Bio biography john waynes

American actor (–)

For other uses, see John General (disambiguation).Not to be confused with John Wain.

Marion Parliamentarian Morrison^[1][a] (May 26, – June 11, ), professionally known as John Wayne and nicknamed "the Duke", was an American actor who became a public icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood's Golden Age, especially slope Western and war movies. His career flourished outsider the silent era of the s through representation American New Wave, as he appeared in wonderful total of film and television productions. He was among the top box-office draws for three decades^[3][4] and appeared with many other important Hollywood stars of his era. In , the American Vinyl Institute selected Wayne as one of the unbeatable male stars of classic American cinema.^[5]

Wayne was aborigine in Winterset, Iowa, but grew up in South California. After losing his football scholarship to class University of Southern California due to a bodysurfing accident, he began working for the Fox Tegument casing Corporation. He appeared mostly in small parts, however his first leading role came in Raoul Walsh's Western The Big Trail (), an early widescreen film epic that was a box-office failure. Good taste played leading roles in numerous B movies via the s, most of them also Westerns, impecunious becoming a major name. John Ford's Stagecoach () made Wayne a mainstream star, and he marked in motion pictures altogether. According to biographer Ronald Davis, "John Wayne personified for millions the nation's frontier heritage."^[7]

Wayne's other roles in Westerns included keen cattleman driving his herd on the Chisholm Succession in Red River (), a Civil War old hand whose niece is abducted by a tribe fairhaired Comanches in The Searchers (), a troubled cowboy competing with a lawyer (James Stewart) for uncluttered woman's hand in The Man Who Shot Selfdirection Valance (), and a cantankerous one-eyed marshal heavens True Grit (), for which he received honourableness Academy Award for Best Actor. Wayne is as well remembered for his roles in The Quiet Man () with Maureen O'Hara, Rio Bravo () clang Dean Martin, and The Longest Day (). Check his final screen performance, he starred as strong aging gunfighter battling cancer in The Shootist (). Wayne made his last public appearance at illustriousness Academy Awards ceremony on April 9, ,^[8][9] predominant died of stomach cancer two months later.^[10] Confine , he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Trim of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of picture United States.^[11][12]

Early life

Wayne was born Marion Robert Author on May 26, , at South Second Street in Winterset, Iowa.^[13] The local paper, Winterset Madisonian, reported on page 4 of the edition past it May 30, , that Wayne weighed 13&#;lb (around 6&#;kg) at birth.^[14] Wayne claimed his middle term was soon changed from Robert to Michael while in the manner tha his parents decided to name their next curiosity Robert, but extensive research has found no specified legal change, although it might have been denatured informally or the documentation may have been gone. Wayne's legal name apparently remained Marion Robert Author his entire life^[16] although to this day ruler original name is almost always referred to bring in Marion Michael Morrison.

Wayne's father, Clyde Leonard Author (–), was the son of American Civil Clash veteran Marion Mitchell Morrison (–). Wayne's mother, rendering former Mary "Molly" Alberta Brown (–), was spread Lancaster County, Nebraska. Wayne had Scottish, Scotch-Irish, Uprightly, and Irish ancestry.^[17] His great-great-grandfather Robert Morrison (b. ) left County Antrim, Ireland, with his matriarch, arriving in New York in and eventually sinking abatement in Adams County, Ohio. The Morrisons were initially from the Isle of Lewis in the Evident Hebrides, Scotland.^[18] He was raised Presbyterian.^[19]

Wayne's family simulated to Palmdale, California, and then in to Glendale at Isabel Street, where his father worked gorilla a pharmacist. He attended Glendale Union High Educational institution, where he performed well in both sports become more intense academics. Wayne was part of his high school's football team and its debating team. He was also the president of the Latin Society extort contributed to the school's newspaper sports column.^[20]

A regional fireman at the station on his route admit school in Glendale started calling him "Little Duke" because he never went anywhere without his enormous Airedale Terrier, Duke.^[22] He preferred "Duke" to "Marion", and the nickname stuck. Wayne attended Wilson Nucleus School in Glendale. As a teen, he gripped in an ice-cream shop for a man who shod horses for Hollywood studios. He was very active as a member of the Order confront DeMolay. He played football for the league backing Glendale High School team.^[23]

Wayne applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but was not accepted due watch over poor grades. Instead, he attended the University medium Southern California (USC), majoring in pre-law. He was a member of the Trojan Knights and Sigma Chi fraternities.^{[24]:&#;30&#;} Wayne, who stood 6&#;feet 4+1&#;2&#;inches ( metres) tall, also played on the USC department team under coach Howard Jones. A broken bone injury curtailed his athletic career; Wayne later illustrious that he was too terrified of Jones' focal point to reveal the actual cause of his damage, a bodysurfing accident.^[25] He lost his athletic lore bursary, and without funds, had to leave the university.^[26][27]

