just got to the end and got choked up. I miss guys like that. Hard to imagine a silly scene like that (with just one take – no closeups or cutaways) happening today. The willingness to be SILLY is … well, it’s a dying art!! That was totally awesome. Made my day.
Okay – a quick search found the clip I mentioned earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MGspPzrq2Y
Yes! Silly! One of my posts that hasn’t been written yet is about those old time variety shows, like Deano’s, and they represent a vanished place and time . You can look up the Dean Martin show on YouTube and find bits with all sorts of Hollywood greats – Jimmy Stewart, Orson Welles, Wayne – letting their hair down and doing these cheesy, corny sketches. The juxtaposition – Hollywood legends doing pokey sketches that are waaayyy beneath their talent on network TV – blows my mind. I can’t imagine the equivalent today, of a modern star being silly and corny in way that way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk0AYmNojNk
It’s like Jack Nicholson, during one of his speeches at the Oscars – maybe his lifetime achievement award? – and saying, humorously, that everyone was so SERIOUS now – careerists … he said it without being mean or nasty – just observational – and he said he remembers the day when Rita Hayworth stood up on the stage at the Oscars and lifted her skirt up in the back to show her underwear and everyone went nuts. Screaming with laughter like they were at the Coliseum. People were drinking, smoking, and raising hell. Now everyone drinks Evian, and “networks”. I loved Nicholson’s kind of “Ah I remember the days …” attitude.
I hate the word ‘networks’ (maybe in large part because I’m shite at it). It sets my teeth on edge.
You know, in case you were wondering.
I’m shite at it, too.
I especially can’t stand it when it’s used as a verb. It disgusts me.
Sure – television networks? I can deal with that. A network of freeways converging? Sure, I can deal with that.
But: “use the party as a good opportunity for networking”??
EWWW
I am late to this post, and Dan will probably never see this, but I love that he mentioned Wayne’s role in The Cowboys. Those moments with his wife are so real. Those aren’t two people acting, they are a tough man with the woman who has been by his side through it all. The moment with the two of them standing outside the house having a private conversation is so strong that my thoughts went quickly to the wife when what happens later in the film happens(Don’t want to give too much away, Sheila, although I suppose you know the basics about the film). Anyway, I really like The Cowboys. We just watched it a couple of months ago for Family Film Night here at the old residence. I have mentioned before that Wayne reminds me of my Grandfather, and maybe never more strongly than in this movie. Even some of Wayne’s better movies seem to have a weakness here or there, but The Cowboys is really very good across the board.
I am so excited to see it!!
I know it’s such a girlie thing to say – but whatever, you both are men and YOU both mentioned it: I love to see Wayne deal with women. It is totally fascinating. To see him in that context. It’s great to see him in power struggles with men, too – like Henry Fonda – but to see him in a romantic situation – it’s just really interesting to watch. I love the scene in Sands at Iwo Jima – when he goes home to that woman’s apartment and the baby is in the crib and he starts making formula. And walks away from what would have been an easy lay – because he suddenly sees the woman’s situation … and he’s KIND about it, too. He’s not like, “whatever, whore, I’m out of here …”
Very excited to see The Cowboys!
Or wait – I;m confused – was that scene with Wayne and the lady and the baby in Green Berets? I’m getting them all mixed up now.
Kid Rock – All Summer Long live on David Letterman 5-14-08
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