Going against the Duke.........

[Bob Wright]

It was a delicious morning this morning. A cool snap had settled over Memphis in the night, and as I sat at my breakfast table draining the last of my morning coffee, I looked out at the early morning grayness and enjoyed the fact that last night I had cleaned out my furnaces and had a bit of chill chasing heat. And I thought..............

Some of y'all here on this forum are western movie buffs. And I thought of the actors worthy to portray adversaries of John Wayne. Now it wouldn't be fit for an actor less than equal of the Duke, say Paul Newman or Cary Grant to confront him. And these came to mind:

Forrest Tucker. Big, ham fisted, tough and square jawed. Tucker was the scheming slick conniver who could result to fisticuffs with the like of John Wayne. Almost, but never could best the Duke.

Lee Marvin. Big, tall, sinister, Marvin could sneer right along with old Richard Widmark at his sneeriest. Never turn your back on him, he was not above back stabbing.

Richard Boone. Even his morning greeting had a note of threat to it. Smart and cruel. cold blooded. He could always be counted on to lead a gang of cut throats.

So, that's some of my morning musings. What think y'all?

Bob Wright

 

[DeletedMember275]

I think that Richard Boone was the perfect antagonist for the Duke in Big Jake.

 

[Slidboot]

I don't care if it's your fault, my fault, nobody's fault at all...

 

[Slidboot]

It was a delicious morning this morning. A cool snap had settled over Memphis in the night, and as I sat at my breakfast table draining the last of my morning coffee, I looked out at the early morning grayness and enjoyed the fact that last night I had cleaned out my furnaces and had a bit of chill chasing heat. And I thought..............

Some of y'all here on this forum are western movie buffs. And I thought of the actors worthy to portray adversaries of John Wayne. Now it wouldn't be fit for an actor less than equal of the Duke, say Paul Newman or Cary Grant to confront him. And these came to mind:

Forrest Tucker. Big, ham fisted, tough and square jawed. Tucker was the scheming slick conniver who could result to fisticuffs with the like of John Wayne. Almost, but never could best the Duke.

Lee Marvin. Big, tall, sinister, Marvin could sneer right along with old Richard Widmark at his sneeriest. Never turn your back on him, he was not above back stabbing.

Richard Boone. Even his morning greeting had a note of threat to it. Smart and cruel. cold blooded. He could always be counted on to lead a gang of cut throats.

So, that's some of my morning musings. What think y'all?

Bob Wright

I forget the movie, but I always liked it when John Wayne said to Forrest Tucker, "I don't normally talk to vermin, but I'll talk to you just this once."

 

[Watertender]

I think that Richard Boone was the perfect antagonist for the Duke in Big Jake.

Richard Boone in "The Shootist" was good. When he was shooting from behind the table as he was using it for cover and hollering "I'll tell you, that was for Albert" is a great line...

 

[Green Frog]

In the original True Grit Robert Duvall was a great feisty Ned Pepper. Rooster Cogburn challenged him to “Fill your hands you son of a …”

 

[Watertender]

Victor McLaglen in "The Quiet Man"! The fight scene was great!

 

[Watertender]

In the original True Grit Robert Duvall was a great feisty Ned Pepper. Rooster Cogburn challenged him to “Fill your hands you son of a …”

That's mighty bold talk for a one eyed fat man!!

 

[Bob Wright]

Incidentally Victor McLaglen, a true Scotsman and pround of it,was very proud of his son, Andrew. I have noticed he was the director oof numerous Gunsmoke episodes. And Victor was at his best as the tough but kind hearted old cavalry sergeant.

Bob Wright

 

[sceva]

You mean Sgt. Quincannon?

 

[Gator89]

James Arness' character was a rival in Hondo.

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

Bruce Dern as the lowlife in the COWBOY'S who after taking a beating from the Duke, then shot him in the back killing him.
His ending being dragged to death by his horse was fitting.

 

[Kevin]

Ya know, the first John Wick movie could be construed as a modern day western.

His dog got killed and his car stolen. Replace car with horse and the revenge that follows is a straight western.

Even his name, John with his elusive past is from a Western.

So I vote for John Wick to lay John Wayne out flat.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Since I do love to think differently from most...

Going against The Duke I bet on Katherine Hepburn as Eula Goodnight. No fist or bullets flying between them but she did out zing him throughout the movie.

 

[Mobuck]

When asked by a potential mugger "Hey old man, you got any money?" The reply was "Not enough to be worth your life" followed instantly by the laser appearing on the mugger's shirt.
That's an original (and it's mine).

