McLaglen calls Wayne "Captain Darlin' "(and later, Colonel Darlin') a number of times, as if it were a traditional moniker. I'm pretty sure I've heard 'darlin' used in other military films as well. Was this just a screenwriter's addition, or was this a term used in the military, or just the cavalry or some other units?
If I had choice of weapons with you, sir, I'd choose grammar.
It's Irish.
shareRight - in Quincnnon's case, it's an Irish expression. Watch "The Quiet Man", which takes place in Ireland. Everybody is "someone darlin'" throughout the whole movie. Must be a lot of Irishmen in Texas, because we say it a lot, too.
shareSorry to reply to this thread so late. In a different film, Gettysburg, Col Chamberlain's Sgt refers to him as Darling. I guess this being an "Irish expression" explains his use as well. Now I understand why...