John Wayne

The Green Berets: how the war was spun

The Green Berets (1968)Directors: John Wayne and Ray KelloggEntertainment grade: E+History grade: Fail
From relatively modest beginnings in the 1950s, the war in Vietnam boomed into an epoch-defining conflict for the US in the 1960s and 1970s.

Production
During the early 1960s, criticism began to grow of US involvement in Vietnam – to the consternation of big-screen cowboy and dyed-in-the-wool patriot John Wayne. He believed in the righteousness of the American cause and wanted to make a film about it. His source material (largely discarded for the final screenplay) was a gung-ho novel by Robin Moore, The Green Berets, based on Moore’s experiences with Special Forces in Vietnam in 1963. Wayne wrote to President Lyndon B Johnson to secure government approval. “If he made the picture he would be saying the things we want said,” presidential adviser Jack Valenti assured Johnson. The Pentagon allowed Wayne lavish use of props and military bases for filming; it also retained script approval, and insisted on extensive and detailed changes to plot and dialogue.
Politics

John Wayne, Patrick Wayne and David Janssen in The Green Berets John Wayne, Patrick Wayne (Lieutenant Jamison) and David Janssen in The Green Berets. Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex
The film begins with a lengthy prologue showing what good ol’ boys the Special Forces are. But there is a liberal journalist – those guys are the worst – called George Beckworth (David Janssen). He has gotten the silly idea in his commie-loving head that this war might be a bit nasty. Fortunately, Special Forces set him right at the press conference. “What’s going on here is communist domination of the world!” claims Sergeant Muldoon (Aldo Ray). John Wayne, playing the fictional Colonel Mike Kirby, looks on approvingly.
International relations

Edward Faulkner, John Wayne and George Takei in The Green Berets Edward Faulkner (Captain MacDaniel), John Wayne and George Takei in The Green Berets Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex

Off they all go to Vietnam, with Beckworth in tow. “This trip is going to make LSD feel like aspirin,” one of the soldiers tells him, making an unsubtle presumption about the recreational habits of pinko liberal hippy types. The army post at Fort Benning, Georgia, stood in for Da Nang in the film, not entirely convincingly. They meet local south Vietnamese Captain Nim (George Takei). “My home is Hanoi,” says Nim. “I go home too some day. You see. First kill all stinking Cong. Then go home.” All the Vietnamese characters in the film talk like this. “This’d be a great country if it weren’t for the war,” says Kirby with a sigh, inadvertently hitting on a truth.
Freedom and democracy
The Americans spend all their time in Vietnam doing nice things, like offering medical assistance to needy peasants and hugging adorable children. Meanwhile, the Vietcong are a massive, faceless force of evil, murdering children and raping women. Beckworth suddenly realises that America is totally in the right. Take that, liberals! In fact, a year after this film was released, a New Yorker investigation by Daniel Lang would reveal that such atrocities as this film attributes to the north Vietnamese were being committed by US troops. His report formed the basis for Brian DePalma’s considerably more accurate 1989 film Casualties of War.
Friendship
No suggestion of that sort of thing here, of course. Instead, The Green Berets sets up a supposed-to-be-charming relationship between goofy Sergeant Petersen (Jim Hutton) and an orphaned Vietnamese boy called Hamchunk (Craig Jue). Viewed in the 21st century, this doesn’t so much warm the heart as disquiet the stomach. Maybe the scene in which Petersen invites the preteen boy to share his bed looked cute in 1968. These days, you’d call the police.
War

Aldo Ray and John Wayne in The Green Berets. Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex

The film’s big war set piece is inspired by the battle of Nam Dong in 1964, in which Viet Cong fighters took on US Special Forces. It makes no particular gesture towards the reality of this incident. The sequence is long and tedious, and there’s another 40 minutes of the film to go after it: the runtime of this beastly thing is almost two and a half hours, though it feels much longer. The last act spins off into a wacky subplot about the US kidnap of a Viet Cong general. Special Forces put him in an orange jumpsuit and whisk him away to an off-the-grid detention facility. Like so many bits of this film, it may leave modern audiences with an unpleasant sense of déjà vu.
Verdict
On The Green Berets’ release in 1968, the New York Times said it was “unspeakable … stupid … rotten … false in every detail … It is vile and insane. On top of that, it is dull.” Getting on for half a century later, it’s still hard to argue with that verdict. At least the Soviets made good propaganda movies.

John Wayne

The Legend Lives On: John Wayne is Still Alive!

