Happy Birthday, Elisabeth Hasselbeck
May 28, 2009 – Elisabeth Del Padre
Filarski, who co-hosts “The View” (10 a.m. weekdays on ABC), turns 32 today.
She was a member of the Barramundi Tribe on “Survivor: The Australian Outback” (Season 2 of the CBS reality show).
Best wishes to Elisabeth and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
And the 2009 MTV Movie Awards go to …
For the first time, fans decided the final nominees
for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.
And the fan favorites were “Twilight” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” which both received nominations in six categories (although “Twilight” did get a leading seven nods).
Andy Samberg (“Saturday Night Live”) hosts the event, which includes two new categories: best song from a movie and best “wtf” moment (movie moment that left audiences speechless).
Here are the nominees for the 18th annual MTV Movie Awards that will be handed out during a live broadcast at 8 p.m. May 31 on MTV.
BEST MOVIE (voting conitnues throughout ceremony)
The Dark Knight
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
Twilight
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Angelina Jolie – Wanted (Universal Pictures)
Anne Hathaway – Bride Wars (20th Century Fox)
Kate Winslet – The Reader (The Weinstein Company)
Kristen Stewart – Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount Pictures)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE
Christian Bale – The Dark Knight
Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man
Shia LaBeouf – Eagle Eye
Vin Diesel – Fast & Furious
Zac Efron – High School Musical 3: Senior Year
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE FEMALE
Amanda Seyfried – Mamma Mia!
Ashley Tisdale – High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Freida Pinto – Slumdog Millionaire
Miley Cyrus – Hannah Montana: The Movie
Vanessa Hudgens – High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Kat Dennings – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE MALE
Robert Pattinson – Twilight
Taylor Lautner – Twilight
Ben Barnes – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire
Bobb’e J. Thompson – Role Models
BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Amy Poehler – Baby Mama
Anna Faris – The House Bunny
James Franco – Pineapple Express
Jim Carrey – Yes Man
Steve Carell – Get Smart
BEST VILLAIN
Derek Mears – Friday The 13th
Dwayne Johnson – Get Smart
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Johnathon Schaech – Prom Night
Luke Goss – Hellboy II: The Golden Army
BEST FIGHT
Anne Hathaway vs. Kate Hudson – Bride Wars
Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Ron Perlman vs. Luke Goss – Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet – Twilight
Seth Rogen and James Franco vs. Danny McBride – Pineapple Express
BEST KISS
Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy – Wanted
Freida Pinto and Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire
James Franco and Sean Penn – Milk
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson – Twilight
Paul Rudd and Thomas Lennon – I Love You, Man
Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron – High School Musical 3: Senior Year
BEST WTF MOMENT
Amy Poehler – Baby Mama, Peeing In the Sink
Angelina Jolie – Wanted, Curved Bullet Kill
Ayush Mahesh Khedekar – Slumdog Millionaire, Jumping in the Poop Shed
Ben Stiller – Tropic Thunder, Tasting the Decapitated Head
Jason Segel and Kristen Bell – Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Naked Break-Up
BEST SONG FROM A MOVIE
“Jai Ho” – AR Raham, Slumdog Millionaire
“The Wrestler” – Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
“The Climb” – Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
“Decode” – Paramore, Twilight
Top 30 Talk Show Guests on TV (May 28-June 3, 2009)
Paris Hilton
Wednesday is when The Oklahoman
posts a list of all the guests (and all the topics) coming up on TV talk shows.
Here are 30 (or more) of the best guests appearing on talk shows airing Thursday through Wednesday (May 28-June 3, 2009). For a practically complete list, go to www.newsok.com/tv and click on Talk Shows (located under Resources).
But just like everything else on TV, talk show lineups are subject to change.
