JOHN WAYNE AND MY DAD: REMEMBERING HEROES

Memorial Day is a time for remembering heroes, especially those who fought for our freedom. But here are two special heroes, two real Men of The West, John Wayne and my dad. Many western authors are honoring John Wayne this weekend. I can't be certain, but I don't think anyone else is featuring my dad. Unlikely as it seems, I discovered they had several things in common. Each smoked way too much and it contributed to his death, neither served in the armed services, each lived a part of his life in California, and both loved westerns. One other thing they have in common is May 26th: One came into the world on that day, and one departed on that date.

First, My Dad: 

My Dad

Who was your first hero? Mine was my dad, Pearson Madison Johnson. May 26 marks the anniversary of his death. He was a chain smoker from the age of fourteen, and died from emphysema complicated by a stroke. Other than smoking, I don’t believe he had any bad habits...except some might call a fault the fact that he loved a good debate.And I do mean he loved to debate. He was a debater in school, back when there were debate competitions.

But that's appropriate. Daddy was named after a lawyer who was a friend to my grandparents. Had he been able to attend university, I believe my dad would have become a professor or lawyer. He loved to debate, and would argue a point endlessly. My brother in law, Buster, said he left the room once when my dad and half-brother Herschel were arguing. When Buster returned, he swears they’d switched sides and were just as adamant. Sounds crazy, but I believe him. Haven't I seen it happen?

Daddy was in his fifties when I was born to he and my mom. When they met, my dad was a widower a generation older than my mom and had four children. My mom was in her mid twenties. Daddy’s eldest son was actually a couple of years older than my mom, so I’m certain that seemed weird to everyone. Still does, in fact.

I asked my mom how she even met a man 23 years older than she was and started dating him. She said they met on Christmas Eve. My mom had accompanied her mother and step-father into town to buy groceries. Mr. Davis, a man she had occasionally dated but only liked as a friend, asked her if she was attending a party at the home of a mutual acquaintance. She said she had no way to get home. Mr. Davis invited her to ride with him and offered to take her home afterwards.

My dad had been talking to Mr. Davis when my mom and her parents went by. Uninvited, my dad said, “I believe I’ll just ride along with you.” The car was a coupe with only one seat, so three people were crowded. At the end of the evening, when Daddy got out and held the door so Mother could exit the car, he said, “Now I know where you live, and I’ll be coming to call.” Doesn't that sound old-fashioned and courtly? Obviously my mom thought so.They were married the following February, and I was born three years later. I think theirs is a romantic story.

Here’s are a couple of quotes from my dad:

“When you cheat, you cheat yourself.”

"You are only as good as your word."

My dad was and still is my first hero. My dad thought highly of my Hero husband. I'm lucky to have two heroes in my life!


And John Wayne:

John Wayne

Who hasn’t watched a John Wayne movie? Wayne admitted, “I play John Wayne in every picture regardless of the character, and I've been doing all right, haven't I?”

 He also said, “When I started, I knew I was no actor and I went to work on this Wayne thing. It was as deliberate a projection as you'll ever see. I figured I needed a gimmick, so I dreamed up the drawl, the squint and a way of moving meant to suggest that I wasn't looking for trouble but would just as soon throw a bottle at your head as not. I practiced in front of a mirror.”

Even though he died 11 June 1979 from cancer, he consistently appears on lists of favorite movie actors in the United States and United Kingdom. His movies are still available on DVD, Netflix and other movie streams, and are re-shown on television. At six feet four inches, he was a large man who still looms larger than life in reputation. Sixteen years after his death, a 1995 Harris poll cited him as America's favorite movie star. Not one of the favorites, but THE FAVORITE!

Movie Poster

While I do not agree with his ulta-conservative or racist politics, he starred in several of my favorite movies. My number one favorite John Wayne movie is “The Quiet Man,” which Hero and I have watched so many times we know all the dialogue. I know, it's not a western, but bear with me. Released in 1952, this movie was a family affair for Wayne. His children - eighteen year old Michael, sixteen year old Mary Antonia “Toni”, thirteen year old Patrick, and twelve year old Melinda - had bit parts in the race scene.Patrick even had a line,. The movie was a family affair for others in the movie. Maureen O’Hara’s brother, James Lilburn, starred as the younger priest. Barry Fitzgerald and his brother James Shields (the Anglican minister) were in the cast. Wayne's good friend Ward Bond played the senior priest and his friend Victor McLaglen played "Red" Will Danaher. John Ford's brother Francis also played a part in the film, that of frail Dan Tobin.The movie received seven Academy Award Nominations and won two. By the way, Hero and I had breakfast at the Irish Bed and Breakfast where Maureen O'Hara stayed during the filming of "The Quiet Man." (I just had to throw that in because she is one of my favorite actresses and Ireland is one of my favorite vacation destinations.)

