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From the Army Archerd Archive



1960: John Wayne visits 'Canyon'

By ARMY ARCHERD, Thurs., Dec. 4, 2008, 1:45pm PT


'The Alamo'
John Wayne in 'The Alamo'

Oct. 26. 1960

It's a GOOD MORNING back in Hollywood for us following the San Antonio preem, but John Wayne segued from "The Alamo" to the "Grand Canyon Suite," which he has to narrate to Andre Kostelanetz's music before winding his European tour with the epic, and prior to the start of his African safari in "Hatari." ... His voice should be at least an octave lower than usual , he hoarsely croaked at the finale of Texas' festivities for his film... He netted only a couple hours sleep per night while trying to be gracious to everyone -- and he was... Next on Batjac's film sked will probably be "Trail of the Yukon" and not the Sam Houston story as eveyone expected to "sequel" "The Alamo." Because of the even larger scope of "Yukon," Wayne says he's aiming to film it in Cinerama... And while discussing "Yukon," Wayne isn't happy with with 20th-Fox's title choice of ""North To Alaska" for his pic with 'em. He claims it isn't an epic-type film -- like his will be, of course... (2008 Update: Gretchen Wayne, who heads the Wayne's company Batjac says "The Alamo" is now distributed by MGM She is currently working on seeing "Hondo"converted into 3-D. And she points out the continuing interest in the new/better 3-D processes -- she points out Daily Variety's Dec. 2 story on the 3-D Entertainment summit in Century City where it was called "the technology of the future" and would be "around for a long time." I had to laugh because, in my very first column, April 27, 1953, when I wrote about the opening of "The House Of Wax," I wrote that moviegoers at that screening, "with their glasses held high" toasted the future of 3-D pix... In addition to planning to transfering "Hondo" into 3-D, she said she'd like "to get the films we own (now on DVDs and TV, transferred to Blue Ray. There's no end of viewership demand for the unique talent and films by John Wayne -- as proved by the exhibit on Wayne at USC, "John Wayne: Actor-Star-Icon-Trojan."


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