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John Wayne

Why Western Movies Stopped Being Popular In Hollywood (After Being Huge In The 1960s)

Despite the arrival and bulldozing successes of the spaghetti Westerns in the 1960s and 1970s, the wider Western genre thereafter declined and grew less popular in Hollywood. The thematically black-and-white romanticist Western remains the definitive heartbeat of the first few decades of cinema, spearheaded by John Ford and John Wayne as they brought the Old West to the big screen in a blaze of heroism, fundamentalism, and moral clarity. They defined American filmmaking, and although they were criticized for their often naïve and simplistic portrayal of the era, remained the biggest fixture in the business until the 1960s.
Even after that, Hollywood and its audiences continued baying for Westerns but with new concepts, thanks to the slow devolution of original ideas within the classical subgenre. There was consequently a push for new ideas and principles, brought out by maverick Italian directors Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci, who would revolutionize the genre with their gritty, morally ambiguous entries into the canon. After the mid-1970s however, audiences have been limited to a handful of revisionist and neo-Westerns, of which there are popular entries only every few years – often longer. Here’s why the genre lost its popularity despite being beloved only fifty years ago.
RELATED:Clint Eastwood & John Wayne’s Feud Explained
The Gold Standard Of Western Was Too High

Ethan and Debbie in The Searchers

After enough years it became impossible to keep reinvigorating the Western genre, and for it to stand still meant that its contributors were constantly kept in the shadow of Ford, Leone, Corbucci, Eastwood, Sturges, Tessari, Peckinpah, and others. Though the public’s appetite for Westerns certainly waned after the 1960s, it has to also be said that filmmakers became wary of the prospect of plagiarizing the great works of others, or else making something that wasn’t as good. With a bar that seemed to continually rise higher well into the 1960s, it eventually plateaued with the peak of the spaghetti Western and has only been matched on a couple of occasions since.
It’s arguable that some of the greatest films of all time were Westerns, which was in part because so many of the greatest cinematic minds were drawn to the genre. Even today, many established directors try their hand at either revisionist Westerns or neo-Westerns (Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers are good examples of these, respectively), although their numbers are minimal. Perhaps as time goes on and the legacies of old masterpieces fade, there will be less pressure on filmmakers wanting to try their hands at the genre, and it will become popular again. Since the ‘70s, however, the many sensations of the Golden Age of the Western succeed in arresting optimism for new entries.

Western Movies No Longer Represented Cultural Sentiments

scene from Ow-Box Incident 1942

It’s safe to say that American patriotism evolved a great deal in the second half of the 20th century. Numerous wars, the growing popularity of counter-cultural music and film, and domestic issues ranging from racism to poverty drew younger generations away from traditional American exceptionalism views of the Westerns of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. This meant that much of the demographic that enjoyed the classical Western was limited to older audiences, while their children and grandchildren began to find the portrayals of the Old West to be outdated and often offensive. Even though the spaghetti Western was less egregious in its moral declarations about the era, the association with the wider genre remained.
The chaos of the Vietnam War especially affected the national sentiment about America’s place in the world, and more broadly the foundations upon which it was founded. Many people felt lied to about how America fitted into the global community, which led to increased skepticism about the veracity of films that focussed on Manifest Destiny – the belief that Americans were destined by God to expand across the North American Continent, and at any cost. Naturally, Westerns focussed on Americans who were at the forefront of this expansion. John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, and Ben Johnson no longer epitomized the people that Americans wanted to be.

Hollywood Found The Western Genre’s Saturation Point

A composite image of John Wayne in various John Ford movies

As with any genre, saturation leads to decline. The Western was probably the most popular genre in American cinema for the best part of seventy years, which meant there was a constant race to achieve stardom within it. The perceived ‘Golden Age of the Western’, which ranged from around 1945-1960, saw a renewed interest in American history following the Second World War, fueling numerous new entries coinciding with dramatic technological improvements. It is estimated that several thousand Westerns were released during the fifteen years following the war’s end, around the same as had been in the forty years up until then.
The popularity and output of Westerns during the ‘60s and ‘70s were beginning to diminish, but the genre found itself reinvigorated first by foreign ideas in Italian and Spanish Westerns, and then by the revisionist subgenre which was cultivated in the latter decade with films like Little Big Man and High Plains Drifter. Several dozen major additions were released to great acclaim from critics and audiences, but it wasn’t enough to curtail the growing fatigue with the genre, which was creating lower demand. Films like Heaven’s Gate (1980) signaled the end of the era wherein Westerns were a safe bet for high box office returns and began a period of aimlessness for the genre.
RELATED:The Best Western Of Every Decade Since The Genre Started: 13 Movies You Need To Know

The Western’s Decline Coincided With The Rise of Sci-FI

Luke Leia and Han standing together at the end of Star Wars A New Hope

The downfall of one genre and the rise of another is best allegorized by Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995), wherein Woody – the older, once-revered cowboy – is quickly replaced by the more exciting and impressive space ranger Buzz. Their environments purport to be similar; both come from vast, empty wildernesses in which lawlessness and villainy reign despite the valiant efforts of the law. They are pioneers exploring a frontier that best exemplifies humanity’s call to adventure. However, the prevailing feeling for Woody is that the two cannot co-exist. While this was not true for him and Buzz, it was true for the Western and Sci-fi genres.
It’s no coincidence that Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) was marketed and labeled as an operatic space Western. There was still an appetite for the genre, but new technology meant that it could be translated into a different physical environment. Luke Skywalker himself comes from a farm in the desert, only his desert is in a galaxy far, far away. It became apparent very quickly after the release of the original Star Wars that science-fiction was the new heir apparent to the Western. The anarchic Badlands of the Old West could be more excitingly and romantically portrayed in boundless outer space, and the themes of the Western could be transposed there just as convincingly.

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!

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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.

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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.

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