Posts Tagged ‘The Wing’s of Eagles’
More John Wayne Photos …
Below are some photos that my father had of John Wayne. Now, as usual, I know nothing about the photos – the date, the people in the photos, etc, etc. They obviously were made on an aircraft carrier, which one, I do not know. There was an aircraft carrier, the Antietam, that was stationed in Pensacola at the time and I believe that it was shown at the start of the movie, The Wing’s of Eagles, but I am not sure. We rented the movie years ago and watched it, but to me, it was a very depressing story and the movie seemed to drag. The part showing Pensacola was the best part and it was only in the first 15 minutes or so of the film. All that being said … these photos are interesting and I have never seen them anywhere else, so I hope you enjoy them.
Like I said earlier, my father did not take these … I can only assume that these were the ones that John Wayne would have sent them. Knowing my dad, he was not a collector of photographs of other people, so unless they were sent them to him , he would not have gone out and got them. If anyone knows anything about these photos, please let us hear from you … Thanks again for looking …
John ” Duke ” Wayne in Pensacola Florida …
Here is a photo of John Wayne that my father made back in 1955 or 56, I am not sure exactly of the year. Duke was here in Pensacola making the movie, The Wings of Eagles , a John Ford film about a Navy aviator. He was staying at the Town House Motor Lodge and Mrs. Head, the owner, asked him if she had a photographer come over would he mind having his photo made for her ” celebrity ” wall. Fine with him, he told her. So my father went over and met Mrs. Head and Duke outside of his room. Mrs. Head introduced my father and Duke said that he remembered him from the airport taking photos when he got off of the plane. Mrs. Head then said that he was there to take his photo for her wall. To which Duke replied, ” I told you that I would send you a real nice photo when I got back to Hollywood. ” He then looked at my dad, put his arm around him and said, ” You know, that sounds as if I do not think that you can take a good photograph? ” . My dad said he just stood there, not knowing how to respond to the number one movie star in America at the time. Duke then said, ” Well, come on in my room and Frank you can take anything you like … just tell me where to sit and what you want me to do. ” My dad said that he could not have been nicer and said that he would send him a couple of photos and autugraph any photo that my father made. I have scanned the photos that he sent and I will post them next … I cannot remember if I posted the autographed photo that he made, along with the one of hime getting off the plane, so I will go back and check.
If anyone has any stories to share of John Wayne when he was here making The Wings of Eagles , please let us hear from you … or for that matter, any John Wayne story that you might have. Thanks for looking and I appreciate all comments. I hope all of you father’s have a Happy Father’s Day …
Frank Hardy Made My Photographs Two 
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