<\/span><\/h2>\nJW as Duke Fergus goes on a gambling spree in this melodrama set in the early 20th<\/sup> Century on the San Francisco Barbary coast and gets drunk in the process.<\/p>\n![\"Flame](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/flame-of-the-barbary-coast-2-707x550.jpg\")
At one point he actually sings along with the crowd who follow him around from one casino to another but I was unable to catch exactly what the song was.<\/p>\n
Anyway, in order to put a stop to Duke\u2019s winning streak, the dastardly villains who own the gambling dens challenge him to a game of stud poker no limit and of course, he loses all his money. Looks like he had a good time either way though.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Wake of the Red Witch (1948)<\/span><\/h2>\n\u201cWake of the Red Mist\u201d might have been a better title for this film seeing as that\u2019s what descends upon Wayne\u2019s character Capt. Rawlins whenever he imbibes too much.<\/p>\n
![\"Wake](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/wake-of-the-red-witch-1-365x550.jpg\")
The crew refer to it as \u2018his strange black moods\u2019, moods that are mysteriously brought on by the transfer of alcohol from the bottle to the liver via the throat.<\/p>\n
Rawlins plans to scuttle his ship which is carrying millions in gold bullion and then return at a later date to salvage it for himself but when his first mate, Mr. Loring, played by Jeff Corey, becomes suspicious of Rawlins behaviour the captain, under the influence, nearly beats the man to death.<\/p>\n
One of the rare occasions in which JW plays a mean drunk. Thankfully.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Quiet Man (1952)<\/span><\/h2>\nJW as ex-boxer Sean Thornton is anything but quiet after engaging in a drinking bout with his new brother-in-law, \u2018Red\u2019 Will Danaher, played by Victor McLaglen.<\/p>\n
![\"THE](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/quietmanfight-1.jpg\")
After settling a family domestic issue over his wife\u2019s dowry then punching Danaher through the door of Cohan\u2019s Bar, the two men patch up their differences and, after what was presumably a memorable drinking spree, turn up at the wife\u2019s house demanding tea.<\/p>\n
In the process, they do their best to murder the popular Irish ballad \u201cThe Wild Colonial Boy\u201d as opposed to each other.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Wings of Eagles (1957)<\/span><\/h2>\nThere are a number of sequences played for comedic effect in which JW, as real-life navy man and scriptwriter \u2018Spig\u2019 Wead, indulges in an occasional drink or two with the boys.<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Wings-of-Eagles-693x550.jpg\")
Naturally, drink soon begets the need for fisticuffs with the Army taking on the Navy, the Navy coming out on top which is only right seeing as JW is on the team.<\/p>\n
All good clean fun but with an underlying hint that sometimes maybe alcohol is not the answer when life doesn\u2019t go the way you want it to, Spig falling down a staircase, sober for once, and ending up temporarily paralysed after fracturing his neck.<\/p>\n
According to some sources apparently a number of scenes alluding to the drinking habits of Wead and his wife Min, portrayed in the film by Maureen O\u2019 Hara, were removed from the film prior to release.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Horse Soldiers (1959)<\/span><\/h2>\nIt takes a while before JW hits the bottle in this one but when he does he hits it hard, almost as hard as William Holden, playing an army doctor, Henry Kendall, who wallops him when they finally get around to a fistfight that\u2019s been promised from day one.<\/p>\n
![\"JOhn](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/HorseSoldiers-2.jpg\")
At one point JW as Col. John Marlowe gets stinking drunk, his inebriation signified by the throwing of drinking glasses and bottles, launched mainly in the direction of the bartender and the mirror behind the bar itself.<\/p>\n
JW reveals that his wife died in a botched operation which explains why he doesn\u2019t like the medical profession in general, and Kendall in particular.<\/p>\n