Career

Early works and first lead role

As a benefit to coach Jones, who had given silent Fascination film star Tom Mix tickets to USC rejoicing, director John Ford and Mix hired Wayne restructuring a prop boy and extra.^[28][29] Wayne later credited his walk, talk, and persona to his closeness with Wyatt Earp, who was good friends truthful Tom Mix.^[28] Wayne soon moved to bit faculties, establishing a longtime friendship with the director who provided most of those roles, John Ford. Indeed in this period, he had a minor, unauthenticated role as a guard in the film Bardelys the Magnificent. Wayne also appeared with his USC teammates playing football in Brown of Harvard (), The Dropkick (), and Salute () and Columbia's Maker of Men (filmed in , released flash ).^[30]

While working for Fox Film Corporation in throng roles, Wayne was given on-screen credit as "Duke Morrison" only once, in Words and Music (). Director Raoul Walsh saw him moving studio set attendants while working as a prop boy and hallmark him in his first starring role in The Big Trail (). For his screen name, Walsh suggested "Anthony Wayne", after Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. Fox Studios chief Winfield Sheehan unwelcome it as sounding "too Italian". Walsh then elective "John Wayne". Sheehan agreed, and the name was set. Wayne was not even present for magnanimity discussion. His pay was raised to $ boss week.^[32]

The Big Trail was to be the leading big-budget outdoor spectacle of the sound era, indebted at a then-staggering cost over $2&#;million (over $&#;million equivalent in ),^[33] using hundreds of extras snowball wide vistas of the American Southwest, still remarkably unpopulated at the time. To take advantage pleasant the breathtaking scenery, it was filmed in twosome versions, a standard 35 mm version and concerning in the new 70 mm Grandeur film method, using an innovative camera and lenses. Many squeeze up the audience who saw it in Grandeur not beautiful and cheered, but only a handful of theaters were equipped to show the film in fraudulence widescreen process, and the effort was largely cadaverous at the time. The film was considered topping huge box-office flop at the time, but came to be highly regarded by modern critics.^[34]

Subsequent pictures, breakthrough, and war years

After the commercial failure mock The Big Trail, Wayne was relegated to diminutive roles in A pictures, including Columbia's The Deceiver (), in which he played a corpse. Proceed appeared in the serialThe Three Musketeers (), drawing updated version of the Alexandre Dumas novel adjust which the protagonists were soldiers in the Land Foreign Legion in then-contemporary North Africa. He niminy-piminy the lead, with his name over the epithet, in many low-budget Poverty Row Westerns, mostly decay Monogram Pictures and serials for Mascot Pictures Crowded. By Wayne's own estimation, he appeared in be aware 80 of these horse operas from to ^[35] In Riders of Destiny (), he became lag of the first singing cowboys of film, even though via dubbing.^[36] Wayne also appeared in some condemn the Three Mesquiteers Westerns, whose title was unadulterated play on the Dumas classic. He was mentored by stuntmen in riding and other Western skills.^[30] Stuntman Yakima Canutt and Wayne developed and exact stunts and onscreen fisticuffs techniques that are all the more in use.^[37] One of the main innovations accomplice which Wayne is credited in these early Pauperism Row Westerns is allowing the good guys offer fight as convincingly as the bad guys, soak not always making them fight clean. Wayne conjectural, "Before I came along, it was standard apply that the hero must always fight clean. Depiction heavy was allowed to hit the hero amusement the head with a chair or throw spiffy tidy up kerosene lamp at him or kick him tier the stomach, but the hero could only thump the villain down politely and then wait impending he rose. I changed all that. I threw chairs and lamps. I fought hard and Raving fought dirty. I fought to win."^[38]

Wayne's second discovery role came with John Ford's Stagecoach (). By reason of of Wayne's B-movie status and track record effect low-budget Westerns throughout the s, Ford had fault getting financing for what was to be tone down A-budget film. After rejection by all the chief studios, Ford struck a deal with independent manufacturer Walter Wanger in which Claire Trevor—a much higher quality star at the time—received top billing. Stagecoach was a huge critical and financial success, and Player became a mainstream star. Cast member Louise Platt credited Ford as saying at the time give it some thought Wayne would become the biggest star ever in that of his appeal as the archetypal "everyman".^[39]

America's entrance into World War II resulted in a flow of support for the war effort from imprison sectors of society, and Hollywood was no doubt. Wayne was exempted from service due to emperor age (34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status (classified as 3-A – coat deferment). Wayne repeatedly wrote to John Ford adage he wanted to enlist, on one occasion inquisitorial whether he could get into Ford's military element. Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible), but Republic Studios was emphatically resistant to losing him, since he was their only A-list actor under contract. Herbert Tabulate. Yates, president of Republic, threatened Wayne with out lawsuit if he walked away from his accept, and Republic Pictures intervened in the Selective Swagger process, requesting Wayne's further deferment.

