The Duke Comes to Washington!

The Duke Comes to Washington!

American Film Institute to Honor Paramount Home Entertainment and Batjac Productions Restoration of John Wayne's HONDO With a Red-Carpet Premiere of the Restored Western Classic at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center October 4, 2005

Smithsonian Institution to Accept Donation of the HONDO Hat From Gretchen Wayne, President of Batjac Productions, Inc.

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In tribute to one of America's most cherished screen icons -- celebrated Western and American hero John Wayne -- the American Film Institute (AFI) will present the premiere of Paramount Home Entertainment and Batjac Productions, Inc. restoration of HONDO, a tour de force Western featuring "the Duke" in one of his most acclaimed performances. The special red-carpet premiere will be held at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Tuesday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-screening reception beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Long a favorite of Wayne fans and Western cineastes, HONDO stars Wayne as the title character, a hardened half-native American cavalry scout whose only companion is an ill-tempered dog -- until he falls into an uneasy friendship with lonely New Mexico farmwoman Geraldine Page and her son Lee Aaker. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Ward Bond, Michael Pate, James Arness and Leo Gordon; a screenplay that earned scripter James Edward Grant a 1954 Oscar(R) nomination for Best Writing for his adaptation of the Louis L'Amour story, The Gift of the Cochise; and a performance by Page that won her a Best Supporting nomination for her theatrical debut, HONDO also boasts Wayne as producer.

"What an honor to premiere the restoration of a cinematic treasure of such magnitude," says Murray Horwitz, Director of AFI Silver Theatre. "John Wayne -- the greatest of all Western heroes -- absolutely exemplified the American spirit of independence. Nobody translated it to the screen more naturally than Wayne."

In addition to the premiere of HONDO's re-mastered restoration, Gretchen Wayne, on behalf of Batjac Productions -- the production company founded by John Wayne and presided over by his son Michael Wayne for 42 years -- will donate the signature hat from HONDO, worn by John Wayne, to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American history in a ceremony on stage prior to the screening. Dwight Blocker Bowers, Curator of Performing Arts, will accept the Wayne family's first donation to the museum's permanent entertainment collections.

"Mr. Wayne's work typifies the dynamism of our national pioneering spirit and stands tall as an ambassador for the American film industry, "says Dwight Blocker Bowers. "I am delighted to accept this donation representing an icon in American culture."

Special guests at the reception and screening will include members of Gretchen and Michael Wayne's family, among other noteworthy guests.

AFI Silver's red-carpet premiere precedes the October 11 national release of the Paramount Home Entertainment/Batjac Productions restoration of HONDO in a Special Collector's Edition DVD, which includes commentary by Leonard Maltin, Western historian Frank Thompson and Lee Aaker, and a rare Archival Photo Gallery, among other noteworthy historical elements.

The Special October 4 Premiere is by invitation only. AFI Silver Theatre is located at 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland. For more information, call 301.495.6720 or visit www.AFI.com/Silver.

Source: American Film Institute

CONTACT: Richard Hoffman, +1-310-275-0777, rhoffman@wcpr.net, Monique Moss, +1-310-275-0777, mmoss@wcpr.net, or Joan Kirby +1-301-495-6747 jkirby@AFI.com, all for American Film Institute

Web site: http://www.afi.com/Silver

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