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John Wayne was a humbled man early in the 1960s. His passion project, "The Alamo," had fallen well short of box office expectations in 1961. An epic Western about the siege of the basement-less San Antonio mission, Wayne directed the film and took its failure personally. He didn't need a hit; even at his lowest point in the 1970s, a Wayne picture at a certain budget level was an automatic greenlight. Still, Wayne was a prideful man who actively tended to his legacy; he was mindful of his fan base, and sought their approval. So Wayne came charging out of his corner in 1962, and knocked out every last naysayer with Howard Hawks' "Hatari!," "How the West Was Won," "The Longest Day" and John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

The Ford movie could've been Wayne's Western swan song, but a rifle-toting Wayne astride a horse still held commercial appeal,...

Dean Smith, a Hollywood stuntman who worked in dozens of Westerns after winning a gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, died on Saturday, his son Finis announced on social media. Smith was 91.

Born and raised in Texas, Smith competed in track and football for the University of Texas at Austin and qualified for the Olympics at the age of 20. While he finished just off the podium in the 100-meter dash by landing in fourth place, he claimed the gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay as part of a team with 1948 100-meter Olympic gold medalist Harrison “Bones” Dillard, 1952 100-meter gold medalist Lindy Remigino, and 1952 200-meter gold medalist Andy Stanfield.

After playing running back for the Texas Longhorns and helping the team win the 1953 Cotton Bowl, Smith had a brief career in the NFL as a scout team player. After that, he moved into motion pictures and worked as a stuntman who...

Finis Dean Smith, a stuntman regular in John Wayne Westerns who turned to Hollywood after becoming an Olympic gold medalist, died Saturday. He was 91.

Smith was born in Breckenridge, Texas and began his athletic career competing in track and field competitions, earning All-American status in the 100-meter dash in 1952.

He went on to win varying athletic championships, culminating in his inclusion on Team U.S.A. as a member of the 4×100-meter relay team at the Helsinki Olympics, where he would win the gold medal. Following his graduation from University of Texas at Austin, Smith would play for the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers for a few years ahead of his career in the entertainment industry.

Working as a stuntman, Smith was a part of several Oscar-winning Western films, including “True Grit” and “How the West Was Won,” in addition to “The Quick and the Dead,” “El Dorado” and “Rio Lobo.

Oscar-winning actor John Wayne worked with many women over the course of his filmography. However, he had some divisive politics when it came to folks who came from different backgrounds. Wayne once talked about his perspective on the women’s movement, especially as it applied to female grips working on movie sets.

John Wayne thought women should be paid equally to men John Wayne | Martin Mills/Getty Images

Scott Eyman wrote about some of the most problematic sides of the actor in John Wayne: The Life and Legend, including his perception of women. However, he didn’t completely shut out other folks getting equal treatment to himself. Wayne didn’t approve of the pay disparity between the sexes, especially when it came to accomplishing the same task at hand.

“I have always felt that women should get exactly the same salary for the same work that a man would,” Wayne said.

Movie star John Wayne was never one to shy away from having a drink. Whether he was on a movie set or enjoying life on his houseboat, he frequently enjoyed including alcohol in his plans. According to the official Wayne Facebook page, he claimed, “I never trust a man who doesn’t drink.” However, this revealed a lot about his character.

John Wayne found comradery in sharing a drink L-r: John Wayne and Forrest Tucker | Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

It’s important to acknowledge why Wayne held such importance in an alcoholic drink, to begin with. He greatly valued the comradery that came with sharing alcohol with a friend or a colleague. The movie star viewed it as an opportunity to be genuine with one another, and to share laughs and stories.

Some of Wayne’s closest friends included actor Ward Bond and director John Ford. The trio...

As befitting its status as one of the world’s biggest companies, every now and then Amazon likes to take a big swing with its Prime Video originals. With its list of new releases for April 2023, the streamer is taking one of its biggest swings yet.

