Re: James Garner

I have occasionally used Memorial Day weekends to host my “Anti-War Film Festival.” There are many wonderful films that fit into this category – from “Oh, What a Lovely War!,” to “King of Hearts,” to “Shenandoah,” to the more recent “Wag the Dog.” I did a brief review of the better ones in Thomas Woods’ and Murray Polner’s 2008 book, We Who Dared Say No to War. The movie I have long thought to be the most powerful expression of opposition to war is James Garner’s The Americanization of Emily. The most potent scene was the one Charles Burris provided in his blog. It speaks for itself. This film, along with the example set by the late Lew Ayres during World War II, provide the life-enhancing heroics that contrast with the war-mongering movies from the likes of John Wayne, who bravely defended the back-lot of Republic Pictures from attack by Japanese actors!

Garner was a very enjoyable actor to watch. I first got hooked on him in the 1950s, in the Maverick television series. When the sadness of his passing becomes too much, I can always go to my DVD collection where he now enjoys immortality.

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9:18 am on July 20, 2014