John Wayne is 100 this week and is still a bigger star than 99% of the actors today.

As I said on the podcast this week, Turner Classic Movies is celebrating John Wayne’s 100th birthday this week and I highly suggest you check out some of the films. He mostly is known for westerns and war movies. I know some hate one or both genres but when John Wayne stars in those kinds of movies it is a whole different ballgame.

I have linked an article from Yahoo and I think it is a good read and says things better than I could. Included in the article is this line that I think really sums up John Wayne, “If you want to be an actor, study Brando. But if you want to be a movie star, study Wayne.” That says it all. John Wayne was THE movie star. He is a good actor but you can find many better ones, but when it comes to commanding a screen, commanding a movie, that is John Wayne. I can only imagine what it would have been like to meet the man.

There are still a few movies that will be shown over the next three nights but many of his best have already been shown. I feel that if you are a lover of classic movies, you need to watch John Wayne any chance you get, especially when John Wayne is starring in director John Ford’s movies. Any movies with those two paired together are always satisfying.

The end of the network TV season is here and for the last couple of years I have given some movie picks to watch instead of crappy TV and I hope to again this summer. So keep your eyes peeled and get ready to class up your miserable life with classic cinema.