That’s John Wayne, of all people, talking about High Noon, a vengeance-filled film he turned down. Depressingly, Burt Kearns, the producer of a documentary on the retired White House projectionist, says this is also the all-time favorite movie of American presidents, screened by all, including GWB. [The docu’s on Bravo, and it’s painfully shallow, full of “the magic of movies” homilies from president-spawn (Ike’s daughter) and demonspawn (Jack Valenti) alike.]
Triangulate John Wayne’s comment, “Bush Doctrine” author Donald Kagan’s view of the US in the 21st Century (“You saw the movie, High Noon? We’re Gary Cooper.”), and Jim Shephard’s Believer Mag rumination on laconic cowboy precedents for Rumsfeldian obfuscation (work with me here, people): it follows that Bush’s admin is “the most un-American” ever.
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the making of, by greg allen