Snowmobiles on the Stower

4AMERY FREE PRESS www.theameryfreepress.com MARCH 10, 2020

Appreciating the Duke

BY TOM STANGL FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

Publisher Tom Stangl S t. Patrick’s Day is next week, the time when all the world is Irish, at least for a few hours. It’s usually at this time of the year my favorite John Wayne movie airs. “The Quiet Man,” made in 1952, is a true gem of a movie. Wayne stars as Sean Thorton, a professional boxer who retires to Ireland after killing a man in the ring. Thorton looks to rebuild his life in the hometown of his ancestors who emigrated to the United States. He is even able to buy the ancestral cottage where his mother grew up.

Wayne has sworn to be a non-violent man and even falls in love and marries. Circumstances force him to fi ght to save his marriage with a wonderful bare knuckle fi ght with his brother-in-law. The pair brawl over the countryside, stopping for a pint before continuing.

John Ford directed the movie, which is shot in wonderful Technicolor. Ford wanted to do this movie so badly he agreed to do a western to seal the deal with the studio. A true labor of love. The cinematography is gorgeous. Maureen O’Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond and Barry Fitzgerald round out a wonderful cast. Well written and clever, it’s a true feast. Yes, I like the movie. Until I stated watching old movies on TV 25 years ago, I wasn’t a fan of John Wayne. The man I knew from my childhood was Wayne, also known as “The Duke,” in the twilight of his life. In my eyes, he was a walking caricature.

This bias kept me from watching his work, something I now regret. In addition to being able to ride a horse and throw a punch, the man could act. In one of his fi nal fi lms, “The Shootist,” he plays a gunfi ghter seeking redemption at the end of his life. His portrayal of a common cavalry soldier in “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon” and “Fort Apache” show the quiet dignity and honor of so many Americans of Wayne’s generation.

His performance in “Stagecoach” in 1939 is iconic and understated. His turn as Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” is wonderfully over the top, playing a character that is larger than life, just like John Wayne. He won his only Academy Award for “True Grit.”

Last month, I saw a 1950 western I had never seen before. The 1950 fi lm “The Gunfi ghter,” starred Gregory Peck as Johnny Ringo, a gunfi ghter who wanted to stop being a gunfi ghter and lead a new life with his true love, who doesn’t want to see him. Peck tries to outrun his past, but his reputation won’t let him walk away.

It was a good movie even though Gregory Peck with a mustache doesn’t quite work.

In the notes given before the movie, Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz commented that Wayne desperately wanted the rights to the screenplay so he could star and produce in the fi lm, only to be outbid by a studio.

It’s a shame because I think the movie would have worked better on many levels if Wayne had been the star. In 1950 he was an icon looking to be taken more seriously and this fi lm would have been perfect for him.

I’ll admit it. I was wrong about the Duke. If you get a chance, check out “The Quiet Man.” Even fans of the Duke like it.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@theameryfreepress.com, telephone 715-268-8101 or write me at P.O. Box 424, Amery, WI, 54001.

Thanks for reading I’ll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.

We’re gonna miss this

BY APRIL ZIEMER EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

Editor April Ziemer O ur oldest daughter recently obtained her driver’s license. We survived the “permit months” that were fi lled with dashboard death grips, arguments, some tears and a few added gray hairs.

We refused to let her try for her license until we felt she was truly

ready and although she did not originally agree with us, it all worked out in the end.

I want to give a shout out to the employees of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Amery. In a room jam packed with impatient people moaning and groaning, some of which did not have correct paperwork fi lled out, the DMV employees did their best to assist with a smile. I truly believe they deserve more credit than they receive for doing that job day in and out, all while wearing hideous uniforms. We received exceptional service and I am appreciative. The fi rst time I watched our daughter pull out of our driveway on her own, my heart was absolutely breaking. I was fi lled with fear and worry beyond belief. While I normally like that we have a fairly long driveway, in this case I was wishing we had a short one. That way maybe it would be like quickly ripping off a Band-Aid instead of the pain of slowly watching my precious cargo drive away into another one of her growing up milestones.

We had a talk about not using her phone when she drives. She asked if using a GPS was an exception to this rule. She pointed out she would set up an address into a GPS before she leaves, so she would not actually be using a phone while driving.

I explained to her that at this point there is no way she is driving far enough away to need a GPS to fi gure out where she is going. I said, “If by now you do not know how to get to Amery High School, maybe we should continue to have the bus driver take you there until you memorize the way.” Of course this was met with an eye roll, which led me into my next speech entitled, “When I was your age.”

Many would argue some of the best speeches ever spoken contained the lines “Four score and seven years ago” or maybe “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Although I hate to admit it, when I think back, the words “When I was your age” used by my grandparents and parents are by far some of my favorite speeches, so it is only fair I pass it down to the next generation to enjoy. I went into a ramble about when I was Rylee’s age, there was no such thing as a GPS on a cell phone. This was largely due to the fact there was no cell phones. When we called to lie to our parents about what we were doing and whom we were with, we had to wait our turn to use the pay phone at Soo Line Park. That phone was out of order half the time and would eat up our very last dime. I went on to tell her that kids this day and age do not even understand the value of a dime. As far as fi guring out how to get where we were going, a conversation usually went something like, “Take a left at the red barn. Not the red barn that has cattle outside, not the one down the road from it with sheep in the fi eld, drive past that one and turn by the red barn with the windows broken out. Keep driving until you get to the house with the mean dog. Take a right there. Drive faster because the mean dog will chase the car. Slow down when you see the house where the old guy who mows his lawn in his underwear lives. After he shakes his fi st at you, speed up again, turn left after the bridge where we stole the street sign and you have arrived at your destination.”

Sometimes I miss my teen years and I do not mind that they didn’t feature the technology today’s kids have. I know someday there will be things I will miss far more than my teenage glory days.

Eventually Rylee will experience her own fears as her kids drive away for the fi rst time and she will have her own version of “When I was your age.” When she does, we will grin when she is given eye rolls from her youngsters and long for the days when we received them from her.

I enjoy sharing my thoughts with you, and look forward to readers sharing their thoughts in return. Feel free to email me at editor@ theameryfreepress.com, write me at P.O. Box 424, Amery WI. 54001 or I can be reached by phone at 715-268-8101

LETTER GUIDELINES

The Amery Free Press encourages readers to share their viewpoints of community issues by writing Letters to the Editor.

Submit your letters via email to editor@ theameryfreepress.com, by mail to the Amery Free Press, P.O. Box 424 Amery, WI 54001, or by fax to 715-268-5300.

We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity, libel, and civility.

General letters to the editor are limited to 400 words or less. Readers may submit one letter for consideration every 30 days. Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and phone number (address and phone number will not be printed). Anonymous letters will not be published. Only letters originating from writers who live, have lived or work in the Amery Free Press circulation area or have some other relevance to the community area will be published. Special rules apply to election-related letters.

For questions about policies on letters contact the editor at 715-268-8101