MovieChat Forums > The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) Discussion > John missed!! OMG!!!

John missed!! OMG!!!

posted 18 years ago by marmac2768
17 replies | jump to latest

One of my favorite parts of this movie is the very end where John Elder (JW) blows up the gunshop with the bad guy(Morgan Hastings)!! He rolls the can of gunpowder into the door and then shoots at it to blow up the building. He misses the first shot!!! He looks to be about 30 feet away, firing at a can the size of about 2 gallons and he is a professional gunfighter and he misses it just lying there, not moving! I've often thought this is pretty funny, because "The Duke" NEVER missed anyone in movies!! He is the greatest marksmen of all time, at least in the movies. I would have thought someone would have fired the writer for having the hero missing such an easy shot!! Does anyone else remember thinking that when you saw this movie; THE DUKE MISSED A SHOT!!

LOL!!!

[–] stealthblue2001 17 years ago

He meant to miss it, to make the bad guy believe in a false since that he would actually live, if the Duke wants you dead, you will be dead. But on his own accord. Not yours.

[–] Yojimbo28 16 years ago

if the Duke wants you dead, you will be dead. But on his own accord. Not yours.

I'll drink to that.

[–] IwasSquidly 17 years ago

You gotsta be kidding? How John Wayne ever hit anything but sky is beyond me. The way he shakes his hand when he tosses a shot is ludicrous. He tells Stewart to "aim and squeeze" and likewise to Opie Taylor but through his films the Duke just shook it this way and that and the script connected.

I'm not saying we won't get our hair mussed!

[–] USS_Ranger_Vet 17 years ago

He didn't allow for the wind.

Dean Martin - "Rio Bravo"

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] shalmayan-1 9 years ago

One of my all time favorites lines!

"It took ya TWO!"

;)

[–] Xcalat3 16 years ago

oh noes!!!

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 13 years ago

It was dark. Besides, as the Duke told Ronnie Howard in the Shootist, "It's not about being fast or even accurate, it's being willing. Most men will blink an eye or take a breath before they'll pull a trigger- I won't."

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

[–] joegerardi-1 13 years ago

The Duke misses lots. But not in real life: he was known as a crack shot. Not fast, but very accurate.

But - even more to the point - in this movie, how do *lead* bullets shot at a can of gunpowder ignite anything? Lead will not spark. Not ever. You can shoot at a can of gunpowder all day, and all you'll do is make a mess all over the floor.

..Joe

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] joegerardi-1 13 years ago

"Can be." Your own words. What are the odds... Never happened in the 43 years I've been shooting Black Powder.

..Joe

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] moewadle 12 years ago

Plus the lead ball would be very, very hot to add to the probability of ignition.

[–] midway41 12 years ago

many inaccuracies in hollyweird!it sure isn't about reality. it's about making the audience believe the BS they are shoveling.

[–] midway41 12 years ago

YOU MISSED TOO! how could you not see that his SIX shooter suddenly became about a 30 shooter! i have watched that movie several times and every time i've lost count of how many times he fired that gun without loading and without cocking a single action pistol. AMAZING!

[–] ken99929 12 years ago

Yes! I've counted it many times. He never reloads

[–] BCarl 11 years ago

Watch his gun handling in "The Searchers." The way he aims that Winchester during the river scene with the Indians is DEAD ON! Funny, because the "premature shot" goof that Ward Bond makes with the revolver makes him look like an idiot. I guess John Ford must have liked the way that looked in the rushes and it would have been impossible to re-shoot that scene.