January 11, 2005

THE DUKE

This weekend I also caught a John Wayne double header: Rio Bravo and El Dorado. (I didn't leave the couch much, being sick and all.) Um...is it just me, or are they the same movie? How did John Wayne get away with that? Sheriff gets dumped by a girl, sheriff turns into a drunk, The Duke sobers him up, everyone jokes that he needs a bath, the fresh new sheriff catches the bad guy and puts him in jail, the other bad guys try to bust him out, they capture one of the good guys and offer a trade, there's a shoot-out, John Wayne wins. Oh, and there are two sidekicks: a young whippersnapper named after a state, and a crotchety old man who guards the jail.

Of course I loved them both, because who doesn't love John Wayne (plus Ricky Nelson and James Caan), but that's the same freaking movie.

Posted by Sarah at January 11, 2005 07:07 AM
Comments

Yes, they are the same movie. A lot of people complained when it was released (I'm so old!), but it was JOHN WAYNE, BY GOD!

There are no John Waynes in Hollywood any more, and there used to be so many who shared his views, if not his bravado.

Posted by: Mike at January 11, 2005 01:56 PM

John Wayne wanted to play the drunk in the second movie but "they" wouldn't let him. The major actors in El Dordo all knew it was basically the same movie as Rio Bravo...but I think they did it as a favor to the director.

Posted by: LCB at January 11, 2005 04:24 PM

is that the one with Bob Mitchum?

Posted by: annika at January 11, 2005 07:37 PM

You forgot Rio Lobo. That was the same movie too! They are all great.
R/
Ed

Posted by: Ed & D at January 16, 2005 01:29 AM