Christmas present from my Mother-n-Law!

[bsshog40]

I thought this was pretty thoughtful of her. This is a very cool presentation of John "The Duke" Wayne. I just wanted to share it!The frame is 18"w x 22"L.

 

 

The main insert features a American Treasury Mint 24k plated "Golden John Wayne Medal", and a list of his movie career.

 

 

The next insert features the Certificate of the medal.

 

 

The last insert features some highlights of his life!

 

[Walkerfan]

That is a cool looking plaque and medal!!! Gotta love The Duke!! :thumbsup:

[Deerefan8420]

Very cool, Pilgrim!

[Coindude]

Pretty neat there Bobby!

[brg5658]

Bobby! That's pretty sweet! The only thing that confuses me is that John Wayne died on June 11, 1979. Why does everything say June 12th? I only know that he died June 11th of that year because that's my birthday!

[wdrob]

Bobby, that is absolute fantastic!

 

Maybe I need to start talking to mother in law every now and then.

 

'The Shootist' - Last movie before he died, was aware he was going to die soon from cancer, played the part of a old gunfighter dying of cancer, and gave one of his best performances of his life.

 

Love it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rrantique]

Cool Bobby (thumbs u

[bsshog40]

Bobby! That's pretty sweet! The only thing that confuses me is that John Wayne died on June 11, 1979. Why does everything say June 12th? I only know that he died June 11th of that year because that's my birthday!

Everything I've read also states June 11th. Guess whoever framed this had the wrong info. It's odd also that the insert is dated 1979 at the bottom of it. You would think they would've had correct info.

[BillJones]

That is a very cool item!!! (thumbs u

 

The medal in the plaque appears to be the small version of this piece, which was issued around the time when Congress awarded the Medal of Freedom to Wayne.

 

 

I didn't appreciate John Wayne when I was young because he was gung-ho for the Vietnam War, and I opposed it. I came around more than a decade ago when I read one of the biographies about him. Say what you might about his acting ability (I think he was much a much better actor than some of his critics made him out to be.) he had the Chinese Communists fooled. At one point they were looking to assassinate him because they thought that he could really do all things did in the movies.

 

At any rate he was one of the biggest box office actors of all time, and he was one of those rare performers who could maintain a first rate career from his youth in the 1930s until near his death in the late 1970s. His last film was "The Shootist" in 1976. He played a character who was dying of cancer who was looking to settle accounts as the last of the "old west" was dying at the turn of the last century. His costar was Jimmie Stewart and the leading lady was Lauren Bacall.

 

For those who would like to see the young John Wayne, you might check out "The Big Trail" which was shot in 1930. It was Wayne's first major film, and it also nearly ended his career because it flopped at the box office. It was directed by legendary director, Raoul Walsh, and was shot in both wide screen and standard screen black and white. The two versions were made at the same time, and each provides a different perspective of the film.

 

That failure relegated him to the "poverty row" studio, Republic Pictures, where he made as many as two westerns a week. His big break came in 1939 when he appeared as the hero in the classic film "Stage Coach." Both "The Big Trail" and "Stage Coach" are well worth seeing if you have the opportunity.

 

[brg5658]

Bobby! That's pretty sweet! The only thing that confuses me is that John Wayne died on June 11, 1979. Why does everything say June 12th? I only know that he died June 11th of that year because that's my birthday!

Everything I've read also states June 11th. Guess whoever framed this had the wrong info. It's odd also that the insert is dated 1979 at the bottom of it. You would think they would've had correct info.

 

That is odd. I only remember my mother telling me that the day I was born she remembers the announcement that John Wayne died being on television. I was born late in the evening, so I presume he would have died sometime in the afternoon or morning of June 11, 1979.

 

Nonetheless, still a very cool framed medal and information! (thumbs u

[johnny9434]

thats a way cool present bsshog, God bless her for that. best wishes

[Zebo]

Not bad for a one eyed fat man! Nice gift

[bsshog40]

Not bad for a one eyed fat man! Nice gift

[copper toning]

Bill Jones

 

I wish I had 10% of your thirst for knowledge and memory.

 

Bobby that is a cool gift.

 

I asked for a coin related book and specifically not the redbook

 

 

I got the redbook