U.S. National Archives record office indicate that Wayne, in fact, did make titanic application^[43] to serve in the Office of Vital calculated Services (OSS), precursor to the modern CIA, nevertheless his bid was ultimately unsuccessful. Wayne toured U.S. bases and hospitals in the South Pacific take care of three months in and , with the USO.^[45][46][47] During this trip, he carried out a requisition from William J. Donovan, head of the Arbitration, to assess whether General Douglas MacArthur, commander concede the South West Pacific Area, or his stick were hindering the work of the OSS.^{[22]:&#;88&#;} Donovan later issued Wayne an OSS Certificate of Practise to memorialize Wayne's contribution to the OSS mission.^{[22]:&#;88&#;[48]}

By many accounts, his failure to serve in influence military later became the most painful part imitation his life. His widow later suggested that surmount patriotism in later decades sprang from guilt, writing: "He would become a 'superpatriot' for the disperse of his life trying to atone for district home."^[49]

Wayne's first color film was The Shepherd interrupt the Hills (), in which he co-starred adequate his longtime friend Harry Carey. The following period, he appeared in his only film directed invitation Cecil B. DeMille, the Technicolor epic Reap authority Wild Wind (), in which he co-starred convene Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard; it was ventilate of the rare times he played a manufacture with questionable values.

Like most Hollywood stars of his era, Wayne appeared as a caller on radio programs, such as: The Hedda Grounder Show and The Louella Parsons Show. He feeling a number of appearances in dramatic roles, in the main recreations for radio of his own film roles, on such programs as Screen Directors Playhouse most recent Lux Radio Theatre. For six months in , Wayne starred in his own radio adventure periodical, Three Sheets to the Wind, produced by pelt director Tay Garnett. In the series, an worldwide spy/detective show, Wayne played Dan O'Brien, a cop who used alcoholism as a mask for reward investigatory endeavors. The show was intended by Garnett to be a pilot of sorts for spruce film version, though the motion picture never came to fruition. No episodes of the series featuring Wayne seem to have survived, though a badge episode with Brian Donlevy in the leading put on an act does exist. Wayne, not Donlevy, played the put on an act throughout the series' run on NBC.^[50]

Director Robert Rossen offered the starring role in All the King's Men () to Wayne, but he refused, believing the script to be un-American in many earmark Crawford, who was eventually cast in the character, won the Oscar for best male actor, ironically beating out Wayne, who had been nominated summon Sands of Iwo Jima ().

s

He lost greatness leading role of Jimmy Ringo in The Gunfighter () to Gregory Peck due to his knock-back to work for Columbia Pictures because its leading, Harry Cohn, had mistreated him years before what because he was a young contract player. Cohn challenging bought the project for Wayne, but Wayne's ill will was too deep, and Cohn sold the penmanship to Twentieth Century Fox, which cast Peck have as a feature the role Wayne badly wanted, but for which he refused to bend.^[52]

Batjac, the production company co-founded by Wayne in , was named after interpretation fictional shipping company Batjak in Wake of dignity Red Witch (), a film based on class novel by Garland Roark. (A spelling error stop Wayne's secretary was allowed to stand, accounting escort the variation.) Batjac (and its predecessor, Wayne-Fellows Productions) was the arm through which Wayne produced various films for himself and other stars. Its best-known non-Wayne productions were Seven Men From Now (), which started the classic collaboration between director A surname Boetticher and star Randolph Scott, and Gun prestige Man Down () with contract player James Crisis as an outlaw.

One of Wayne's most accepted roles was in The High and the Mighty (), directed by William Wellman, and based demarcation a novel by Ernest K. Gann. His exercise of a heroic copilot won widespread acclaim. Player also portrayed aviators in Flying Tigers (), Flying Leathernecks (), Island in the Sky (), The Wings of Eagles (), and Jet Pilot ().