BEST GUESTS
••Paula Abdul (“American Idol”), June 1 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Kris Allen (“American Idol”), May 28 on “Today” and “The Early Show”
••Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars”), May 28 on “Good Morning America”
••Jessica Biel (“Powder Blue”), June 3 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••David Boreanaz (“Bones”), May 28 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Michael Caine (“Harry Brown”), May 28 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••John Cho (“Star Trek”), May 29 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Tabatha Coffey (“Tabatha’s Salon Takeover”), May 28 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Bradley Cooper (“The Hangover”), June 3 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Bill Cosby (“Cosby”), June 1 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Simon Cowell (“American Idol”), May 29 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Billy Crystal (“Tooth Fairy”), May 28 on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”
••Elisha Cuthbert (24″), May 28 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Edie Falco (“Nurse Jackie”), June 2 on “The View”
••Elle Fanning (“Phoebe in Wonderland”), June 3 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Will Ferrell (“Land of the Lost”), June 1 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”; June 3 on “Today”
••Janeane Garofalo (“24″), May 28 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••John Goodman (“Pope Joan”), June 1 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Heather Graham (“The Hangover”), June 3 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Danny Gokey (“American Idol”), May 28 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Tom Hanks (“Angels & Demons”), May 28 on “Late Show With David Letterman”; June 2 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Jillian Harris (“The Bachelorette”), June 1 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Anne Hathaway (“Bride Wars”), June 1 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Paris Hilton (“The Simple Life”), June 1 on “The View”; June 2 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Hugh Jackman (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”), May 29 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Dwayne Johnson (“Race to Witch Mountain”), June 3 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”), May 29 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Lance Krall (“Free Radio”), June 3 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••John Krasinski (“The Office”), June 2 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Christine Lahti (“Yonkers Joe”), June 3 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Adam Lambert (“American Idol”), May 28 on “Today”
••Nathan Lane (“Waiting for Godot”), May 29 on “The View”
••Denis Leary (“Resce Me”), June 2 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”), June 3 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Justin Long (“Drag Me to Hell”), May 28 on “The View”
••Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal”), June 1 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Cameron Mathison (“All My Children”), May 29 on “Good Morning America”
••Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”), May 28 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••Danny McBride (“Eastbound & Down”), June 2 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Conan O’Brien (“The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”), May 29 on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”
••Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”), June 1 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••David Hyde Pierce (“Accent on Youth”), May 28 on “The View”
••Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”), June 2 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Molly Sims (“Fired Up”), June 2 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••David Spade (“Rules of Engagement”), May 29 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Ben Stiller (“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”), June 1 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Taylor Swift (“CSI”), May 29 on “Today”
••Jeffrey Tambor (“The Hangover”), June 3 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Channing Tatum (“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), May 28 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”), May 29 on “The Martha Stewart Show”
••Nia Vardalos (“My Life in Ruins”), June 2 on “The View”)
••Robin Williams (“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”), May 29 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Reese Witherspoon (“Monsters vs. Aliens”), May 28 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
Top 20 Talk Show Topics on TV (May 28-June 3, 2009)
Wednesday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the topics (and all the guests) coming up on TV talk shows.
Here are TV Editor Penny Soldan’s Top 20 picks for shows airing Thursday through Wednesday (May 28-June 3, 2009). For a practically complete list, go to www.newsok.com/tv and click on Talk Shows (located under Resources).
But just like everything else on TV, talk show lineups are subject to change.
