Os filmes protagonizados por Jonh Wayne são quase sempre cheios de mensagens de otimismo, força, altruísmo e soluções corretas. Seus filmes são obras extraordinariamente geniais na sétima arte.
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I think the greatest Ford/Wayne movie where Ford’s skills as a director were used for best effect and where Wayne was being his great ‘John Wayne’ self was They Were Expendable. Compared to Ford and Wayne’s westerns along with films like The Quiet Man, this movie is terribly underrated. John Wayne’s chemistry with his costar Robert Montgomery was excellent and the supporting cast including Donna Reed and Ward Bond was strong, but not overpowering in the usual WWII stereotypical way (Bond’s character was Irish, but certainly not the way Victor McLaglen was in the Cavalry Trilogy). The movie with its ‘end of the world as we know it’ theme and poignant conclusion where Montgomery and Wayne flew away while their left-behind crew were doomed left out any chances for Ford’s usual attempts at comedy to ruin it.

Most of the vitriol seems to stem from the infamous Playboy interview. While eyebrow raising, I question if the Duke as completely sober for that one. Or if he was seriously misquoted.

Especially when through the years of his career and after, almost anyone who came in contact with him has tales of his decency and kindness. And that goes for some people who were the victims of the Red Baiting Wayne supported.

I was speaking more about how the old westerns – and Ford – portrayed Indians, not how he actually treated them in person. This seems to be a point of contention in many discussions about old movies in general.

I really like your take on Ford’s inconsistent themes. Your analysis is spot on, and that particular take blew right on by me. I was unaware of Ford’s saving the Navajo tribe. It’s also clear to me that I am in no way prepared to debate this subject with you even if I wanted to – heh.

And, while I’m here, congrats on the nod from Ebert!

As far as his treatment of Indians, when Ford decided to film Stagecoach, his first Monument Valley Western, it was the Depression and the Dust Bowl. The Navaho tribes were literally starving. He hired many local Navaho to play the Comanche and even more locals as caterers, set helpers, etc. Goulding, who owned the trading post that was the set of a lot of Ford’s Valley Westerns, and the Inn where the actors stayed, credited Ford with single-handedly saving much of the tribe from a slow and horrible death.

So Ford gets loads of credit from me as a great humanitarian.

My mother was a major fan of JW, but she sure made sure I was aware of the misogyny extant in The Quiet Man and McLintock! Ford was hardly alone in his portrayal of Indians and other ethnic groups. How many Hop Sings did we see “back in the day?”

Since the popular media reflects society at the time, it’s not really fair to dismiss old movies because of such shortcomings. After all, if Rear Window were to be made today, no one would believe it. “Jeff” would have his blinds drawn and A/C fired up, watching cable television and surfing on the internet instead of looking out his window to stave off boredom.