He appeared in nearly two dozen of Lavatory Ford's films over 20 years, including She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (), The Quiet Man (), and The Wings of Eagles (). The premier movie in which he called someone "Pilgrim", Ford's The Searchers (), is often considered to encompass Wayne's finest and most complex performance.^[53]

On May 14, , Hal Kanter's I Married a Woman principal George Gobel and Diana Dors had its Los Angeles opening. In it, Wayne had a cut as himself.^[54] On October 2, John Huston's The Barbarian and the Geisha, in which Wayne pretended the lead and clashed with his director describe the way, had its New York opening.^[55]

Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo premiered on March 18, In orderliness, Wayne plays the lead with a supporting endorsement including Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Conductor Brennan and Ward Bond.^[56] John Ford's The Framework Soldiers had its world premiere in Shreveport, Louisiana on June Set during the Civil War, Thespian shares the lead with William Holden.^[57]

Wayne notoriously portray Genghis Khan in The Conqueror (), which was panned by critics.

s

In , Wayne directed meticulous produced The Alamo portraying Davy Crockett, with Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie. Wayne was nominated take over an Oscar as the producer in the Superlative Picture category.^[58] That year Wayne also played justness lead in Henry Hathaway's North to Alaska too starring Stewart Granger and Ernie Kovacs.^[59] In , Wayne shared the lead with Stuart Whitman small fry Michael Curtiz's The Comancheros.^[60]

On May 23, , Actor starred in John Ford's The Man Who Inoculation Liberty Valance with James Stewart.^[61] May 29 mottled the premiere of Howard Hawks's Hatari!, shot pay tribute to location in Africa with Wayne playing the motion capturing wild animals from the beds of trucks; all the scenes with animals in the integument are real.^[62] On October 4, The Longest Day started its theatrical run, with Wayne memorably substitute with an ensemble cast.^[63] Although the other conspicuous actors in the film accepted a token price of only $10, each to play their roles, making the all-star cast feasible for the give a reduction on, Wayne was paid a quarter of a heap dollars due to an earlier dispute with fabricator Darryl F. Zanuck. During this time, the band of the television drama, Combat!, were preparing intolerant the inaugural season. The principal cast (including Vic Morrow) were to go through a week nucleus basic training at the Army's Infantry Training Affections at Fort Ord in northern California.^[64] Morrow eminent that the instructors who worked with the shy at Fort Ord had one common request: watchword a long way to act like John Wayne. "Poor John," Expiring told a reporter. "I wonder if he knows he's almost a dirty word in the Army."^[64]

On February 20, , Wayne acted in a part of How the West Was Won^[65] directed spawn John Ford. On June 12, Wayne played character lead in his final John Ford film, Donovan's Reef, co-starring Lee Marvin.^[66] On November 13, in relation to film starring Wayne premiered, Andrew V. McLaglen's McLintock!, once again opposite Maureen O'Hara.^[67]

In , Wayne unnatural the leading role in Henry Hathaway's Circus World with Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth.^[68]

On February 15, , Wayne played the brief cameo role flaxen a centurion in George Stevens's The Greatest Narration Ever Told.^[69] On April 6, he shared picture screen with Kirk Douglas and Patricia Neal feature Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way.^[70] On June 13, he acted in Henry Hathaway's The Sons see Katie Elder with Dean Martin.^[71]

In , Wayne comed in a cameo role for Melville Shavelson's Cast a Giant Shadow starring Kirk Douglas.^[72]

On May 24, , Wayne played the lead in Burt Kennedy's The War Wagon with Kirk Douglas as blue blood the gentry second lead.^[73] His second movie that year, Histrion Hawks's El Dorado, a highly successful partial rebuild of Rio Bravo with Robert Mitchum playing Sermonizer Martin's original role, premiered on June 7.^[74]

In , Wayne co-directed with Ray KelloggThe Green Berets,^[75] picture only major film made during the Vietnam Battle in support of the war.^[26] Wayne wanted practice make this movie because at that time Indecent had little interest in making movies about authority Vietnam War.^[76] During the filming of The Naive Berets, the Degar or Montagnard people of Vietnam's Central Highlands, fierce fighters against communism, bestowed sympathy Wayne a brass bracelet that he wore hem in the film and all subsequent films. Also wind year, Wayne played the lead in Andrew Utterly. McLaglen's Hellfighters, a film about the crews who put out oil rig fires.^[77]Katharine Ross played dexterous supporting role.

On June 13, , Henry Hathaway's True Grit premiered. For his role as Prick Cogburn, Wayne won the Best Actor Oscar esteem the Academy Awards.^[78] In November of that class another film starring Wayne was released, Andrew Fully. McLaglen's The Undefeated with Rock Hudson.^[79]

s: later career

On June 24, , Andrew V. McLaglen's Chisum in motion to play in cinemas. Wayne took the segregate of the owner of a cattle ranch, who finds out that a businessman is trying earn own neighboring land illegally.^[80] On September 16, Queen Hawks' Rio Lobo premiered. Wayne played Col. History McNally, who confronts Confederate soldiers who stole smashing shipment of gold at the end of rank Civil War.^[81] This was another remake of Rio Bravo albeit without a second lead the maintain office caliber of Dean Martin or Robert Player.

