John Wayne vs Clint Eastwood

[Erika1487]

The Duke

Don't get me wrong I like Clint Eastwood, but too me John Wayne represents the 'conservative ideal man' that for most of my life I tried too live up too.

[Prospero]

Generally Clint is a better actor and his films - particularly the later ones - suit modern sensibilities better. He is also a terrific director. But Wayne did do some crackers, especially later in his career. Forget clunkers like The Sands of Iwo Jima though - except for a good laugh.

[buttslinger]

I'm not voting.
I went to see an old buddy perform a play once, Short Eyes, and the whole cast went to the bar down the street afterwards What a Bunch of Drunks!!!! Jeez!

There are some great interviews out there with Clint, Bob, and Jane, I got the idea Clint's movies were more businesslike, but old Hollywood was a dive into the deep end. Lots of stories. I've seen The Searchers a couple of times lately. Epic. Can't vote.

[Stavros]

I think a big difference is that Clint Eastwood's career took off after his appearances on TV in Rawhide, and that he has proven himself versatile as actor and director -whereas Wayne matured in the studio system and was therefore typecast/contracted as the true Cowboy/Military/Leadership figure in those sorts of films, and when he stepped out of these roles, playing Genghiz Khan, Irishmen with romantic ideas, etc, he was so obviously out of his comfort zone.

On the other hand, you think of John Ford, and immediately think of Wayne, and Ford, for all his controversies, is easily one of the greatest American film-makers of the 20th century, and as Seanchai has indicated, The Searchers remains a deeply problematic but superbly visualised film.

An interesting comparison, gven the assumptions made about his politics, is what would have Cartmel been like if Wayne, rather than Clint, had been the Mayor...?

But is Clint Eastwood a liberal? Is it possible to tell from the films?

[irvin66]

Definitely Clint Eastwood...


"I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

[Falrune]

I went with John Wayne. He represented what was good about good guys during a different time.

[Absarokah]

Hands down, Clint

[GrimFusion]

I think Clint Eastwood is a better actor than John Wayne, but Wayne deserves a lot of respect for appearing in 172 different movies.

[GroobySteven]

How bad is this?

[GroobySteven]

Or this