TOP TOPICS
••All-time beauty bests, May 28 on “Today”
••Consumer issues, May 28 on “Good Morning America”
••Water toys, May 28 on “The Early Show”
••Actress Thandie Newton discusses her kisses with male co-stars, May 28 on “Rachael Ray”
••Pair sails on raft made from plastic bottles, May 28 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Getting a toddler to stay in bed at night, May 28 on “The Doctors”
••Physical changes caused by pregnancy, May 28 on “The Doctors”
••Overweight teens, May 29 on “Today”
••Bathing suits for all body types, May 29 on “The Early Show”
••Hidden cameras catch cheaters in the act, May 29 on “Maury”
••Tyra teaches her audience how to get free stuff, May 29 on “The Tyra Banks Show”
••How germs spread, May 29 on “The Doctors”
••Saving money with a cell phone, June 1 on “Today”
••10 key health routines, June 1 on “Today”
••A tour of a body farm, June 1 on “Montel Williams”
••Starting an online business, June 2 on “Today”
••A new twist on the classic vanilla cupcake, June 2 on “The Martha Stewart Show”
••Cashing in on the housing bailout, June 3 on “Today”
••Keeping eyes healthy, June 3 on “The Martha Stewart Show”
••Preventing heart disease, June 3 on “The Martha Stewart Show”
Happy Birthday, Todd Bridges
May 27, 2009 — Todd A. Bridges, who
played Willis Jackson on “Diff’rent Strokes” (1978-86 on NBC), turns 44 today.
He played Monk on “Everybody Hates Chris” (2008-09 on CW).
His first acting role was as Truman Jackson in a 1975 episode of “Barney Miller” (episode titled “The Hero”). He was 10.
Best wishes to Todd and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Todd Bridges arrives at the 5th Annual TV Land Awards, Saturday, April 14, 2007 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
TV and movie experiences, items up for bid in RFK Center’s annual online auction
Want to meet Oprah Winfey? How about get fashion advice from “Project Runway’s” Tim Gunn? Or learn the art of comdy from Steve Carell on the set of “The Office”?
These experiences and much more are up for bid in the Robert F. Kennedy Center’s annual online auction. Bids will be accepted through May 28 at www.rfk.charitybuzz.com.
Here are a few of the 125-plus experiences and items being auctioned:
•• A dance lesson from ‘Dancing with the Stars” Contestant Jason Taylor
•• Have lemonade and cookies after Martha Stewart guides you through her garden
•• Have Gloria Ruben, star of “Raising the Bar” on TNT, sing at your next cocktail party
•• Meet Bobby Flay at a taping “Iron Chef America”
•• VIP tickets to Saturday Night Live and dinner at the Beacon
•• Tour Pine Valley on the set of “All My Children” with creator Agnes Nixon
•• Spend the day on the “Damages” set with Glenn Close
•• Meet Laurence Fishburne on the set of “CSI”
•• Tour Wisteria Lane on the set of “Desperate Housewives”
•• Lunch at the Four Seasons with Dennis Haysbert of CBS’s “the Unit”
•• Go backstage at Rachel Ray’s show, take home pots and pans
•• Visit “America’s Most Wanted” and meet creator and host John Walsh
•• Hugh Laurie’s cane from “House” and a set visit with the cast
•• Take home a pair of Larry King’s suspenders and visit Larry King Live to meet him
•• A one-hour singing lesson with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin
•• Dinner with “Hardball”’s Chris Matthews at the Willard in DC
•• Meet Matt Lauer and tour “the Today Show”
•• Meet MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on set
•• Tour the set of ‘This Week” with George Stephanopoulos
A lot of great stuff for a good cause. Proceeds from the auction benefit RFK Center’s work that includes promoting the rights of hurricane survivors along the Gulf Coast, victims of torture and violence in Darfur and farmworkers in the U.S.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Nicki Aycox
May 26, 2009 — Nicki Lynn Aycox, who
played Pvt. Brenda “Mrss. B” Mitchell on “Over There” (2–5 on FX), turns 34 today.
The Oklahoma-born actress played Christina Rush on the CBS series “Cold Case” (10 episodes in 2004-05).
Her first acting role was as Tammy in a 1996 episosde of “Weird Science” (episode titled “Community Property”). She was 21.
Best wishes to Nicki and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Nicki Aycox as “Mrs. B.” in “Over There” (FX Photo).
Discovery captures ‘Nature’s Most Amazing Events’ on TV and website
When Discovery Channel and BBC work together, the results are stunning.
Last season, it was “Planet Earth” which became the most lauded natural history series in television history.