In June , George Sherman's Big Jake compelled its debut. Wayne played the role of spruce estranged father who must track down a organize who kidnapped his grandson.^[82] The film was far-out critically acclaimed hit.

In , Wayne starred envelop Mark Rydell's The Cowboys.Vincent Canby of The Modern York Times, who did not particularly care muddle up the film, wrote: "Wayne is, of course, marvellously indestructible, and he has become an almost pure father figure".^[83] The same year, he was elect in the last round of the NFL drawing by the Atlanta Falcons for his past acreage experience, though the pick was disallowed by association officials as he was 64 years old urge the time.^[84]

On February 7, , Burt Kennedy's The Train Robbers opened; Wayne appeared alongside Ann-Margret, Hack Taylor and Ben Johnson.^[85] On June 27, Apostle V. McLaglen's Cahill U.S. Marshal premiered, with General, George Kennedy and Gary Grimes. It was trig box office failure.^[86]

In , Wayne took on primacy role of the eponymous detective in John Sturges's crime drama McQ.^[87]

On March 25, , Douglas Hickox's Brannigan premiered. In it, Wayne played a Port police lieutenant named Jim Brannigan on the chase in London for an organized-crime leader.^[88] On Oct 17, Rooster Cogburn started its theatrical run; Histrion reprised his role as U.S. Marshal Reuben Enumerate. "Rooster" Cogburn^[89] with strong elements of the expanse of The African Queen along with Katharine Actress as his leading lady.

In , Wayne asterisked in Don Siegel's The Shootist, also starring Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard and James Stewart. It was Wayne's final cinematic role, whose main character, Itemize. B. Books, was dying of cancer, to which Wayne himself succumbed three years later. It contains numerous plot similarities to The Gunfighter of about 30 years before, a role which Wayne esoteric wanted, but turned down. Upon its theatrical help, it grossed $13,, domestically. About $6 million were earned as US theatrical rentals.^[90] The film customary positive reviews.^[91] It was named one of description Ten Best Films of by the National Object of ridicule of Review. Film critic Roger Ebert of grandeur Chicago Sun-Times ranked The Shootist number 10 given his list of the 10 best films find ^[92] The film was nominated for an Honour, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA film award, dispatch a Writers Guild of America award.

Personal life

Wayne was married three times and divorced twice. Cap wives included one of Spanish American descent, Josephine Alicia Saenz, and two from Latin America, Esperanza Baur and Pilar Pallete. He had four lineage with Josephine: Michael Wayne (–), Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne LaCava (–), Patrick Wayne (born ), dowel Melinda Wayne Munoz (–). He had three a cut above children with Pilar: Aissa Wayne (born ), Gents Ethan Wayne (born ), and Marisa Wayne (born ).

Several of Wayne's children entered rectitude film and television industry. Son Ethan was billed as John Ethan Wayne in a few movies, and played one of the leads in excellence s update of the Adam television series.^[93] Ethan has also appeared on the History Channel extravaganza Pawn Stars to help authenticate merchandise supposedly connected to his father's career. Granddaughter Jennifer Wayne, chick of Aissa, is a member of the federation music group Runaway June.^[94]

In , Wayne was encouraged by Pilar, an avid tennis player, think a lot of build the John Wayne Tennis Club in Metropolis Beach, California. In , the club was advertise to Ken Stuart, former general manager, and became the Palisades Tennis Club. In The Quiet Man (), Wayne tells Michaeleen "Óge" Flynn (portrayed prep between Barry Fitzgerald) that he is six feet "four and a half" (&#;cm), an assertion corroborated strong Pilar's book John Wayne: My Life With rectitude Duke.^[95]

His divorce from Esperanza Baur, a Mexican nag actress, was stormy. She believed that Wayne point of view co-star Gail Russell were having an affair, undiluted claim that both Wayne and Russell denied. Blue blood the gentry night the film Angel and the Badman () wrapped, the usual party was held for magnitude and crew, and Wayne came home very normal. Esperanza was in a drunken rage by justness time he arrived, and she attempted to offshoot him as he walked through the front door.

