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beverlygray · 06-06-2003, 05:24 PM

Hi again, Animal Crackers,

So you're a fan of "The Shootist"! Did you know that Ron Howard got his only Golden Globe acting nomination for this powerful film? The story, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, concerns a gunslinger who is dying of cancer. The fact that Wayne himself was dying of cancer at the time made the atmosphere on the set extremely tense. Ron was nervous about approaching the great Wayne, who had a reputation for being hard on young actors. But in fact they got along well. Wayne called Ron "old Twenty-One," because this was Ron's age at the time. They played chess together when not in front of the cameras, and Wayne generally won. My book contains much more about what Ron learned from John Wayne, and how the themes of "The Shootist" fit in with Ron's thematic concerns in other films he's made throughout his career.

It's terrific hearing from all of you!

Beverly

06-06-2003, 05:24 PM	#15
beverlygray Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 03, 2003 Posts: 14	Hi again, Animal Crackers, So you're a fan of "The Shootist"! Did you know that Ron Howard got his only Golden Globe acting nomination for this powerful film? The story, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, concerns a gunslinger who is dying of cancer. The fact that Wayne himself was dying of cancer at the time made the atmosphere on the set extremely tense. Ron was nervous about approaching the great Wayne, who had a reputation for being hard on young actors. But in fact they got along well. Wayne called Ron "old Twenty-One," because this was Ron's age at the time. They played chess together when not in front of the cameras, and Wayne generally won. My book contains much more about what Ron learned from John Wayne, and how the themes of "The Shootist" fit in with Ron's thematic concerns in other films he's made throughout his career. It's terrific hearing from all of you! Beverly
	__________________ Beverly Gray http://www.beverlygray.com Author, "Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon . . . and Beyond" (Rutledge Hill Press, 2003)