I'd Be Duchess to "The Duke" Any Day!

Do you have a favorite cowboy?  For those who don't enjoy the western genre, I imagine men who rode the range, chased the bad buys and worked on ranches conjure up images that don't convey any type of romantic notion. Not so for me.  I have an all-time favorite, and even though he's been dead for years, he still lives on in the magic of movies, and in my mind, as I put his face on most of my heroes.


  Honestly though, when you watch my favorite guy, John Wayne, do you ever notice anything besides his sexy swagger and confidence?  To me, he remains the ultimate image of the old west...feared by men and loved by women.  I still remember him storming through the muddy streets in North to Alaska (1960), chasing Capucine, and even though the script dictated she run, I think I wouldn't have.  :)

And how masterful and sexy was he was in McClintock (1963)?   John Wayne starred as a hunky cattleman who found his life suddenly complicated by the arrival of estranged wife Maureen O'Hara.  He always starred with some of Hollywood's finest females, and Maureen O'Hara had parts in many of his films.  In my opinion, they made a stunning duo, and I think she added a lot to Rio Grande made in 1950.

Another favorite of mine, Chisum (1970) was set in 1878 with JW again starring as a cattle king.  I don't think the man made a bad movie, and not all of them were westerns.  He was equally as stunning in war movies, but this blog is called Cowboy Kisses.  *lol*

 Whether you're watching his movies made in the 40s or enjoying Rio Lobo, made in 1975,  John Wayne had swagger.  You can't deny that. Even in one of his last films, True Grit, where he played craggy old Rooster Cogburn, the man still made my heart go pitter patter.

Through the magic of movies and books, we never have to picture a sweaty, ugly fella in a hat, rather we can let our imaginations run wild and put John Wayne's face and attitude on any hero we want.  I mourned the passing of Marion Mitchell Morrison on June 11, 1979.  I'm pretty certain he never would have made such a splash under his real name, but he certainly claimed my heart as The Duke!  Who's your favorite cowboy?


Note:  Thanks to http://www.moviesunlimited for the pictures I 'borrowed.'