John Wayne

Posted on by

This weekend I watched Rio Bravo, starring John Wayne. The first memory I had of Wayne was at the movie ride in MGM Studios. The ride’s boat rounds a corner, and a mechanized John Wayne is sitting on a horse talking some kind of smack (Side note: I can’t remember if this was before or after the Lieutenant Ripley scene where she was against the wall, panting quickly when one of the aliens bursts out of the wall and scared the living shit out of me at six years old). I really hadn’t seen any of his movies either; they were before my time.


John Wayne injected the world with masculinity. His gritty determination and “take no shit” attitude embody what 70’s Big stands for. Whether dealing with sassy women or no-good, dirty criminals, Wayne is stern, gruff and righteous. If John Wayne was before your time, I suggest checking out one of his movies. Here is a preview for Rio Bravo. More on Rio Bravo:

A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.

That description fails to mention a good lookin’ Angie Dickinson in her prime.

John Wayne was an icon because of his distinctive voice, walk, and size; he was bigger than most actors and in his movies he often dwarfs his supporting cast (especially when he’s busy hitting them in the face with the barrel of his rifle). His leathery face may not be pretty, but John Wayne is definitely a hard-ass.


What other historical figures embody 70’s Big?

48 thoughts on “John Wayne”

  2. Red Sonja. You know she did her squats. Also I am offended at Hollywood’s attempt to 90s-small-ify her by casting Rose McGowan in the new movie.

  4. Honestly, it really irks me when people idolize John Wayne for his macho toughness. The fact of the matter is he was a huge pussy. I base this on the fact that he used his fame to avoid fighting in WWII. If you were between the ages of 17 and 40 during WWII and you made the choice to not go out and fight for the freedom of the world you are a pussy. John made it worse by not only refusing to fight but going and pretending he was a tough guy, co-opting the glory of actual American heroes. F*&% John Wayne and the horse he rode in on.

    Wayne (not his real name) was 34 when Pearl Harbor occurred — a hefty age for someone to begin seeing combat. While it’s true that other actors enlisted, his draft status was held in check by Republic Studios (meaning that he could avoid it because of several factors, yet he could have gotten it changed if he really wanted to). Hollywood (or the current equivalent) had a say in politics in that time period. For example, legendary fighter pilot Robin Olds didn’t get a preferred assignment in the military because his movie star wife exercises her stardom and “pulled some strings” to get him at the Pentagon (so that they would be together — they eventually divorced).

    I’d find it hard to believe that if you were a flourishing movie star at the outset of 9/11 and being offered lots of money that you’d go out of your way to enlist. Not everyone is Pat Tillman (who turned down multiple contracts, including one to the Seahawks that would have ended his stint in the Army prior to the deployment that he was killed in). By the same token, you should hold the same disdain for other actors, especially those nowadays, who didn’t immediately enlist when 9/11 occurred. There are far more cowards today than Wayne.

    Additionally, Wayne was probably better used as a propaganda tool throughout the war anyway. It also appears that Wayne harbored regret at not serving for the rest of his life, as indicated here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne#Military_service_controversy

    –Justin

  6. This is a great post. It also has wonderful timing for me since I spent more time riding trails this past weekend than I have in my life, and then went in a took names in the gym. Coincidence? I think not!

    (Also, thanks for the squat tips Justin, they really helped me keep from falling forward on the way up. Also, I ordered my lifting shoes and should get them this week)

    Also, as far as historical figures go: Jack Churchill. Claymore wielding? Totally 70s Big.

  10. Milo of Croton.

    He carried a cow every day for four years until “it was big enough” to make steaks out of it. Linear progression at its finest.

    He also supposedly ate 20 lbs of meat and 20 loaves of bread per day. He did all of this without ever once wearing pants.