They win the war though so everything turns out fine in the end.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Comancheros (1961)<\/span><\/h2>\nIt shouldn\u2019t come as any surprise that, in two of the three films Duke made with Lee Marvin, there was much imbibing of the devils’ brew, so let\u2019s start with the first contender, \u201cThe Comancheros\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"Poster](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/the_comancheros-728x546.jpg\")
Going undercover and teaming up with killer Tully Crow, as played by Mr. Marvin, Duke gets well and truly plastered with his new friend, so drunk he sings a few choruses of his favourite song, \u201cPretty Redwing\u201d, which appears to be JWs go-to melody whenever he\u2019s had a few.<\/p>\n
The pair decide to go off for a steak which, considering what happens to JWs meal in his next film with Marvin is one hell of a risk for a drunk man to take. Or is he really drunk? A suspicious Crow warns JW that \u201cI\u2019m only as drink as I wanna be, same as you\u201d. So in the end JW plugs him. Seems reasonable to me.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)<\/span><\/h2>\nJW seems to get drunk awfully quick when he espies fianc\u00e9e Hallie fussing over fancy Eastern lawyer Ransom Stoddard who has just finished polishing off Liberty Valance.<\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Man-Who-Shot-Liberty-V-1-558x550.jpg\")
Or did he? Wayne as Tom Doniphon takes off to the nearest saloon and, after chugging down just a couple of slugs of whiskey he throws Valance crony no. 1, played by Strother Martin, clean through the swing doors, belts Valance crony no. 2, played by Lee van Cleef, across the head, smashes a glass on the bar then throws a handful of coins at the bar band before lurching out of the door.<\/p>\n
After downing the whole bottle he then in a fit of drunken pique burns down the ranch house he was building for the woman he was hoping to marry.<\/p>\n
All of this after JW shoots killer Valance in order to save Stoddard\u2019s life and this is the thanks he got. No wonder he was pissed, in every sense of the word.<\/p>\n
<\/span>McLintock! (1963)<\/span><\/h2>\nIt seems that whenever cattle baron G.W. McLintock ties one on he celebrates by throwing his Stetson into the air and hooking it on the weathervane atop his ranch house.<\/p>\n
![\"McLintock](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/McLintock-3.jpg\")
It\u2019s kind of a calling card as well as an indication that the presence of the hat indicates to all and sundry that he\u2019s going to wake up as mean as hell, illustrated by his greeting to Curly Fletcher, as played by Hank Worden, with the memorable warning \u201cDon\u2019t say it\u2019s a fine morning or I\u2019ll shoot ya\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n
The next time McLintock indulges and accomplishes the stetson-throwing trick (his three hundredth and ninth successful attempt), he arrives home singing \u201cI Dream of Jeannie\u201d and ends up in a drinking session with his beautiful housekeeper, played by Yvonne DeCarlo.<\/p>\n
Not such a bad thing you might say, except his ex-wife, played by fiery Maureen O\u2019Hara, gets all fiery at seeing the two of them together and bashes JW on the head with a whisky bottle.<\/p>\n
Should have kept his hat.<\/p>\n
<\/span>True Grit (1969)<\/span><\/h2>\nWe first encounter Rooster partaking of a drink or three when he meets with Mattie Ross to discuss expenses for hunting her father\u2019s killer.<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/true-grit-2-728x443.jpg\")
Rooster is sampling confiscated whisky or, as he likes to call it, \u201cthe real article, genuine double \u2013 rectified bust -head. Aged in the keg\u201d. He then shoots a rat for trespassing, telling his colleague Chen Lee that \u201cI\u2019m serving some papers\u201d.<\/p>\n
Things don\u2019t improve much when Rooster gets so loaded he falls off his horse, blaming his steed, Bo, for putting his foot wrong.<\/p>\n
Realising he\u2019s unable to stand up he decides to make camp in that spot. This piece of common sense, along with Rooster\u2019s comment that \u201ca man will never work for a woman unless he\u2019s got clabber for brains\u201d shows the efficacious effect that the constant absolving of the elixir of life has upon the Marshal\u2019s power of thinking.<\/p>\n
We should all try it sometime. It might make the world a better place.<\/p>\n