During the year after Pearl Harbor, roughly 2,700 actors, directors, and other filmmaking professionals in Hollywood left their jobs behind to participate in WWII. Unlike his co-star Jimmy Stewart, who flew combat missions in WWII, Wayne chose to stay home and make movies.
The fact that he opted not to serve in WWII isn’t the issue with me. It is the fact that he played a flag-waving, go to war patriot in movies and in real life, castigating anyone who didn’t fit his mold of a patriot. Wayne labeled anyone who didn’t agree with him as leftists, socialists, and communists. In a 1971 Playboy magazine interview Wayne made no bones about his distain for gays, blacks and Native Americans.
Gay people:
Wayne: Movies were once made for the whole family. Now, with the kind of junk the studios are cranking out. … I'm quite sure that within two or three years, Americans will be completely fed up with these perverted films.
PLAYBOY: What kind of films do you consider perverted?
WAYNE: Oh, Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy — that kind of thing. Wouldn't you say that the wonderful love of those two men in Midnight Cowboy, a story about two fags, qualifies?
Black people:
WAYNE: With a lot of blacks, there's quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and possibly rightfully so. But we can't all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks. I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.
Native Americans:
PLAYBOY: For years American Indians have played an important — if subordinate — role in your Westerns. Do you feel any empathy with them?
WAYNE: I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them, if that's what you're asking. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves. (LA Times)
Wayne’s outspoken bigotry has again resurfaced as part of the conservative philosophy of today’s Republican party.
In spite of Wayne and his ilk, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance still ranks as one of the best westerns.
In spite of Wayne and his ilk, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance still ranks as one of the best westerns.
Just one day more…
Me thinks John Wayne would have been right there with TRump on stage with CPAC hugging the flag . Strange Republicans think they're the only ones who are patriotic while taking deferments for bone spurs and such.
ReplyDeleteMost likely he would have been.
DeleteThose are some really brutal quotes. I've never been a fan, but those quotes are enough to make me speak up when hear people who are.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the entire interview Harry:
Deletehttps://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/Wild_Wild_Cold_War/files/2011/11/John_Wayne_Playboy_Int2.pdf
Wayne was always to much of a "man's man" for me to appreciate. I never looked into his personality; ignoring it was easier. That's how people get too big for their britches, eh?
ReplyDeletewill you drop me a note at jnoragon@gmail.com. Thanks.
DeleteWayne's views were well known while he was very popular. Wayne was a total, hate filled, right wing nut job. It's hard for me to be proud of how we settled this land when I think of the truth of how we did it. For centuries millions of Americans supported our murderous ways. No surprise. Our culture still exudes murdering, killing, bigotry and justifying those acts as a way to reach forward progress. Sad.
ReplyDelete