  11. Merriweather Lewis.

    No question. First off he was smart as shit. I think that’s important. Under Thomas Jefferson he learned astronomy, math, science, identification of just about every plant in North America, philosophy and writing. He was a very compelling writer too. On his own he was a fronteir postman, and then took a small crew from St. Louis (then a frontier trading post of like 1000 people), across the bitterroots surviving on nothing but horse meat, deer tallow and some shitty roots for three weeks, to the mouth of the Columbia River and back. Along the way he stood down an entire tribe of pissed of Sioux warriors using nothing but his badassery and balls, brought what at the time represented the largest arsenal west of the missisippi all the way across the continent, killed a grissley bear with his musket rifle (only about a .30 cal, first shot didnt kill it and he had to reload before it got to him), killed with a knife when the guy tried to steal his gun, and all sorts of other badassery that I can’t get into now. No question he was tough as the hand forged nails that held together his keil boat and strong as anyone in North America at the time. He preferred to sleep on nothing but a buffalo skin (can’t say I blame him) and walked the shore most of the way across the continent so that he could survey the plants and animals, per Jefferson’s instructions. This is the authoritative work on him: http://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Courage-Meriwether-Jefferson-American/dp/0684826976

    For fictional characters you can’t forget Paul Newman’s character “Cool Hand Luke.” Dude picked fights with everyone in his Alabama prison labor camp and ate 50 eggs in an hour. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNyl6gXLMLQ

  12. Woody Strode was a certified badass. Decathalete, footbal star, actual war hero, martial artist, stereotype busting actor, and big dude.

    I remember him best in the small part he had in Spartacus, but he made a 70’s big impression.

  13. To quote Dan John on this subject “What Would the Duke Do?” Whenever you got a question in life, just ask yourself that, the answer should become clear.
    I need to get me a WWDD bracelet.

  14. I second the Theodore Roosevelt suggestion. If i recall correctly, he was told as a kid that he wasn’t healthy enough to play sports, be active etc. His solution was to exercise harder and basically kick that advice in the balls until he was ok. I think he took up boxing, among other things.

    Unrelated, I remember reading comments about powerlifting meets this past weekend. Post results (or even write ups!) to those of you who lifted!

  15. @ilcrawford

    I’ve not read any of the Saxon books, but I will say that Richard Sharpe is definately a badass. :)

    @hump1201

    I’ll try to write another post later with a short description of the meet I was in.

  18. Here are the results from my first powerlifting meet from this past weekend, if someone actually wants a full write up let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

    USAPL: http://www.usaplnationals.com/2011-missouri-powerlifting/index.shtml

    I’m 38 years old, and weighed in at 236 lbs.

    I went 5/9 and totaled 565 kg (1245 lbs)

    Squat – 1/3 @ 205 kg (452 lbs.)
    Bench – 2/3 @ 115 kg (253 lbs.)
    Deadlift – 2/3 @ 245 kg (540 lbs.)

    A couple of observations:

    Lifting in the middle of a HS gym is freaky.

    Once you are done lifting, give a quick thought about the folks that helped put the meet on. If the event is being held at a rented venue (or even if it isn’t), someone is going to have to clean everything up.

    A shout out to fellow 70’s big fan Win who was lifting in the meet and to the guy I saw in the hallway afterwards who saw my shirt and said he was trying to bring the mustache back.

  19. Another one: Alec Guiness’ character in “Bridge Over the River Kwai.”

    Dude demonstrates fidelity, duty and commitment to purpose and mission to the extreme. Through intense labor under terrible conditions. A great movie too.

  21. John Henry! How much more manly can it get than beating the new fangled machine at a rail road stake hammering contest!

    Also, Pecos Bill and Bill Brasky.

  24. I will nominate my Great Uncle Charles Hazlitt Upham. The only combat soldier ever to received the VC (Victoria Cross similar to the Medal of Honor) and Bar (2 x VC’s).

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Upham

    from the citation for his 2nd VC “Captain Upham, during the engagement, himself destroyed a German tank and several guns and vehicles with grenades and although he was shot through the elbow by a machine gun bullet and had his arm broken, he went on again to a forward position and brought back some of his men who had become isolated. He continued to dominate the situation until his men had beaten off a violent enemy counter-attack and consolidated the vital position which they had won under his inspiring leadership.”

  26. I nominate Colonel Thomas Blood, (1618 – 1680,) as described by George MacDonald Fraser;

    “soldier, rascal, secret agent, Justice of the Peace, Fifth Monarchy Man, hired assassin, Covenanter, conspirator,confident of royalty, occasional medical practioner and jewel thief extraordinary.”

    He was apt to engage in “plots and crimes which invariably went wrong, for while he was an adventurer of great ingenuity and tremendous style, the execution of schemes was marred by an over-elaboration bordering on lunacy.”

