Big John

From the Associated Press: John Wayne has been honored on the 100th anniversary of the year of his birth with a larger-than-life bronze statue at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Sculptor Edward J. Fraughton said he modeled the 8-foot, 8-inch statue -- which the museum officially unveiled Saturday -- after the middle years of Wayne's career and tried "to portray him in a real epic form rather than as an individual in a particular film."

Poster posting

The marketing gurus at Lionsgate are taking a fairly nervy approach to their poster art for 3:10 to Yuma: No attempt to hide or even soft-pedal the fact that it's a Western, but no close-ups of top-billed Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Instead, a dramatic rear-view of a supporting player -- Ben Foster as Charlie Prince, second-in-command to Crowe's outlaw chief -- in a sepia-toned illustration with a vaguely Sergio Leone-ish look. It's attention-grabbing, to be sure. But will it be audience-attracting?

Cowboys and Indians and Emmys

The Emmys went Western this morning, as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced 17 nominations for Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, the epic HBO movie based on Dee Brown’s non-fiction best-seller, and 16 for Broken Trail, the AMC miniseries starring Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church. Here at the C&I Corral, we're proud to say that both productions were previewed in Cowboys & Indians cover stories. But, of course, we're not bragging or anything. Well, not much.

Wounded Knee loomed large in the marquee category of Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Broken Trail rode tall among the Outstanding Miniseries nominees, and, not surprisingly, Duvall was nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.

In several other categories, however, the Westerns will be competing against each other for top honors. For example, Church will face off against Wounded Knee co-stars August Schellenberg (as Sitting Bull) and Aidan Quinn (Sen. Henry Dawes) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie; Greta Scacchi (Broken Trail) and Anna Paquin (Wounded Knee) are rivals for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie; and Walter Hill (Broken Trail) and Yves Simoneau (Wounded Knee) are among the honorees for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special.

Speaking of Hill: After Thursday's early-morning Emmy announcement, the veteran filmmaker (whose feature credits include the Westerns Wild Bill, The Long Riders, and Geronimo: An American Legend) seemed at once grateful and flabbergasted that Television Academy voters would be so appreciative of Broken Trail. "What can I say?” he told the Associated Press. “They're too kind. We were on so long ago, we were on last June, so I've been surprised and very pleased that people remember."

Dick Wolf, executive producer of Wounded Knee, said the clutch of nominations for his HBO movie was a validation of a very difficult project: "Anybody who says it's not nice or it doesn't mean anything to get this many nominations, it's the ultimate sour grapes because it sure feels great.”

(A complete list of all Emmy Award nominations is available here.)

3:10 will arrive a bit earlier

This just in from Pamela McClintock of Variety: The much-buzzed-about Western 3:10 to Yuma will open Sept. 7 -- not Oct. 5, as originally announced -- so Lionsgate can (a) take more time to launch "a big awards campaign" (i.e., a major push for Oscar consideration), and (b) head off at the pass another star-studded Western, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (which will hit the trail starting Sept. 21.) "We certainly wanted to be the first Western in the marketplace," says Tom Ortenberg, Lionsgate president of theatrical films. Sounds like those reports of rave responses at preview screenings were correct.

Independence Day greetings from Cowboys & Indians

Viewer alert: Lonesome Dove

Great news for fans of Lonesome Dove: The classic miniseries will be presented for the first time in a brand-new, digitally re-mastered edition over the next four Saturdays on the ION television network. The first segment airs from 9 to 11 p.m. EDT tomorrow (June 30), and the final installment will be shown July 21.To find an ION station in your area, click here.

And just in case that's not quite enough Wild West action for you: ION also will air the 1993 made-for-TV Western Rio Diablo -- starring Kenny Rogers, Travis Tritt and Naomi Judd -- at 7 p.m. EDT tomorrow as well.

Andy Griffith: Hot property

Thanks to Waitress, critics and audiences are rediscovering Andy Griffith. So maybe he'll finally get that Oscar nomination he deserved for A Face in the Crowd? (Come to think of it, he should have received a nod for Hearts of the West as well.)