----------------------------Original message---------------------------- If you've followed THE AMERICAN CINEMA series on PBS (a very mixed bag, to say the least), the "Combat Film" episode made much of the influence of John Wayne on young male fantasies of wartime heroism. Fair enough--the book and film BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY is only the best-known testament to the Duke's influence. But the episode then showed an Officer's class screening SANDS OF IWO JIMA and the instructor exclaiming, "How about that John Wayne, taking that hill on his own!" (or somehting like that) to a roar of approval from the class. The thing is, though, I'm sure I've seen that same classroom footage elsewhere--and the instructor goes on to debunk the Duke at failing to be a Team Player and for being a likely candidate for a quick, useless death. Am I misremembering, or is the series playing fast and loose with this footage? (It wouldn't be the first time.) The series has been slowly unwinding on Twin Cities Public TV, and I have to acknowledge the very valid criticisms that have been made of the whole thing. It strikes me, though, that the episodes that deal with the business of Hollywood (the structure of the "American Cinema," the episode on the studio system) have been better than the ones that focus on genre. The latter seem often incomplete and often resort to gimmicks like cute montages like the stuff Disney's been doing for specials for decades. I'm puzzled by some of the omissions of what seem like obvious factors to me, at least--Why, for example, no mention at all of TOP GUN in the Combat Film sequence and its role in the revival of a military career as desirable (especially interesting for the way that film focuses on the need to be a Team Player and virtually ignores Patriotism as a motivating factor) or why the episode on the Western pays so much attention to PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID and none to THE WILD BUNCH, which is much more important (and a better film to boot). One positive thing about the Combat Film episode, though, was the way it drew acknowledged wartime experience influencing directors from Ford to Zanuck and particularly the contrast it drew between THE LONGEST DAY and Sam Fuller's films. I'm curious to see what they will do with (or to) film noir, which airs this Friday. Other thoughts? Or has this subject been beaten to death already? --Don Larsson, Mankato State U., MN