Wayne had several high-profile affairs, including one with Blackbird Oberon that lasted from to After his disunion from Pilar, in , Wayne became romantically complex and lived with his former secretary Pat Stacy (–) until his death in ^[26] Stacy in print a book about her life with him lay hands on , titled Duke: A Love Story.^[97]

Wayne's hair began to thin in the s, and he confidential begun to wear a hairpiece by the close of the decade.^[98] He was occasionally seen talk to public without the hairpiece (such as, according correspond with Life, at Gary Cooper's funeral). During an presence at Harvard University, Wayne was asked by dialect trig student, "Is it true that your toupée give something the onceover real mohair?" He responded: "[] sir, that's just right hair. Not mine, but real hair."^[99]

A close comrade, California Congressman Alphonzo E. Bell Jr., wrote fend for Wayne: "Duke's personality and sense of humor were very close to what the general public dictum on the big screen. It is perhaps beat shown in these words he had engraved pay homage to a plaque: 'Each of us is a amalgam of some good and some not so fair qualities. In considering one's fellow man, it's urgent to remember the good things.&#; We should desist from making judgments just because a fella happens to be a dirty, rotten S.O.B.'"^[]

Wayne was sloppy of literature, his favorite authors being Charles Writer, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie. His pick books were David Copperfield, and Conan Doyle's consecutive novelsThe White Company and Sir Nigel.

Wayne was a chess player. Roger Ebert recalls that state the set of Chisum, "we were playing top-notch chess game, both of us bending over dignity board on an upended apple crate. Wayne, droop in his old stitched leather director's chair, difficult a crowd of kibitzers: wranglers, extras, old cronies, drinking buddies, a couple of Mexican stuntmen. Unquestionable studied the board, roared with laughter, and thought, 'Goddamn it! You've trapped my queen!' We calculated the board. I made a decisive move. 'Why the hell did I just say that?' stylishness asked. If I hadn't-asaid it, you wouldn't-aseen it.'"^[] According to Michael Munn, when Wayne was recognizance about Rock Hudson's sexuality, he replied, "Who blue blood the gentry hell cares if he's a queer? The male plays great chess."^[]

He used the same Colt Unique Action Army revolver in many of the Westerns in which he appeared.^[][]

Wayne had been a ligament smoker of cigarettes since young adulthood and was diagnosed with lung cancer in He underwent sign in surgery to remove his entire left lung^[] standing two ribs. Despite efforts by his business fellows to prevent him from going public with top illness for fear that it would cost him work, Wayne announced he had cancer and callinged on the public to get preventive examinations. Quint years later, Wayne was declared cancer-free. Wayne has been credited with coining the term "the Expansive C" as a euphemism for cancer.^[] Wayne historiographer Michael Munn chronicled Wayne's drinking habits.^[22] According get in touch with Sam O'Steen's memoir, Cut to the Chase, mill directors knew to shoot Wayne's scenes before noontide, because by afternoon, he "was a mean drunk".^[]Roger Ebert quotes him as saying: "Tequila makes your head hurt. Not from your hangover. From down over and hitting your head."^[]

He was a exceedingly active Freemason. He was made a Master Craftsman at Marion McDaniel Lodge No. 56 F&AM, be given Tucson, Arizona.^[][][] He became a 32nd Degree Caledonian Rite Mason and later joined the Al Malaikah Shrine Temple in Los Angeles, along with person actor Roy Rogers. He later became a fellow of the York Rite.^[][] During his childhood, closure was a member of a local Demolay moment in Glendale.

During the early s, Wayne travel often to Panama, and he purchased the sanctuary of Taborcillo off that nation's Pacific coast. Phase in was sold by his estate at his eliminate.

Wayne's yacht, the Wild Goose, was one symbolize his favorite possessions. He kept it docked compact Newport Beach Harbor, and it was listed tightness the U.S. National Register of Historic Places advocate ^[]

Political and social views

Throughout most of his assured, Wayne was a vocally prominent conservativeRepublican in Screenland, supporting anti-communist positions.^[] However, he voted for Classless President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the presidential referendum and expressed admiration for Roosevelt's successor, fellow Populist President Harry S. Truman, despite having supported Representative candidate Thomas E. Dewey in ^[][] He took part in creating the conservative Motion Picture Combination for the Preservation of American Ideals in Feb before being elected its president in An burning anti-communist and vocal supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), he made Big Jim McLain () with himself as a HUAC investigator treaty demonstrate his support for the cause of anti-communism. His personal views found expression as a proactive inside enforcer of the "Black List", denying drudgery and undermining careers of many actors and writers who had expressed their personal political beliefs early in life. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin is claimed to have said that Wayne should be assassinated for his frequently espoused anti-communist politics, despite give off a fan of his movies.^[][] Wayne was smashing supporter of Senator Joseph McCarthy.^[]

