Marion Robert Morrison, better known as John Wayne, was born in this house in Winterset, Iowa on May 26, 1907. Like most boys I devoured his classic Westerns as a child. When growing up, I lost interest in his films and the genre altogether and was also troubled by his political views (although I have to admit I never really made any effort to get a very informed view on them). But in the last few years I have made an effort to build a collection of the best Westerns on DVD and found (rather unsurprisingly), that quite a few of them have got him in them. My favorite is possibly his last film The Shootist, although that’s probably not in accordance with most people’s view, but I liked it a whole lot, both with regard to the film’s message and also because the films melancholic mood and its extremely beautiful photography.
The Shootist must be the most fitting final film for an actor ever and is a favourite of mine too .
Thanks for your support, that is good to know.
So where is Winterset Iowa ?
Thanks for checking out my post and the comment – Winterset is located about 40 miles southwest of Des Moines. It’s also got a rather nice historical park, photos of which I will be posting on here soon.