Back to John Wayne's westerns, all of which I enjoyed. “North to Alaska ” was a fun movie, and “McClintock” was another in which Maureen O’Hara co-starred with Wayne.  They co-starred in five movies. I also enjoyed his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit,” for which he won an Academy Award. Accepting the award, he said if he'd'd known wearing an eye patch would have done it, he'd have worn one sooner. One of his so-called B westerns I loved and still like which never receives mention was “Three Godfathers.”

John Wayne's birthplace

John Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa on 26 May 1907, the son of pharmacist Clyde Morrison and his wife Mary. He was of Scots-Irish and Scottish descent on both sides of his family, and he was brought up as a Presbyterian. Clyde developed a lung condition that required him to move his family from Iowa to the warmer climate of southern California, where they tried ranching in the Mojave Desert. (What were they thinking? A pharmacist ranching in the Mojave Desert?)

When the ranch failed (Told you!.), the family moved to Glendale, California, where Marion delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers, and had an Airedale dog named "Duke" (the source of his own nickname). He did well at school both academically and in football. He narrowly failed admission to Annapolis and he went to the University of Southern California on a football scholarship 1925-7, where he majored in pre-law.

Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts. His first featured film was “Men Without Women” in 1930.

After more than 70 low-budget westerns and adventures, Wayne's career was stuck in a rut. But then John Ford cast John Wayne in “Stagecoach” in 1939. That movie made John Wayne a star. It won 2 Academy Awards and was nominated for five more.

John Wayne's favorite of his western movies was his portrayal of Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers." He named one of his sons Ethan after the character in that movie. Certainly it's a movie I remember having a great impact on me.

He appeared in nearly 250 movies, many of epic proportions. John Wayne holds the record for leading roles, starring as lead in 142 movies.

Here are some John Wayne quotes:

“Westerns are closer to art than anything else in the motion picture business.”

His westerns were full of action but usually not excessively violent. "Fights with too much violence are dull," claimed Wayne, insisting that the straight-shooting, two-fisted violence in his movies have been "sort of tongue-in-cheek." He described the violence in his films as "lusty and a little humorous," based on his belief that "humor nullifies violence."

About the low morals of some movies, he said, “I read someplace that I used to make B-pictures. Hell, they were a lot farther down the alphabet than that . . . but not as far down as R and X.”

“The West - the very words go straight to that place of the heart where Americans feel the spirit of pride in their western heritage - the triumph of personal courage over any obstacle, whether nature or man.”

“A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job.”

“When the road looks rough ahead, remember the Man Upstairs and the word Hope. Hang onto both and tough it out.”

Happy Birthday, John Wayne!

Appropriate to this weekend, here’s a video of John Wayne explaining Taps:

Have a safe Memorial Weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by!

IRISH AMERICANS

Top o’ the morning to ye! It may not be morning where you are, but the best to you no matter what time of day you’re here. If someone greets you with "Top o' the morning" then your response should be "And the rest o' the day to yourself."

The only place I love almost as well as the United States is Ireland. Please let me introduce you to a few facts on Ireland and Irish-Americans before I remind you about my western historical, THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE in print and e-book from The Wild Rose Press.

Maureen O'Hara

Irish-Americans have made considerable contributions in the United States from Charles Carroll III (the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence) to Andrew Jackson to Sandra Day O’Connor. My favorite is Maureen Fitzsimmons, whose name was shortened to O’Hara. (Maureen O’Hara holds dual citizenship with the United States and Ireland.) Irish-Americans fought in our wars from the American Revolution forward. In fact, John Coleman, an Irish sailor on Henry Hudson’s Half Moon was killed by Indians in 1609 at what is now Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

Irish immigrants waiting to depart

When the infamous potato famine struck and millions in Ireland literally starved to death, there was a mass immigration of Irish into the United States. Due to their poor education, they were looked down on by many. At the time, it was against the law for Irish to learn to read and write. Only the English could attend Irish schools. The Irish’s only education came from “hedgerow” schools in which someone would teach a small group of children behind a hedgerow using a stick to draw on the ground. Anyone caught teaching Irish children to read and write was jailed.


You ask: What does this have to do with romance novels? Thank you, I’m so-o-o glad you asked!


