I am an unapologetic John Wayne fan. The fact is Wayne was a very good actor whose sheer presence could turn a ho-hum script into a gripping yarn.

I've always been a little pissed off that Wayne's legacy seems to have been reduced to that of a failed icon of pro-Vietnam involvement. If people actually listened to and watched Wayne's films they would see the characters he played were often far more progressive than he's ever given credit. Take a gander at the 'The Sons of Katy Elder' the next time it's on the tube if you don't believe me.

Along those lines I was happily surprised today when I stumbled across this article titled: The "Duke" and Democracy: On John Wayne. The article primarily deals with Rio Bravo, one of my favorite John Wayne and Howard Hawks films, and shows how Wayne embodied a lot of the best ideals of America.