Happy Birthday Tonto and the Duke

If you're a fan of Westerns, then today is indeed a day to celebrate, for it marks the birthdays of Jay Silverheels, famous for his role as Tonto on The Lone Ranger, as well as the all-time Western icon, John Wayne. Silverheels, born Harold Smith in Canada was a Mohawk who "excelled in athletics" particularly lacrosse, according to Wikipedia. He started in Hollywood as a stunt man.

Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Iowa, but the family moved to California when he was 4. He played football for the University of Southern California before an injury cut short his career, but not before silent screen star Tom Mix had obtained a summer job for him working in the prop department in exchange for football tickets.

Jay Silverheels always had such a regal presence on screen, even when playing second banana as Tonto to Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger. And his voice was as distinctive as any actor's in Hollywood. Tonto was the first Indian I ever saw who was portrayed as a human being and the Lone Ranger was the first person who actively did not care about "cowboy or Indian," but only about "right and wrong." A simple message on a simple show, but then love your neighbor is a simple message, too, and we still don't have that one down too well.

As for John Wayne, it is hard to select my one favorite movie. I've always loved She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, which is the definitive cavalry movie. He certainly deserved the Oscar which he received for True Grit and he was hilarious in Rooster Cogburn, True Grit's sequel. Stagecoach, The Searchers, Red River, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance are all classics that I've seen several times. Perhaps the greatest Wayne movie, however was his last. The Shootist with Ron Howard, Lauren Bacall, and Richard Boone featured an all-star cast. Wayne, portraying an aging gunfighter has outlived his own era and he is dying of cancer. The scene in which he visits the doctor, played by Jimmy Stewart, who confirms this diagnosis is one of the best scenes ever filmed. Two veteran, highly skilled actors demonstrate the what their craft is all about. The scene is even more poignant in retrospect: John Wayne would die of stomach cancer three years after this movie was shot.

Happy trails, gentlemen; happy trails.

3 Comments

There is a pic somewhere at my parent's house of my mom wearing a Lone Ranger mask when she was a kid (I think it was her secret childhood aspiration to be the LR). And one of my dad's favorite movies is "The Searchers." I always enjoy your trivia posts!

Posted by: Jennifer | May 27, 2010 at 12:08 AM