This season, it is “Nature’s Most Amazing Events,” a six-part high-definition series premiering May 29, 30 and 31. Two installments will air each night from 8 to 10 p.m.
Discovery and BBC co-produced the series that was filmed in 2007 and 2008 at remote wilderness locations around the world. It captures astonishing seasonal events that reveal the awesome power and grandeur of the planet’s rich natural diversity — from the summer melt of ice in the Arctic and the annual salmon run in Canada to the flooding of the Okavango Delta in Africa and the massive migration in East Africa’s Serengeti plain.
Complementing the series is Discovery’s online site that features an interactive Earth Live 3-D globe, Animal Arcade games such as the Caribou Ice Jump and jigsaw puzzles and wallpapers with amazing images. Go to www.discovery.com/naturesmostamazingevents to enjoy these features and to get a deeper insight into the series’ topics.
–Penny TV
“NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS” EPISODE GUIDE
••NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS: ‘Arctic Summer’ (7 p.m. Friday, May 29) — During an Arctic summer, nearly three million square miles of sea ice rapidly begin to melt. For polar bears, the change in habitat threatens their survival … for others like arctic foxes, whales, and immense flocks of birds, this brief summer transforms the Arctic into one of the richest and dramatic places on Earth. Cameras capture the greatest seasonal change on the planet during a year when the sea ice retreated further and quicker than ever before. The elusive narwhal whales, with their mythological-looking unicorn tusks, are filmed for the first time using aerial cameras as they head north to feeding grounds.
••NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS: ‘Grizzly Wilderness’ (8 p.m. Friday, May 29) — The annual return of Pacific salmon to the rivers where they were born is one of the greatest natural events on the planet. Each year, more than 500 million salmon swim up to 20,000 miles to return to their birthplace to spawn and die. In a television first, cameras capture the emergence of a mother grizzly and her cubs from their dens in the Alaskan mountains to hunt salmon — but they face fierce competition from equally hungry coastal wolves and cameras capture a dramatic confrontation between the wolves and a lone bear. High-speed cameras, and a specially designed underwater kit, record how the salmon swim upstream against powerful torrents while avoiding numerous predators ready to feed after the long winter.
••NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS: ‘Surviving the Serengeti’ (7 p.m. Saturday, May 30) — Each year more than a million wildebeest and a quarter million zebra and gazelle migrate on Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains in one of the most spectacular events of the natural world. This episode shows the epic trek of herds that follow the rains to fresh pastures, and the difficult tale of the predators left behind. The crew captures the desperate plight of a single pride of lions over an unprecedented year of filming to reveal a different side to the Serengeti. And for the first time since 1967, the Serengeti’s only active volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, begins to billow ash and smoke. Using a gyro-stabilized helicopter mount, the team captures the dramatic eruption while revealing why the herds return each year: Fertilized by the volcanic ash over thousands of years, the short grass plains are among the most productive grasslands in the world.
••NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS: ‘Army of Predators’ (8 p.m. Saturday, May 30) — As winter arrives along South Africa’s east coast the inshore waters cool, drawing nearly a billion sardines northwards. The sardine run is the world’s largest marine spectacle, attracting the planet’s greatest concentration of predators. A storm triggers the sardines to begin their desperate dash as they are tracked by a super-pod of 5,000 dolphins while yet more predators wait up the coast. The 15-mile long shoal of sardines is pushed northwards as thousands of sharks, whales and flocks of birds encircle. A spectacular feeding frenzy ensues as the dolphins force the sardines into enormous bait balls on which all the predators feast. Filmed in high-definition, super-slow motion, the scenes reveal every detail of the high-octane action from the air, the ocean surface, and underwater.
••NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS: ‘Kalahari Flood’ (7 p.m. Sunday, May 31) — At the peak of the dry season in the Kalahari Desert, herds of elephants reveal remarkable new behavior as they make the most of stagnant pools, arid woodlands and dwindling waterholes guarded by lions. Their fortunes change, however, with the dramatic annual flooding of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, which turns 4,000 square miles of desert into an incredible maze of lagoons, islands and swamps. Great herds of elephants, buffalo, bull hippos, swamp deer, zebra, giraffe, crocodiles, and numerous birds and fish invade the wetlands, setting up some of the greatest clashes in nature. As the flood finally reaches its peak, famished elephants and buffalo, near the end of their epic trek across the desert, face a final gauntlet of an equally hungry pride of lions.
••NATURE’S MOST AMAZING EVENTS: ‘Pacific Feast’ (8 p.m. Sunday, May 31) — In the northeast Pacific, along the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia, the arrival of summer triggers an explosion of plant life greater in scale than the Amazon rainforest. Remarkably, the basis of this bloom is phytoplankton, or microscopic floating plants. The sun sparks a plankton bloom that attracts enormous amounts of wildlife – herring, several species of whales, sea lions, birds – all of whom race against time to make the most of the abundant feeding season before winter closes in. Humpback whales endure an exhausting three-month voyage from Hawaii. Sea lions struggle against ferocious predators and stormy seas. A never-before-filmed scene captures the dramatic struggle for life between killer whales and a one-ton male sea lion from above and below water. Amazing underwater footage shows a whale take a shoal of herring in a single gulp. And finally, remarkable images from the surface and from the air reveal humpback whales employing a cooperative fishing technique to harvest the riches of the sea.
Happy Birthday, Demetri Martin
May 25, 2009 — Demitri Martin, who hosts “Important Things With Demetri Martin” (9:30 p.m. Wednesdays on Comedy Central), turns 35 today.
He will play an Ad Exec in the upcoming movie “Post Grad.
His first acting role was as Personal Assistant in the 2002 movie “Analyze That.” He was 29.
Best wishes to Demetri and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: In this image released by Comedy Central, Demetri Martin is shown in a promotional photo from the Comedy Central show, “Important Things.” (AP Photo/Comedy Central, Martin Schoeller).
Encore Westerns celebrates John Wayne’s 102nd birthday
Marion Michael Morrison was born May 26, 1907. To commemorate what would have been the 102nd birthday of the man who changed his name to John Wayne, Encore Westerns has a special gift for viewers.
On Memorial Day (May 25), Encore Westerns (channel 202 on Cox Digital Cable, 342 on Dish Network, 529 on DirecTV, 940 on U-verse) will present “John Wayne’s Life and Legacy.” It’s a 28-hour marathon of Wayne’s films, and in between movies will be interviews with prominent people sharing their stories about “The Duke.”
Among those scheduled to appear are former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, Senator John McCain, director Steven Spielberg, producer Norman Lear, Wayne’s son Ethan and others.
Movies in the marathon include “Chisum,” “The Cowboys,” “North to Alaska,” “The Undefeated,” “Angel and the Badman” and “Rooster Cogburn.” The tribute begins at 7 p.m. Monday.
–Penny TV
JOHN WAYNE MOVIE MARATHON
••The Undefeated, 7 p.m. Monday (John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Tony Aguilar)
••Rooster Cogburn, 9:05 p.m. Monday (John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Zerbe)
••Blue Steel, 11 p.m. Monday (John Wayne, Eleanor Hunt, George “Gabby” Hayes)
••The Man From Utah, 12 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, George “Gabby” Hayes, Polly Ann Young)
••Randy Rides Alone, 1 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Alberta Vaughn, George “Gabby” Hayes)
••The Star Packer, 2 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Verna Hillie, George “Gabby” Hayes)
••The Trail Beyond, 3 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Noah Beery Sr., Noah Berry Jr.)
