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Hometown Celebrates Wayne’s 100th
Birthday
By Rich Drees
May 23, 2007-
John Wayne’s hometown of Winterset, Iowa will be celebrating the
centennial of the Western actor’s birth this weekend with a parade,
concert series, a wild west revue and numerous free screenings of
the actor’s films.
Many of the festivities, including a VIP fundraising dinner on
Friday and a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, center around the
town’s new John Wayne Birthplace Museum and Learning Center.
Scheduled to appear during the weekend will be Dean Smith who
co-starred with Wayne in numerous films including Rio Bravo
(1959) and The Commancheros (1961), Gregg Palmer who appeared
in six films with Wayne including The Shootist (1976) and
Big Jake (1971) and Edward Faulkner who appeared in The Green
Berets (1968), Hellfighters (1968) and four other films
with Wayne. Also appearing will be former Paramount Pictures
producer and long-time John Wayne friend A. C. Lyles and Wayne
biographers Roger M. Crowley, Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss.
Born on May 26, 2007, young Marion Robert Morrison spent many of his
formative years in the small Iowa town 35 miles southwest of Des
Moines before his family moved to California, where he eventually
entered the movies with a new name- John Wayne. His career would
span more than five decades and 175 films with his tough screen
image becoming an iconic symbol for America. He would be nominated
for an Academy Award three times, winning Oscar gold for his
performance in 1969’s True Grit.
You can find a complete list of scheduled activities
here. |
