Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance (1962)
Vincent has kick-started his ongoing John Ford Blog-a-thon which lasts all week and ends July 9th. His blog is French, but he welcomes readers and blog-a-thon contributors from around the globe.
In all honesty I haven’t seen a lot of John Ford’s films myself but my favorites are Mogambo (1953), The Searchers (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Donovan’s Reef (1963). A lot has been written about Ford and his contributions to American cinema and I’m not sure what I could bring to the topic, but I did want to spread the word about the John Ford Blog-a-thon so others could participate if they were so inclined and in the process share a little Lee Marvin goodness with you all. I really love tough guy Lee Marvin and I wish women were allowed to join The Sons of Lee Marvin. Maybe someone needs to start a semi-secret society called The Daughters of Lee Marvin?
Below is a terrific & insightful interview clip of Lee Marvin talking about his work with John Ford:
You can also find the rest of this interesting interview with Lee Marvin at this great YouTube channel.
That’s a great video of Lee Marvin. To be honest, I’ve never seen many of John Ford’s movies either. I know I saw “Mogambo.” I watched the video more for Lee Marvin. He, as well as Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, etc., were tough guy actors I grew up really idolizing as a boy. Whether it was “The Dirty Dozen” to “Death Hunt,” I loved all the movies of his I ever saw.
Comment by Keith — July 3, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
a friend of mine used to work in a bar that the real son of lee marvin hung out at. apparently whatever beef he had with the “organization” (i followed the wiki link) was settled and he plays drums on a track on tom waits’ mule variations. of course, i’m basing all of this on second hand info from bar chatter, but my friend who told me is an honest person. haha.
Comment by dan schank — July 3, 2007 @ 6:30 pm
Keith - I’m glad you enjoyed the video. I thought his insights on working with Ford were really great.
Dan - Thanks for sharing your Marvin story Dan! Even if it’s second hand, I enjoyed it. I’ve always been intrigued by The Sons of Lee Marvin.
Comment by cinebeats — July 4, 2007 @ 9:33 am
I haven’t seen a lot of Ford yet either. The only Westerns I’ve gotten through are The Searchers and Stagecoach, both of which I enjoyed, though admittedly I don’t much care for John Wayne. I really like Grapes of Wrath, but more I think for Toland’s cinematography. It’s a good movie that stays true to my memories of the book (I haven’t read it in almost 15 years, so certain parts might be hazy). Ford had a wisely visual sensibility, and his films seem like they’re evocative enough to be lasting.
Lee Marvin was a great tough guy. Most recently I saw him in the 60s television version of The Killers, which I think you would have liked (assuming you haven’t seen it already). John Cassavetes is in it, and it’s very 60s mod-cool. Lee Marvin’s great in it, and has the best death scene.
Comment by AR — July 4, 2007 @ 11:59 am
I’m not really a fan of Wayne’s either so that’s probably one reason I’ve just not gotten around to watching a lot of Ford’s films. I tend to prefer Italian westerns over American ones. I have seen bits of The Grapes of Wrath and I always seem to catch the final hour on TV, but I need to watch it all.
The Killers is one of my favorite Marvin films! It’s really terrific and he’s great in it. I love the way it’s shot at times and the story is smartly told.
If you enjoyed that I highly recommend checking out the John Boorman film Point Blank (1967). It’s another very mod looking crime film with noir overtones. It’s probably my favorite Marvin film and I think you’d really enjoy it AR.
Comment by cinebeats — July 6, 2007 @ 8:12 am
Honestly, I found much of The Killers to be a bit of a mixed bag. Stylistically, it was a bit cheesy and very 60’s TV. Too bright and glossy for my tastes, I guess. But the tone is very sardonic, especially for the time, and the whole idea of having the killers themselves investigate is a stroke of genius. It’s certainly interesting, but I prefer Siodmak’s film version.
I’ve heard of Point Blank before. I’ll have to check it out.
Comment by AR — July 31, 2007 @ 3:46 pm