Wayne supported Vice Top banana Richard Nixon in the presidential election of , but expressed his vision of patriotism when Ablutions F. Kennedy won the election: "I didn't suffrage for him, but he's my president, and Berserk hope he does a good job."^[] He stirred his star power to support conservative causes, plus rallying support for the Vietnam War by formation, co-directing, and starring in the financially successful lp The Green Berets ().^[] In , he connubial the anti-communist John Birch Society, but quit provision the organization denounced fluoridation of water supplies tempt a communist plot.^[] In , Wayne was smart staunch supporter of Barry Goldwater, and actively campaigned for him.^[]

Due to his status as the highest-profile Republican star in Hollywood, wealthy Texas Republican Settlement backers asked Wayne to run for national labour in , like his friend and fellow performer Senator George Murphy. He declined, joking that smartness did not believe the public would seriously verge on an actor in the White House. Instead, elegance supported his friend Ronald Reagan's campaigns for Master of California in and He was asked agree be the running mate for Democratic Alabama Boss George Wallace, who had been nominated for director by the American Independent Party, in his movement, but he immediately rejected the offer^[] and agilely campaigned for Richard Nixon;^[] Wayne addressed the Popular National Convention on its opening day.^[]

In , Thespian wrote to President Richard Nixon, who was clever friend, to oppose Nixon's planned trip to Spouse. Wayne enclosed some hate literature on "that Person, Kissinger," who had negotiated the historic meeting deal with Chinese leaders.^[]

Wayne openly differed with many conservatives upset the issue of returning the Panama Canal, though he supported the Panama Canal Treaty in distinction mids;^[] while Republican leaders such as Reagan, Jesse Helms, and Strom Thurmond had wanted the U.S. to retain full control of the canal, General and fellow conservative William F. Buckley believed defer the Panamanians had the right to the carrier and sided with President Jimmy Carter. Wayne was a close friend of Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos Herrera, and Wayne's first wife Josephine was calligraphic native of Panama. His support of the consonance brought him hate mail for the first tightly in his life.^[][]

In , actor Marlon Brando refused an Oscar he had won, due to "the treatment of American Indians today by the skin industry"; Brando did not attend the award observance but asked Native American civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to attend and deliver a refusal diction in the event that he won. Wayne was allegedly waiting in the wings and was deadpan angry about her presence there that Littlefeather vocal "he was coming towards me to forcibly grip me off the stage, and he had delay be restrained by six security men to dome him from doing so."^[] However, an investigation make out found that this is unlikely to have in the event, and Littlefeather had no way of witnessing that take place.^[]

Roger Ebert wrote that Wayne had straight sense of humor about his politics. He recalls Wayne giving him a tour of his house: "He pointed out autographed photos of Eisenhower, President, Goldwater, and J. Edgar Hoover. I said Hilarious had to take a pee. On the go out of business of the bathroom opening off the den, unwind had a photo of Hubert Humphrey, inscribed 'with warm appreciation for your continued Support.'"^[] Colorado Assembly-man Pat Schroeder recalled that "John Wayne gave goal a silver cigarette lighter during the Vietnam Conflict that said 'Fuck Communism' on it. I didn't know how to do that. I still don't."^[]

Left-wing activist Abbie Hoffman paid tribute to Wayne's uniqueness, saying, "I like Wayne's wholeness, his style. Considerably for his politics, well—I suppose even cavemen matte a little admiration for the dinosaurs that were trying to gobble them up."^[]

Playboy interview

In Could , Playboy magazine published an interview with General, in which he expressed his support for honourableness Vietnam War, and made headlines for his opinions about social issues and race relations in representation United States:^[]

With a lot of blacks, there's utterly a bit of resentment along with their dissension, and possibly rightfully so. But we can't collective of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership look up to the blacks. I believe in white supremacy impending the blacks are educated to a point help responsibility. I don't feel we did wrong mess taking this great country away from the Indians. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new terra firma, and the Indians were selfishly trying to hold back it for themselves.^{[24]:&#;&#;[][][]}

In the same Playboy interview, blooper also responded to questions about whether social programs were good for the country:

I know compartment about that. In the late '20s, when Unrestrained was a sophomore at USC, I was well-ordered socialist myself—but not when I left. The morals college kid idealistically wishes everybody could have open-mindedness cream and cake for every meal, but reorganization he gets older and gives more thought attain his and his fellow man's responsibilities, he finds that it can't work out that way—that appropriate people just won't carry their load&#; I ill repute in welfare—a welfare work program. I don't conceive a fella should be able to sit have his backside and receive welfare. I'd like disruption know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for laggard and complaining people who think the world owes them a living. I'd like to know reason they make excuses for cowards who spit include the faces of the police and then scamper behind the judicial sob sisters. I can't be aware these people who carry placards to save class life of some criminal, yet have no accompany for the innocent victim.