••The Lawless Frontier, 4:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Sheila Terry, George “Gabby” Hayes)
••‘Neath The Arizona Skies, 5:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, George “Gabby” Hayes, Harry Fraser)
••Texas Terror, 6:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Lucile Browne, Leroy Mason)
••The Desert Trail, 7:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Mary Kornman, Eddy Chandler)
••The Dawn Rider, 8:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Marion Burns, Yakima Canutt)
••Paradise Canyon, 9:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Marion Burns, Earle Hodgins)
••In Old California, 10:05 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Binnie Barnes, Albert Dekker)
••Dakota, 11:40 a.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Vera Hruba Ralston, Walter Brennan)
••Angel and the Badman, 1:10 p.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey)
••North To Alaska, 3 p.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs)
••The Comancheros, 5:05 p.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Stuart Whitman, Lee Marvin)
••Chisum, 7 p.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Ben Johnson, Forrest Tucker)
••The Cowboys, 9 p.m. Tuesday (John Wayne, Bruce Dern, Robert Carradine)
BITES FROM INTERVIEWS IN BETWEEN
••President Jimmy Carter on John Wayne, the Person: I think he epitomized in his private life a lot of the wonderful attributes that he portrayed on the screen. He was tall, handsome, stalwart somewhat taciturn. He didn’t talk much but when he did people listened…I think his heart was in the right place. He was a strong patriot. He defended Vietnam for instance when it was becoming increasingly unpopular particularly in Hollywood he didn’t let other people push him around. I think he was willing to use his fame and his fortune a good bit of it to help alleviate the suffering of people. I don’t know any deleterious or negative things to say or feel about John Wayne. He remains in the hearts and minds of people my age and younger of course as still a hero on and off the screen.
••President George W. Bush on John Wayne’s Contributions: ‘John Wayne’…just the name evokes images of a hero wrapped in Red, White and Blue. No matter how bad things were, we knew that when the Duke rode over the hill, we’d be okay. He was an inspiration to all of us who fought against oppression in World War Two, Korea and Vietnam. His no-holds-barred patriotism and support for our troops continues to inspire America’s men and women in uniform today. But his greatest legacy may be the life saving education and research being done in his name at the John Wayne Cancer Foundation and the John Wayne Cancer Institute. John Wayne made a career out of saving the day and 30 years after his death, he’s still doing it. Thanks Duke!
••Senator John McCain on John Wayne as a Role Model: I think a lot of us wanted to be like him. I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I wanted to be in combat and I wanted to lead. He sort of epitomized what a lot of us, certainly my generation, wanted to be. People who are willing to go out and fight and defend our country against enemies, whether it be WWII, or the Korean War, or the Vietnam War…John Wayne embodies some of the best qualities of American patriotism, love of country, commitment to a nation that’s safe and secure…. I think Americans always look to people to inspire them, that’s one of our traits, and it’s been true throughout our history. John Wayne, through his charisma, through his actions, through his ability to project a feeling of love of country, patriotism, willingness to serve a cause greater than one’s self, literally inspired generations of Americans. Whether it be WWII, or up to and including, very frankly, the Gulf War. People, young soldiers, and sailors and airmen, both sexes, continue to watch his movies, admire him, and be inspired by him.
••Norman Lear on John Wayne’s Legacy: When I knew him as an actor, he was kind of a mythic, American figure in all the Westerns and so forth…Everybody knows him to be a great American, Republican, Conservative and so forth. But he was conservative the way that I am conservative. Well,I would say, “Know me by my deeds.” If America knew John Wayne by his deeds, they would know that he stood up for everybody’s right to be who they are. Everybody’s right to speak their peace. Everybody’s right to believe as they believe. That’s the way I came to know him.
I think John Wayne’s greatest legacy was John Wayne. When you pull a hundred people together and ask them about John Wayne, they would all have the same basic image because it was so indelible for all of us. But for me, and maybe for most Americans, you expected him to stand up, not just because he was the guy who played those roles, but because that’s who he was in our culture. You heard from him. You knew who he was and what he stood for. And, you know, that’s everything.