 

[Lt Choate]

As soon as I read Bob's intro to this thread, I thought that the most worthy adversary was probably Boone or Marvin, but I also thought that Dern was the most "unworthy." He was a sniveling, sneaky, low-down, no good, piece of trash and yet, this was the only movie where the Duke was killed by the adversary. Now some might say that Bruce Dern just did a good job of acting in his slime-ball role, and maybe that is true, but why such a piece of crap be the one to kill JW??

Bruce Dern as the lowlife in the COWBOY'S who after taking a beating from the Duke, then shot him in the back killing him.
His ending being dragged to death by his horse was fitting.

 

[ned]

When asked by a potential mugger "Hey old man, you got any money?" The reply was "Not enough to be worth your life" followed instantly by the laser appearing on the mugger's shirt.
That's an original (and it's mine).

That is pretty darn epic.

 

[BearBiologist]

As soon as I read Bob's intro to this thread, I thought that the most worthy adversary was probably Boone or Marvin, but I also thought that Dern was the most "unworthy." He was a sniveling, sneaky, low-down, no good, piece of trash and yet, this was the only movie where the Duke was killed by the adversary. Now some might say that Bruce Dern just did a good job of acting in his slime-ball role, and maybe that is true, but why such a piece of crap be the one to kill JW??

No, Montgomery Clift was the most unworthy!

Dennis O'Keefe in the Fighting Seabees=adversarial rather than adversary!

 

[ned]

If you go wandering on YouTube you will find Word on Westerns…Sone good interviews and stories

 

[Bob Wright]

Well, while many of y'all named one time adversaries, my aim was the ones who appeared in several films as waging war against the Duke. Such as Boone in "The Shootist" and again in "Big Jake."

And how many movies did Bruce Cabot appear with John Wayne? Not as an adversary, but in his "stock company"

Bob Wright

 

[bedfordboy]

Since I do love to think differently from most...

Going against The Duke I bet on Katherine Hepburn as Eula Goodnight. No fist or bullets flying between them but she did out zing him throughout the movie.

Love it when they were camping on the trail and John Wayne says “I’m so hungry I’d pay $5 for a pickled buffalo tongue”
Only the Duke could come up with that

 

[tazbigdog]

One of John Wayne’s closest friends was Ward Bond.

 

[Watertender]

Ben Johnson was in several John Wayne movies as well as being a member of Sam Peckinpaugh's stock company. Ben Johnson was the genuine article and real cowboy who even took a year off from Hollywood to work the rodeo circuit.

 

[BearBiologist]

One of John Wayne’s closest friends was Ward Bond.
View attachment 30938

Looks like their best friends!!

 

[tazbigdog]

Looks like their best friends!!

That was for a movie. His best buds were Ward and John Ford.

 

[caryc]

As soon as I read Bob's intro to this thread, I thought that the most worthy adversary was probably Boone or Marvin, but I also thought that Dern was the most "unworthy." He was a sniveling, sneaky, low-down, no good, piece of trash and yet, this was the only movie where the Duke was killed by the adversary. Now some might say that Bruce Dern just did a good job of acting in his slime-ball role, and maybe that is true, but why such a piece of crap be the one to kill JW??

It had a pretty big impact on you did it? I imagine that's just what the director had in mind. You still remember it.

 

[Watertender]

Aldo Ray would be a worthy adversary for The Duke. I am thinking about watching The Green Berets on Turner Classic Movies because they have it On Demand right now.

 

[black1970]

Ran your horse too fast. No water. Killed your horse. Wouldn’t listen to your Uncle Ethan. Thank you kindly.
Mose Harper in The Searchers.

 

[black1970]

As an aside Gene Evans who played in many films including the first Walking Tall movie in 1973 liked this part of the country so much (West Tennessee) that he moved from California with his daughter and built a house out in the country close to Medon about 10 miles South of Jackson. Then he would fly to CA for movie roles. He played the crooked sheriff in Walking Tall. I was an extra in the movie and saw him many times while shooting the movie. One of his best friends was Jack Elam. The perpetual bad guy in many movies especially westerns with the bad eye. Jack Elam would come to visit Gene Evans during hunting season and would eat breakfast at the Skylark which was an eating place in Henderson, TN. Just a little fact that I would mention. Thanks.
For you folks that are not familiar with the Walking Tall movies they were about the life and times of Sheriff Buford Pusser of McNairy County TN. Look him up on YouTube.

 

[GasGuzzler]

We don't rent pigs.

Not sure what the topic is.