Hollywood's big guns

Ever since I was a child, no movie could captivate my attention in the way a John Wayne western could. It was therefore such a thrill to finally get as close to the Duke's trail as we just did on our trek through 4 States. Starting out in Los Angeles, I managed to stand in his footsteps at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd.



Young people seem to use the word 'awesome' far too much today. A cheeseburger can never be 'awesome'. Monument Valley in Utah most definitely is! Driving towards the valley, it is instantly understandable what caused Wayne and Director John Ford to fall in love with the place whilst filming Stagecoach in 1939. The place has a spiritual feel and lies within the Navajo Nation. Their name for it is Tsé Bii' Ndzisgaii which translates as the Valley of the Rocks.



We also discovered the cabin that was used as Nathan Brittles's within the Cavalry Fort in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"



In Stagecoach, Wayne played the Ringo Kid, though another endearing role was that of Buck, played by the wonderful Andy Devine. Devine was born in Flagstaff, Arizona and raised in nearby Kingman. I was delighted to find a tribute to him in the museum within the town. The chair's size gave an indication of what a big man he was, but he like Wayne was a big star too, the likes of which Hollywood will sadly not see again.




nick