Take a look at “Heroic Charge,” John Ford’s famous Western, tonight on Arte, and how John Wayne ended up inheriting the lead role.
The Heroic Charge, which airs tonight on Arte, celebrates one of the many collaborations between two true legends of the Western: director John Ford and 1940s genre superstar John Wayne.
In this case, the latter portrays Captain Nathan Brittles, a cavalry officer whose retirement is approaching and who tries his best to avoid a bloody battle against a coalition of Indian tribes.
Even if John Ford had already offered John Wayne several roles before, especially in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he was initially very hostile to entrusting him with the title of this new western.
The reason for this reluctance: the age of the actor, who was then forty years old, about twenty years younger than the character.
I didn’t know a bastard could play!
According to a documentary aired on TCM, Ford eventually decided that Wayne’s performance had been discovered in Howard Hawks’ Red River, which had been released a year earlier. “I didn’t know a bastard could play!”He would say before giving the role.
According to The Duke: The Life and Image of John WayneRonald L. Davis’ work, and the director was so impressed by Wayne’s performance that at the end of filming, he offered him a cake with a note: “Now you’re an actor.”
After The Heroic Charge, John Ford and John Wayne would tour together many more times.
(Re)discover the trailer for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, one of their most famous collaborations…
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Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