Though it’s not quite as vast or expensive as fellow Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Citadel (premiering April 28) is a massive, massive undertaking. Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, this spy series is described as “an expansive and groundbreaking global event comprising a mothership series and several local language satellite series.” This means that the Russo Brothers-produced project will eventually feature several spinoffs in multiple countries and languages around the world. Neat-o!

The only other major TV original of note this month is Dead Ringers, based on the 1988 David Cronenberg film of the same name,...

Prime Video is hoping to launch its own extended franchise universe in April with the premiere of international spy series “Citadel” from the minds of the Russo Brothers. The show stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, and Stanley Tucci, and is intended to be the first block of an interconnected story with different spinoffs in countries and regions around the world. The first version will begin streaming on April 28. In the show, the world is in the grips of Manticore, a criminal organization, and several former spies are recruited to restore order despite having their memories erased.

Watch the trailer for “Citadel”:

Beloved young adult author Judy Blume opened the door to discussion about difficult subjects for generations of kids. Now, the writer is the subject of a new documentary, “Judy Blume Forever,” coming to Prime Video on April 21. The doc looks at her trajectory — from a scared kid to...

Marion Robert Morrison, more commonly known as John Wayne or ‘The Duke,’ left a lasting imprint on American cinema. His career spanned five decades, during which time he starred in 179 films and delivered countless illustrious performances.

He rose to fame with his starring role as Ringo Kid in the 1939 classic ‘Stagecoach,’ and would go on to play characters like Ethan Edwards in Ford’s 1956 ‘The Searchers’ – cementing his place in American film history.

In this blog post, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best John Wayne movies, which capture the actor’s undeniable talent and unforgotten legacy. From westerns like ‘True Grit’ (1969) to war films like ‘The Longest Day’ (1962), Wayne left an indelible mark on our collective culture.

The Highest-Rated John Wayne Films on IMDb ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’ (1962) – 8.1/10 ‘Rio Bravo’ (1959) – 8/10 ‘The Searchers’ (1956) – 7.9/10 ‘Stagecoach’ (1939) – 7.8/10 ‘Red River’ (1948) – 7.8/10 ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) – 7.7/10 ‘The Quiet Man’ (1952) – 7.7/10 ‘The Shootist...

Andrew V. McLaglan's 1963 film "McLintock!" is a loose Western adaptation of William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" (c. 1592), a problematic play to say the least. The story of Shakespeare's play involves a willful and bitter young woman named Kate who refuses to settle down and get married. This upsets Kate's younger sister Bianca, as she will not be permitted to marry until Kate is married. A man named Petruchio is hired to, as the title says, tame the shrew, transforming an outspoken and willful woman into a dutiful wife. By the end, he does. One can easily see the play's misogynist leanings. Critically speaking, one might be able to see a satire at play, however. Or perhaps it's merely sexist. 

"McLintock!" is equally tetchy, with John Wayne playing the Petruchio role, and Maureen O'Hara playing Kate. The story was altered somewhat to explain that Kate and Petrucho, called G.

The Quiet Man was a passion project for John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, and John Ford. However, they had to jump through some hoops and shoot Rio Grande as a part of the deal to get financing for their Irish romance. Take a look at this gorgeous behind-the-scenes moment between Wayne and O’Hara that has fans remembering this classic motion picture.

‘The Quiet Man’ actors John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara played lovers L-r: John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara | Republic Pictures/Getty Images

The story follows Sean Thornton (Wayne) after he retires from his work boxing in America. He decides to return back to the small Irish village in the 1920s, which he once called home. Sean intends to reclaim his family’s home and enjoy the rest of his days. He meets a fiery woman named Mary Kate Danaher (O’Hara) and quickly falls in love with her.

Prime Video got off to a fast start this summer with the release of The Boys season 3 on June 3. Now, as we enter the dog days, Prime Video is set to keep the warm weather good times rolling with a new twist on an old classic. That’s right, Amazon’s list of new releases for August 2022 is highlighted by some good old-fashioned baseball.

