Swing Out, Sweet Land

• a.k.a. John Wayne’s Tribute to America
• Directed by Stan Harris
• November 29, 1970 (US)
• NBC

John Wayne and friends tell the story of America.

Swing Out, Sweet Land (a.k.a. John Wayne’s Tribute to America) is the old-school type of TV special you once saw on the Big Three networks. A presentation with a bunch of big-name stars-either film or television or just well-known names in general-in small little skits that varied from the humorous to the mildly dramatic to the purely entertaining. All hosted by one big name celebrity-in this case John Wayne-who shows up in a few bits himself.

As presentation it’s more brief history lesson of the United States from before its founding all the way up to Kitty Hawk. Rarely serious with the assorted shown figures presented as larger than life. And being that this was to celebrate America and helmed by John Wayne it portrays this nation positively. It’s very patriotic without being overly saccharine. It doesn’t completely gloss over the nation’s flaws, but its focus is not the flaws. Swing Out, Sweet Land highlights the country’s promise and ability to do great things and even do better. 

The music is absolutely fantastic. It looks lifts your spirits and is just bouncy. But then again you have some talented performers of the era as well as in general performing the music. Anne-Margaret, Leslie Uggams, Johnny Cash, and Roy Clark among others sang and/or danced a few numbers. This uses the variety show format very effectively.

And the comedy is still funny in that cornball sort of way. All the stars of the time playing to their strengths in such as Bob Hope talking about landing on Chrysler Rock and not Plymouth because Chrysler sponsored his specials at the time and not Plymouth. Or the bit where George Burns in street clothes walks in and passes by Jack Benny and asks, “Still working?” And that’s it. Totally incongruous with anything else that’s going on at the moment.

It is great to see classic stars together. Where else will you get Commander Adama (Lorne Greene as George Washington) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner as John Adams) together? The nerdy kid that was hooked on both shows was so stoked to see that.

Beyond being a patriotic special to promote Anheuser-Busch, it was clearly Wayne’s attempt to be the antithesis of growing feelings at the time. And if you tuned in I think it would have worked then. I even think if you watched it now it would work. For the 80 minutes or so that this runs you want to shout “America! Heck yeah!”

Swing Out, Sweet Land (a.k.a. John Wayne’s Tribute to America) is a great old school special. It will make you feel happy about this country which is probably what you should be feeling on its anniversary day. Purchase a physical copy or find it somewhere but watch it today!