When I was researching for THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, I became even more enthralled with Ireland and the Irish role in my home state of Texas. Many of our pioneers were Irish or of Irish ancestry. In fact, some of my ancestors came from Ireland, or from Scotland to Northern Ireland and then to the United States. 

Because of the lack of schooling, the book's Irish heroine Cenora Rose O’Neill (who may look suspiciously like a young Maureen O’Hara) cannot read cursive and reads only a little in print. Hero Dallas McClintock reads most evenings and values education. This difference causes only one of the many conflicts that arise in the book. (Shameless ploy to tempt you to buy this book.)


Cenora and her family had fallen in with a group of Irish Travelers. The Travelers, or tinkers, are descended from medieval minstrels and poets who traveled Ireland telling myths and stories. At that time, they were respected, learned, and welcome everywhere. Travelers have their own cant or language called Sheldroo, which is linked to the medieval language of the minstrels. Although I'm sure many modern travelers are fine folks, the ones who make the news are of the scandalous type. And perhaps you've seen the TV series "My Big Fat Irish Wedding" and have been puzzled by the attitudes of the brides and their families. 

At the time of Cromwell’s English occupation, many Irish families were turned out of their homes. Homeless Irish families drifted in with the traveling minstrels and eventually became the Irish Travelers. They camped in fields. Later they acquired tents, then the colorful wagons that resemble gypsy wagons, such as the ones used in my novel (see lower right on the gorgeous cover for a depiction). I was fortunate enough to see a couple of these wagons in museums when my husband and I were in Ireland and Scotland. Unbelievably compact, the wagons are brightly painted inside and out.

Available from The Wild Rose Press

Reviews for THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE have been extremely gratifying. For instance, Night Owl Reviews gave it a Top Pick.

"Dialogs are fantastic as the O'Neill family still speaks as if they are still in Ireland. The wording is such that you can hear the brogue. Even better are the blessings and toasts that are shared as well as customs and superstitions. What starts as a clash in cultures becomes a fantastic story. Just when you thought a happily ever after was just around the corner, another corner appears. What should have been a simple, sweet love story developed into a complex family affair...I want more! Fantastic historical set in cowboy country."

Authors love it when a reviewer "gets" what the writer has tried to convey as the Night Owl reviewer did!

In THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, Cenora Rose O’Neill knows her father somehow arranged the trap for Dallas McClintock, but she agrees to wed the handsome stranger. She’d do anything to protect her family, and she wants to save herself from the bully Tom Williams. She believes a fine settled man like Dallas will rid himself of her soon enough, but at least she and her family will be safely away from Tom Williams.

Dallas McClintock

Texas rancher Dallas McClintock has no plans to wed for several years. Right now, he’s trying to establish himself as a successful horse breeder. Severely wounded rescuing Cenora from kidnappers, Dallas is taken to her family’s wagon to be tended. He is trapped into marrying Cenora. As much as he resents the forced marriage, he is not a man who ever goes back on his word. His wife has a silly superstition for everything, and chatters endlessly. But passion-filled nights with her make up for everything—even when her wild, eccentric family drives him crazy.


Here’s an excerpt from the wedding in THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE. (Aoife is Dallas's new mother-in-law):


Dallas raised his gaze where Aoife directed. Four girls danced, but only one drew his attention. Shoulders straight and feet flying, Cenora met his glance, then broke away from the other dancers to perform only a few yards from him.
 

Cenora Rose O'Neill

Catcalls sounded nearby. She ignored them but gave a toss of her head. Her hair had come unbound, and her act sent her fiery hair awhirl. Light from the blazing campfire cast an aura-like radiance around her. Lantern glow overhead reflected her eyes sparked with merriment, challenge, and something mysterious he couldn’t name.


No longer the delicate china doll, her wild beauty called to him, mesmerized him. He visualized her brilliant tresses spread across a pillow, her milky skin bared only for him. His body responded, and savage desire shot through him. Surprised at the depth of his reaction, he wondered if her performance in bed would parallel the unbridled nature of her dance.


Good Lord, could this glorious woman truly be his wife? And if so, heaven help him, what on earth was he to do with her?


I hope you’ll read and enjoy THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE. The buy link in print and e-book  is www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html. Of course, it's also available at Amazon, Digi-Books, and other online stores. You can find me on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon as Caroline Clemmons, and on Twitter as CarolinClemmons (no E in Caroline).

Now here's an real Irish blessing to send you on your way:

Those things I warmly wish for you-

Someone to love,
Some work to do,
A bit O' sun,
A bit O' cheer,
And a guardian angel always near.

That's my wish for you this Thanksgiving season. Thanks for stopping by!