A League of Their Own, the TV adaptation of Penny Marshall’s 1992 movie, is set to premiere on Aug. 12. Like the movie before it, the series will dramatize the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League which saw women playing America’s pastime while the major leagues were on pause for World War II. Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) co-created the show and will star as catcher Carson Shaw.

Other Prime Video Originals of note this month include season 2 of British comedy The Outlaws on and the Ron Howard-directed Thirteen Lives,...

Prime Video will continue rolling out its summer slate in the month of August, releasing new original series, as well as a mix of suspenseful films, action movies and more.

Amazon’s series version of “A League of Their Own” will debut its eight-episode first season on Aug. 12, introducing new characters and stories set in the historical opening of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (Aagpbl).

Ron Howard’s “Thirteen Lives” tells the real-life story of how a young boys’ soccer team was rescued from the Thai mountain cave where they got stuck for 10 days along with their coach.

Other new film arrivals include hits from earlier this summer, “The Lost City” starring Sandra Bullock, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt, as well as “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Academy Award-nominated film “Licorice Pizza” also arrives on Prime Video this month.

Freevee will also have new arrivals this month.

The new year is continuing apace at Hulu. The streamer’s list of new releases for February 2022 is highlighted by one very interesting project.

Pam and Tommy is set to premiere on Feb. 2. Perhaps the Groundhog Day release date is intentional as the show will cover a particular moment of celebrity, sex, and exploitation from the early ’90s that seems to have repeated itself over and over. Sebastian Stan and Lily James star as Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson and the series follows the events and fallout of their homemade sex tape being stolen and unleashed on a nascent internet. If nothing else, getting the promo photos of Stan and James as the ’90s stars was worth it.

Read more Movies Willem Dafoe on Noir, Fate and Geeks in Nightmare Alley By David Crow Movies Matthew Vaughn on Finding The Man Who Would Be King’s Man By David Crow

Another Hulu original,...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Own 14 of John Wayne's Most Essential Films in One Collection for the First Time

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Relive some of the greatest performances by legendary actor John Wayne with the John Wayne Essential 14-movie Collection, arriving on DVD May 11, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

An American hero and icon, Wayne had an epic, 50-year film career in which he played the lead in over 140 films. He was nominated* for three Academy Awards®, winning the Best Actor award for his performance in True Grit.

Representing Paramount’s biggest John Wayne collection ever, this 14-movie set spans nearly 25 years of Wayne’s exceptional career and includes his only Oscar®-winning performance in True Grit and his final lead role in The Shootist. Encompassing epic stories of integrity and dramatic battles of will, these fan-favorites capture the virtue, courage, and humor of an American original.

Hopefully March will bring respite from crippling snow storms and frigid temperatures for much of the globe. And if it doesn’t? Well, Hulu’s got some new streaming options at least!

Hulu’s list of new releases for March 2021 are relatively slight on Hulu originals. Thankfully, one beloved original of note is coming back this month. Solar Opposites will premiere all episodes of its second season on March 26. This sci-fi animated comedy from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland is a breath of fresh alien air.

On the movie side of things, Hulu is premiering Boss Level on March 5. This actioner will star the delightful Frank Grillo and the decidedly less delightful Mel Gibson. Speaking of delightful though, the documentary Kid 90 will arrive on March 12. This comes from Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye and features hours of footage she shot in the ’90s that will depict what...

David S. Cass Sr., a top stunt coordinator in the 1980s and 1990s, who segued to a directing career, died Aug. 28 in Woodland Hills of complications from cancer. He was 78.

Cass began his movie career as an extra. He transitioned to alternating between acting parts and stunt work, starting with the 1963 John Wayne film McLintock!, on which he performed stunts. He went on to become a sought-after stunt coordinator and second unit director with such credits as Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, Knight Rider 2000, Walker, Texas Ranger and the Desperado TV movie franchise.

Cass later focused on TV directing, becoming a go-to helmer for Hollywood Channel movies with dozens of credits. Additionally, he co-produced Miramax Films’ Texas Rangers (2001) and the Hard Time Burt Reynolds TV movie franchise, also writing one and directing another installment.