Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Daffy Duck Merrie Melodies cartoon, the 1946 Hollywood Daffy, Friz Freleng was originally intended to direct this short. However, he hated the plot and refused to direct it. The job was then given to Hawley Pratt instead. Neither one is credited..
The Joe Besser-parody studio guard from this cartoon bears a strong physical resemblance to The Captain from The Captain and the Kids (a.k.a. The Katzenjammer Kids) comic strip and short-lived theatrical cartoon series which director Friz Freleng previously worked with at rival studio MGM back in the late-1930s, albeit not the same character as its MGM counterpart.
Before the start of our feature presentation, the staff of ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to watch someone experience a moment of sheer excitement -
May you find a moment this weekend, filled with half of the joy Madeline had seeing the train.
We've picked another entry from the excellent reference book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider. Today's film is the 1962 elegiacal western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford, and starring John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Van Cleef, Edmond O'Brien, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Woody Strode, Strother Martin, and Lee Marvin (as Liberty Valance). The film was an instant hit when released, thanks in large part to its stars John Wayne and James Stewart. Produced on a budget of $3.2 million, the film grossed $8 million at the box office, making it the 16th highest grossing film of 1962.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was the last Western made by Wayne and Ford together. Surprisingly, the film was notably shot on sound stages, rather than in the desert landscapes Ford typically incorporated into his films, such as 1956's The Searchers. The film was also shot in black and white rather than color. Both choices, according to cinematographer William Clothier, were made explicitly for financial purposes. "Paramount was cutting costs," Clothier explained, and Ford was forced to either "accept [the] terms or not make the film" The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. So push away from the table, get comfortable and enjoy the film.
James Stewart related that midway through filming, John Wayne asked him why he never seemed to be the target of John Ford's venomous remarks. Other cast and crew also noticed Stewart's apparent immunity from Ford's abuse. Then, toward the end of filming, Ford asked Stewart what he thought of Woody Strode's costume for the film's beginning and end, when the actors were playing their parts 25 years older. Stewart replied, "It looks a bit Uncle Remussy to me." Ford responded, "What's wrong with Uncle Remus?" He called for the crew's attention and announced, "One of our players doesn't like Woody's costume. Now, I don't know if Mr. Stewart has a prejudice against Negroes, but I just wanted you all to know about it." Stewart said he "wanted to crawl into a mouse hole", but Wayne told him, "Well, welcome to the club. I'm glad you made it."
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