John Wayne: Six Things You Unknow about The Duke
John Wayne, who died in 1979, was an actor whose persona symbolized a certain idea of the American West. His distinctive voice, walk, and appearance all contributed to the image. He starred in over 150 films and became one of the most recognizable figures in American cinema. However, there are many things that people don’t know about him. Here are some of them:
He was not his real name
Duke Morrison was born on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa to Clyde and Mary Morrison. He was named Marion Robert Morrison after his grandfather George Marion Morrison. But who cares about his boring name? The fact is that for a boy like him it was meant to be John Wayne!
He did not wear a toupee
Wayne’s hair loss is part of his legend and has become a joke among his fans. In fact, he started balding at an early age. However, he always wore a hat when working on film sets or while traveling to avoid ridicule. Some movies were filmed in such a way that his large forehead would not show up on camera. Additionally, if you look closely at photos of him when wearing a hat you’ll notice that it is actually a
John Wayne is the quintessential American hero. His roles in movies and iconic quotes have been a part of the American culture for over 50 years. However, there are many things that people do not know about John Wayne. From his real name to his politics, here are six things you did not know about “The Duke.”
John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison and was named after his grandfather who was a Civil War veteran. The Duke’s famous name came when director Raoul Walsh gave him the nickname Big Duke on the set of “The Big Trail” in 1930. This movie was the first one where John Wayne had a starring role, which he got at age 24.
His politics were more liberal than people think: In 1971, Wayne was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Nixon and was seen as a conservative icon by many. However, his views were actually quite moderate. For example, he supported the Vietnam War because he believed it was necessary but did not think we should escalate it further.
He had lung cancer: John Wayne is known for being one of the toughest men in Hollywood with over 100 films under his belt. However, even he could not beat lung cancer. He died from complications related to this disease on June 11th 1979 at age 72 after
John Wayne is a legend, an American icon and one of the most celebrated movie stars in Hollywood. His larger than life persona, rugged good looks, and no non-sense attitude made him the ultimate cowboy. While he was born Marion Morrison, he always introduced himself as “Duke,” his dog’s name. He is well known for his roles in Westerns such as Stagecoach (1939), True Grit (1969), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and plenty more. Here are six things you may not have known about the man behind the cowboy hat and boots.
1. He was an avid college football player at USC
Before becoming a star in Hollywood, John Wayne attended USC on scholarship to play football. He played as a left tackle on USC’s freshman team, but had to quit after breaking his collarbone. This injury would end his football career forever, but it didn’t stop him from getting into show business. During his years at USC, he worked for local film studios where he hoped to land bit parts to pay for his tuition.
2. His parents were drug addicts
John Wayne’s father Clyde Morrison was an alcoholic and morphine addict who often struggled to keep a steady job or provide for his family
John Wayne is an American film actor, director and producer. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon.
1-He was born Marion Robert Morrison.
2-He was in the hospital for more than a year after he fell out of a moving truck at age 13.
3-John Wayne didn’t always play westerns.
4-He hated horses.
5-His grave has been visited by millions of people, many of whom leave behind cigarettes or cigars, even though he quit smoking in 1964.
6-He was not a fan of films with gratuitous violence.
1. John Wayne’s real name was Marion Robert Morrison, and he wasn’t a cowboy.
2. John Wayne was the first actor to receive $1 million for his role in 1969’s True Grit.
3. John Wayne appeared in more than 250 films.
4. Although John Wayne was one of the most famous actors of all time, he never won an Academy Award for acting. He did win an honorary Oscar in 1979, a year before his death in 1980.
5. In 2002, a Harris Poll named John Wayne the top favorite movie star of all time with 23% of those surveyed choosing him (the poll had been running since 1994).
6. The last movie that John Wayne appeared in was The Shootist, which was released after his death in 1979.
The Duke was a hell of an actor, and not just because he could play himself. He played himself so well that people often forgot that he was also playing other people.
Just as every good writer has an individual voice, every good actor has a distinctive style. Wayne’s style may have been more distinctive than most, but it was still a style. The roles he played came from him as much as from any director or writer, and if you look at his films closely you can see how he adapted them to his own character.
You can find plenty of examples in the films he made with John Ford, who gave him some of his most interesting roles. “The Searchers” is one of the greatest westerns ever made, and in it Wayne plays a man who has been consumed by hatred but finds redemption through love. But there’s very little love in the character. The man is barely capable of human feelings; the only thing that seems to get through to him is hate.
If you watch the scene where he finally finds Natalie Wood and brings her into his home, you can see how much trouble Wayne had playing this part. The only emotion you can see in his face is resentment at being forced to show any emotion at all. It takes everything he