In a world where legends never fade, we can’t help but wonder: what if John Wayne, the iconic figure of American cinema, is still with us in spirit? The Duke, known for his larger-than-life roles and undeniable charisma, continues to inspire generations.

From his unforgettable performances in classics like “True Grit” and “The Searchers” to his indomitable spirit, Wayne’s essence is woven into the fabric of Hollywood and American culture. His rugged persona, moral fortitude, and unwavering courage resonate deeply, reminding us of the values he embodied.

While we may not see him on the silver screen today, Wayne’s legacy lives on through the countless actors he inspired and the stories he helped tell. His films are timeless, bringing joy and adventure to audiences around the world.

So, as we celebrate the enduring impact of John Wayne, let’s keep his spirit alive in our hearts. Whether you’re watching one of his classics or sharing a favorite quote, remember that the legend of John Wayne will never truly die. Here’s to the Duke—forever a part of our cinematic history!

John Wayne

Why John Wayne Turned Down the Chance to Work With Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne are the two biggest legends in the history of Western movies, however, they never worked together. The duo did have the opportunity to work together once in the 1970s. Here’s why the film never came to fruition.

How John Wayne responded when Clint Eastwood tried to work with him

Firstly, a little background. According to the book John Wayne: The Life and Legend, it all starts with Larry Cohen. Though Cohen is not a widely known director like Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino, he’s a huge name to fans of B movies. He directed famous B movies like The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent, It’s Alive, and God Told Me To. He also wrote a script called The Hostiles shortly after Eastwood released his classic High Plains Drifter.

The Hostiles was about a gambler who wins half of an estate of an older man. The gambler and the older man have to work together despite the fact that they don’t like each other. Eastwood optioned the screenplay with the intent of playing the gambler alongside Wayne as the older man.

Eastwood sent a copy of the script of The Hostiles to Wayne. Although Eastwood felt the script was imperfect, he saw its potential. However, Wayne was not interested. Eastwood pitched the film to Wayne a second time and Wayne responded with a letter. Wayne’s letter complained about High Plains Drifter. Wayne was offended by the film and its portrayal of the Old West as a cruel, violent place.

John Wayne

Ann-Margret Refused to Call John Wayne ‘Duke’ While Introducing 1 of His Movies

Ann-Margret once starred in one of John Wayne’s lesser-known movies. However, she refused to call him by his popular moniker Duke. Here’s a look at the film they made together — and why she declined to call him by a nickname.

The one time Ann-Margret and John Wayne made a movie together

Ann-Margret is probably most known for her work in musicals, specifically Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, and The Who’s Tommy. However, she also dabbled in the Western genre. She starred alongside Wayne in the mostly forgotten movie The Train Robbers.

Wayne was also known as The Duke or just Duke. According to USA Today, the nickname was derived from his childhood dog. It stuck with him for many years. It continues to be used today — even on the box covers of the DVDs for his movies.

John Wayne | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

During an interview with Interview Magazine, Ann-Margret explained why she didn’t refer to the Rio Bravo star by this famous name. “When I came to this country, first of all, mother and I didn’t know English,” she said. “I would curtsey, then say, ‘Thank you,’ and then when I was leaving, curtsey. For example, we went to Dallas to introduce a film I did with John Wayne. And I never called him Duke. I just couldn’t. That’s the way I was raised. When you meet someone, you say either Mr. or Mrs. or Miss. You stand up.”

Ann-Margret revealed she treated other famous people in much the same way. For example, she worked with director George Sidney on Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. She always called him Mr. Sidney.

What Ann-Margret thought about John Wayne

Ann-Margret refused to use Wayne’s most famous moniker. However, she had a positive view of the actor. During an interview with Fox News, she was asked what she expected when she met Wayne. “Oh, I didn’t know what to expect,” she revealed. “But when he hugged me, it’s like the world was hugging me. He was so big and wide with that booming voice.

“We were shooting in Durango, Mexico and my parents came down to visit me,” she added. “He was so great with my parents. So absolutely welcoming and gentle with them. And anybody who was great to my parents was on a throne in my eyes.”

How the world reacted to ‘The Train Robbers’

Wayne starred in many classic Westerns, including The Searchers, Stagecoach, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. However, The Train Robbers is mostly forgotten. It didn’t gain a cult following like Once Upon a Time in the West or Dead Man. It wasn’t a critical success either, garnering a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Ann-Margret had some fond memories of making the film — even if she refused to call Wayne by his famous nickname.