Oh wow! I remember seeing that back in the day! My little brother had one!
Books on Duke
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I missed the release of Walter Mirisch's memoirs but was able to pick up a copy recently (at Larry Edmund's still the best book store for film literature, at Hollywood Boulevard).
This is not the kind of Hollywood memoir you'd expect to find sardonic anecdotes in, Mirisch was a gentleman, and above all, as a producer, he was responsible for the financing and packaging of the films. It is therefore interesting to learn more about the complex and frustrating business side of movie making for once.
His incredible oeuvre includes films we all know, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, the Pink Panther films, West Side Story, In the Heat of the Night, the list goes on and on, but of course, being John Wayne fans, we want to know how "The Horse Soldiers" came about. This was relatively early on after the Mirisch Brothers had launched a whole new business concept that allowed directors the greatest possible freedom and more creativity than the studio bosses permitted. As independent producers, they managed to lure John Ford with the material because they knew that with Ford they could also get Wayne. Two heavy A-listers (paying Holden the same hefty sum) and the No.1 director in the world in one package, that really required the skills of a dealmaker like Mirisch. He devotes a chapter to the "Horse Soldiers", and he has a little less space left for the co-production with Batjac, "Cast a Giant Shadow", but for the latter too he was instrumental in bringing the star cast together.
The subtitle "I thought we were making movies not history" also makes it clear that Mirisch was always primarily interested in the box office. Even if a work of art was created, he was disappointed if the credit side remained meager, and that somewhat spoils the reading experience.
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I thought you'd like to know that I was commissioned to research an article for the "Official John Wayne Collector's Edition", that's the regular publication for John Wayne Enterprises.
I was lucky enough to lasso the very last president of Republic Studios for an interview. This gentleman used to work with Michael Wayne and was able to resolve a dispute about the rather careless way Republic used the Wayne image back then.
As always, the foreword was contributed by Ethan Wayne - which goes to say that I'm in darn good company as an author.
Now available at newsstands across the US and in online shops:Cover-John-Wayne-Mag51.pngJohn Wayne - Volume 51: Saluting Duke’s Crew, The Stars, Filmmakers, Raoul Walsh, Montgomery Clift, Ricky Nelson, Gail Russel, Natalie Wood, Rare Photos, Trivia, Personal Anecdotes, Legacy & More!John Wayne Collector’s Edition presents Saluting Duke’s Crew, a 100-page magazine highlighting the individuals who worked side by side with the legend and…magazineshop.us