    This including planning to seize Dublin Castle, distracting the guards by throwing loaves of bread at them, or assassinating the Duke of Ormonde by carrying him through London on the back of his horse in order to hang him from a public gallows.
    He also managed to steal the crown jewels whilst disguised as a priest, got caught, demanded an audience with the King and emerged with both a pardon and a pension worth £500 a year, although how still remains a mystery.

    Fitting testament to his knavery can be found in the epitah on his tomb;

    Here lies the man who boldly hath run through
    More villainies than England ever knew;
    And ne’er to any friend he had was true.
    Here let him then by all unpitied lie,
    And let’s rejoice his time was come to die.

  28. I know how old Marion was when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I’ve also read the wiki page and several other accounts. The bottom line is that if he really wanted to go fight he could have.
    Additionally, WWII and Iraq are not the same. I have nothing but respect for our boys fighting overseas right now but it’s not the same, not even close. We’re talking Nazis. John Wayne had an opportunity to kill Nazis and he chose not to. If you have a chance to kill Nazis and you decide to take a pass you are a pussy.

    I agree with the nazi comment. Don’t forget that the fucking taliban and al-queda (I refuse to capitalize any of these names) make it a life mission to kill Americans. They simply lack the means to do it en mass. nazis were about ethnic cleansing, and the taliban/al-queda team aims at doing the same thing with an additional mission of killing Americans.

    You still didn’t address my point that his film company went very much out of their way to ensure that he didn’t leave, both with politics and money. Would you turn down millions of dollars to fight nazis, taliban, or al-queda? Did you turn down common every day freedoms to fight after 9/11? If you do, then I admire you and your point is proven.

    –Justin

  36. @Randle McMurphy

    Great suggestion on Bronson, I came in to post him….anyone who has seen any of the “Death Wish” films can attest to their awesomeness (and ridiculousness as the series progresses).

    @phil g

    Nice add on with Sean Connery, not sure how I didn’t think of him before your post!

  37. CANADIANS

    Can anyone from Qc tell me about a decent lifting gym in Valleyfield. The gym in my hotel is fucking terrible. Nothing but “atlantis” machines.

  41. Dan Gable, even though he never met the 200lb requirement. His individual drive and motivation is contagious. He spread it to every wrestler he coached, and makes me wish I could have just a fraction of the resolve he has.

    Wrestling was my primary sport when I was younger and, sadly, it is still not getting the respect it deserves. More and more colleges are cutting their wrestling programs…even programs that win.

    On Saturday March 12, The University of Nebraska at Omaha Wrestling Team won it’s 3rd straight D-II National Championship. Less than 4 hours after the awards ceremony, they received a phone call from their AD announcing the program had been cut.

    The locks on the field house where the team holds practice were changed while the team was at Nationals.

    USA Today article: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/other/2011-03-14-1132017697_x.htm

    Article detailing how the team was notified: http://themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=23332

    I’d also like to mention that UNO’s head wrestling coach, Mike Denney, has the kind of class and character that I greatly admire and hope to have when I grow up.

  45. Nice one, Justin. I’m only 25, so he was well before my time, but my dad is a big fan of westerns and war movies, so growing up we watched a lot of them together – el dorado, true grit, rio bravo, the longest day, etc, etc.

    I would also like to submit:

    ACTORS
    Clint eastwood (a legend – I could list so many movies!)
    Paul newman (and to a slightly lesser extent, Robert redford – the sting and butch Cassidy and the SK, both awesome)
    Bruce lee
    Steve McQueen
    Arnold

    OTHER
    Patton
    Sir Edmund Hillary
    Scott/Amundsen/mawson

    I think a lot of men and women have embodied 70s big’s attitude, if not the physique, throughout history. Pretty much any explorer, pioneer, or leader gets my vote for sheer balls.

  46. Steve Epps Sr.

    That’s my grandfather. He was 18 years old when jumped from a plane on D-Day. He embodied being a man. Exercised everyday, and always had a gripper nearby: in his office, in is car, beside his chair, etc. His handshake could crush people even into his 80’s. Young men today should look to their grandfathers for how a man should be.

  47. Pingback: John Wayne

  48. Pingback: World Spinner

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.