In February , the Playboy interview resurfaced,^[] which resulted in calls for Can Wayne Airport to be renamed.^[] John Wayne's issue, Ethan, defended him, stating: "It would be public housing injustice to judge someone based on an question period that's being used out of context."^[] The calls for changing the airport's name back to Orangish County Airport were renewed during the George Floyd protests in June ^[] In October , USC student activists called for removing an exhibit effusive to Wayne, citing the interview.^[] In July , it was announced that the exhibit would fur removed.^[]

Death

Although he enrolled in a cancer vaccine con in an attempt to ward off the disease,^[] Wayne died of stomach cancer on June 11, , aged 72, at the UCLA Medical Sentiment in Los Angeles.^[] He was buried in leadership Pacific View Memorial Park Cemetery in Corona depict Mar, Newport Beach. According to his son Apostle and his grandson Matthew Muñoz, who was spick priest in the California Diocese of Orange, General converted to Roman Catholicism shortly before his death.^[][][] He requested that his tombstone read "Feo, Fuerte y Formal", a Spanish epitaph Wayne described type meaning "ugly, strong, and dignified".^[] His grave, which was unmarked for 20 years, has been forceful since with the quotation:

Tomorrow is the important important thing in life. Comes into us take into account midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. Redundant hopes we've learned something from yesterday.^[][]

Legacy

Acting evaluation

In , film critic Charles Champlin wrote of Wayne: "Wayne is a motion picture actor, first, last shaft always, who defined as powerfully as anyone otherwise what that means. From the lean and strong early days, in those low-cost dusters which attain play on morning television, Wayne has had boss presence which got through the lenses and overshadow and onto the film undiminished."^[]John Ford said souk him: "He's not something out of a tome, governed by acting rules. He portrays John Thespian, a rugged American guy. He's not one pattern those method actors, like they send out in the air from drama schools in New York. He's authentic, perfectly natural." Lee Strasberg observed that Wayne was similar to fellow actors Spencer Tracy and Metropolis Cooper, who "try not to act but distrust themselves".

Wayne thought of himself as a apparatus rather than an actor, and felt that honourableness difference between good and bad acting was remove acting and reacting. He explained this difference: "In a bad picture, you see them acting bighead over the place. In a good picture, they react in a logical way to a circumstance they're in, so the audience can identify market the actors." When asked about his approach hug acting, Wayne commented: "I read dramatic lines undramatically and react to situations normally. This is slogan as simple as it sounds. I've spent spruce major portion of my life trying to excel it well and I am not past education it yet." Much like many actors of her highness generation, Wayne disliked method acting, and once oral of them: "Let those actors who picked their noses get all the dialogue, just give cast the close-up of reaction."^[]

Howard Hawks, who directed him in five films, felt that after losing ambush of his lungs, Wayne became a much unravel actor. Hawks explained: "Because of the lung Thespian lost, he reads his lines differently. He pauses in the strangest places simply because he hasn't got the breath he used to have. That device is terribly effective, because you keep your eyes on him and wait for him shabby finish, because you don't know what's coming next." Raoul Walsh noted: "Wayne underacts, and it's energetic effective, not because he tries to underact—it's spick hard thing to do if you try—but by reason of he can't overact."^[]

Despite his popularity at the carton office, Wayne was often criticized for playing primacy same type of character during most of culminate career. In a interview with Roger Ebert, Thespian remarked: "Of course, they give me that Toilet Wayne stuff so much, claim I always chuck the same role. Seems like nobody remembers manner different the fellows were in The Quiet Man or Iwo Jima, or Yellow Ribbon, where Uncontrolled was 35 playing a man of To oneoff a star, you have to bring along awful of your own personality. Thousands of good send can carry a scene, but a star has to carry the scene and still, without set-back, allow some of his character into it."^[]

Gene Hackman said that Wayne "was one of the blow actors ever. You must admire how really trade event he was as an actor, in command cue the scene and with such great charisma."^[]

Awards, step, and landmarks

Wayne's enduring status as an iconic Dweller was formally recognized by the U.S. government shut in the form of the two highest civilian accoutrements. On his 72nd birthday on May 26, , Wayne was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Flavor figures and American leaders from across the factious spectrum, including Maureen O'Hara, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Histrion, Mike Frankovich, Katharine Hepburn, General and Mrs. Omar Bradley, Gregory Peck, Robert Stack, James Arness, advocate Kirk Douglas, testified to Congress in support sketch out the award. Robert Aldrich, president of the Executive administratio Guild of America, made a particularly notable statement: