John Wayne is generally seen as one of the most popular film actors of the 20th century. Starring in such legendary films as The Searchers (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and True Grit (1969), ‘The Duke’ has remained in the public consciousness for over 40 years since his passing in 1979. Wayne is seen by millions as an authentic American hero. On the silver screen, he’s portrayed as being dedicated to justice and defending the helpless. However, others in the ensuing decades have viewed The Duke as a bigot and racist. A misogynistic relic from a dying breed of out-of-touch Hollywood stars.
In part one of our Spotlight series on John Wayne, we explored Duke’s humble beginnings in Iowa, as well as a promising football career destroyed by a devastating injury. We followed Wayne’s journey to the lots of Fox Film Corp as well as into the lives of directing legends John Ford, Raoul Walsh, and Howard Hawks. In a period of ten years, Duke went from rising star to Hollywood has-been, back to rising star again. He also was ‘unable’ to serve his country as World War II raged out of control.
As we conclude our series on John Wayne, we explore the second half of Duke’s extraordinary career and the scandals and controversies he found himself embroiled in. This includes his role in McCarthyism, his involvement in the promotion of the “Red Scare,” and the allegations against Duke with regards to racism, bigotry, and sexism. Finally, we’ll dive into Duke’s final years, which included a well-deserved Oscar, a career renaissance, and a lengthy battle with cancer. We hope that you enjoy our second and final part in this Spotlight series on John Wayne.
John Wayne and Montgomery Clift in a scene from “Red River” (1948)
Communism and the Black List
World War II was in the rearview mirror and post-war America was booming in terms of its production and population. John Wayne too enjoyed the fruits of America’s collective labor. Duke was one of the biggest draws at the box office in the late 1940s. He also was one of Hollywood’s highest-paid stars. Wayne was also the face of Hollywood conservatism and one of its top enforcers. His lingering guilt from not being able to serve in World War II arguably led to Duke helping create the ultra-conservative Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals in 1944. He was also elected its president in 1949.
Duke’s right-wing political views and fervent anti-communist beliefs led the actor to become a strong supporter of Senator Joseph McCarthy. In the senator’s formation of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), McCarthy helped destroy the lives and careers of many of Hollywood’s most talented artists. Wayne actively took part in McCarthy’s “witch hunts” of the 1950s. In the process, Duke turned on some of his closest friends and colleagues. As a result, Wayne’s professional and personal relationship with John Ford was severely strained. While Ford was also anti-Communist, he preferred to use more tact when dealing with his fellow artists in the Hollywood community.
Duke was so anti-communist that he filmed the political thriller Big Jim McLain (1952). In it, he stars as a HUAC investigator that tracks down communists in post-WWII Hawaii. Duke was directly tied to the enforcement of the infamous “Black List.” Said list had prevented many stars from seeking gainful employment. Duke’s fellow peers Walt Disney, Ginger Rogers, and future president Ronald Reagan all turned on their colleagues. The result was the destruction of the careers of such legends as actor/director Sam Wanamaker and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. HUAC was disbanded in 1975, however, the damage had already been done.
John Wayne and Nancy Olson in a scene from “Big Jim McClain” (1952)
Stalin and the Red Scare
As could be predicted, Duke was a feverous supporter of what would become known as the “Red Scare.” Created and orchestrated by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s, there were several triggering events that led to this paranoid movement in American history. Among them, were the trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in 1953 and the formation of the Russian “Iron Curtain” in 1945. This movement would reach its zenith in 1949 when the Soviet Union tested its first nuclear weapon. Wayne became so world-famous for his anti-communism stance that Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, allegedly, tried to have Duke assassinated. This, even though the Russian leader was a huge fan of American westerns.
Apparently, Stalin had learned of Duke’s views and widespread popularity from Soviet filmmaker Sergei Gerasimov. Stalin feared that Duke’s worldwide fame and influence would threaten Stalin’s global plans. Subsequently, it’s alleged he ordered Duke’s assassination by the KGB. However, Stalin died in March 1953. With this also died his dream of murdering the famous American actor. Duke has always publicly denied that he ever named names to McCarthy and HUAC. Legendary filmmaker Orson Welles spoke with biographer Michael Munn in 1983 about the alleged attempt on Duke’s life:
“I do not know if the name John Wayne was already known to Joseph Stalin before 1949, but in 1949 he certainly came to know of the name…He came to hate it. He feared it. He felt that the name had become a major threat to him and his ideals. It was as though, in Stalin’s warped mind, the Americans had invented some new secret weapon, more subtle than a nuclear bomb, but just as destructive to Stalin’s ideals and his dreams of world domination…Stalin was going to send Wayne a warning that if he continued to urge the American people to wage war on Soviet Russia, he would die”
Divorce and Changing Times
By the late 1940s, Duke was riding a wave of both commercial and financial success. On top of that, the Hollywood studios were losing their grip on their incredible stable of talent. More than two-thirds of actors and filmmakers were no longer under contract to any of the major studios. Duke had been co-producing his own films for Republic Pictures since 1946. By 1952, Wayne had left Republic for good and started his own production company, Batjac Productions. Functioning until 1974, Batjac would produce several western classics, such as Hondo (1953), McLintock!(1963) and Big Jake (1971).
Throughout the highs for Duke during this period also came some pretty horrible lows. Starting in 1952, the actor was embroiled in a very public and very messy divorce from his second wife Esperanza “Chata” Baur. Wayne was no stranger to divorce or extramarital affairs. The actor had many public flings with the Hollywood starlets of the day. Duke, an almost lifelong heavy drinker and smoker, had romantic relationships with such screen legends as Marlene Deitrich, Merle Oberon, and possibly his greatest co-star, Maureen O’Hara.
Chata, fourteen years younger than Duke, became jealous of the numerous women he had co-starred with. Among them was Duke’s Angel and the Badman (1947) co-star Gail Russell. Duke had celebrated the film’s completion with the cast and crew late into the evening. Upon returning home, Chata, drunk and angry, tried to shoot Duke as he walked through the front door. She would do everything she could to destroy her husband publicly. This included unproven allegations that Duke beat her repeatedly during his many drunken outbursts.
Duke and Chata eventually finalized their divorce in 1952. However, this was not before she dragged the actor’s name through the mud. Until her dying day, Esperanza Baur would tell anyone that would listen to her that Duke was an abusive drunk. That he regularly beat her. Chata would eventually move back to Mexico. It was there where she would become a recluse and drink herself to death at the age of forty. In one of the many preliminary divorce court hearings that Duke attended, the actor would state for the record:
“I never at any time during our marriage struck my wife…I will add that many times I had to protect myself from her temper. I call it ‘womanhandling’ Many times I had to hold her arms and grab her foot when she was trying to strike or kick me”
The Searchers
It would take John Wayne almost thirty years in the industry to finally secure the role that would cement his legacy. The Searchers (1956) is widely regarded as the greatest western film of all time, and one of the greatest cinematic achievements ever committed to celluloid. Directed by Duke’s longtime friend and collaborator John Ford, the film is one of the true marvels of cinema. Visually stunning and bitter in its tone, it’s worshipped and emulated by such auteurs as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas.
Written by Frank S. Nugent, and based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May, The Searchers is set during the Texas-Native American wars of the 1860s. The film tells the tale of Ethan Edwards (Wayne), a Civil War veteran on the losing side who is on a vengeful multi-year journey for his kidnapped niece (Natalie Wood) by Comanche Indians. He’s accompanied by his adopted nephew Martin (Jeffrey Hunter), who is also one-eighth Comanche. Edward’s overt racism towards the American Indian due to the brutal murder and kidnapping of his brother’s family is front and center throughout the film.
The character of Ethan Edwards has since been broken down and studied by critics and filmmakers for decades. It’s also said that Oscar-winning director David Lean studied the film while he was preparing to film the Oscar-winning masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia (1962). This was so Lean could get a better understanding of how to shoot landscapes. It should be noted that many critics stated that The Searcherswas based on the 1836 kidnapping of nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker by Comanche warriors.
Natalie Wood and John Wayne in the climatic ending scene of “The Searchers” (1956)
The Searchers was not a major critical success upon its initial release. The film earned zero recognition at the Academy Awards, as it was simply too ahead of its time with regard to theme and tone. However, the film has since been reevaluated and reappraised over the ensuing decades. The Searchers is now widely considered one of the greatest and most influential American films of all time. Famed critic Roger Ebert stated in a 2001 review:
“John Ford’s “The Searchers” contains scenes of magnificence, and one of John Wayne’s best performances. There are shots that are astonishingly beautiful…Ethan Edwards, fierce, alone, a defeated soldier with no role in peacetime, is one of the most compelling characters Ford and Wayne ever created…I think it took a certain amount of courage to cast Wayne as a character whose heroism was tainted.”
The Alamo
John Wayne had always wanted to make a film about The Alamo and the famous battle for its defense in 1836. This goes back to 1945. Wanting this film to be his true legacy, Duke planned on producing it, directing it, and, reluctantly, starring in it. Wayne’s fifteen-year odyssey from conception to the screen would cost the actor dearly, both financially and in terms of his health. Running dramatically over budget, Duke sunk every nickel he had into the film. This was to be Wayne’s grand vision of what American patriotism truly was, and still could be.
Duke hired frequent collaborator James Edward Grant for scriptwriting duties and the pair began to research the legendary battle for the freedom of Texas. John Ford’s son Patrick would serve as Duke’s assistant. Wayne had intended this to be a co-production with Republic Pictures. However, its president, Herbert Yates fumed over the suggested $3 million budget. Duke permanently severed his ties with Republic as a result. Unfortunately, the screenplay was the property of Republic Pictures. The actor was forced to start all over again.
John Wayne on set during the production of “The Alamo” (1960)
During the production of The Alamo (1960), Wayne’s smoking was up to an astonishing six packs a day. Further, the actor’s stress levels were off the charts and he visibly did not look well. Wayne also was starting to lose an unhealthy amount of weight during filming. Co-starring Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B. Travis, the film would eventually turn a profit, grossing $20 million on a $12 million budget. The Alamo was also nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning none. Duke would state about making the historical epic:
“I have everything I own in this picture – except my necktie…This picture is America. I hope that seeing the battle of the Alamo will remind Americans that liberty and freedom don’t come cheap. This picture, well, I guess making it has made me feel useful to my country”
The Big “C”
As the 1960s began to roll on, Duke needed to work more than ever as he had a lot of debt to pay off as a result of the money he sunk into The Alamo. The result was some real hits as well as some clear misses. Films like North to Alaska (1960), The Comancheros (1961), and Hatari! (1962) were all standard fare with Duke basically collecting a check for a subpar script and performance. However, there were some masterpieces thrown in during this period. This included the much beloved The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and the grossly underrated and underseen In Harm’s Way (1964). The former was the last great collaboration between John Wayne and John Ford and is considered one of the seminal American westerns.
Throughout all of it, Duke’s smoking continued. From his early teens, the actor smoked between three and six packs per day. Eventually, it caught up with him. In 1964, when Wayne was 57, he began having uncontrollable fits of coughing during the production of In Harm’s Way. The actor struggled to get through his scenes. Duke went for a medical examination that resulted in a golf ball-sized tumor being found on his left lung.
Duke decided to have surgery to remove most of his diseased left lung along with two of his ribs. The operating surgeon had to go in through Duke’s back because the tumor was so big. However, the operation was a success and after a small amount of time recovering, Duke was flying off to Mexico to film his next project, The Sons of Katie Elder (1965). Two-and-a-half months after the operation, Duke held a press conference whereby he stated that he had licked “The Big C.” Of course, Wayne would continue to smoke, but he switched to cigars.
As a result of the star’s battle with cancer, the Studio wanted Kirk Douglas to star. However, director Henry Hathaway fought hard to have Duke cast in the lead. Because of his health, Duke had to have an oxygen tank close by on the Durango, Mexico set. The filming location was almost 6000 feet above sea level, which resulted in Duke having a hard time breathing with just one lung. Despite all of that, Wayne insisted on performing all of his own stunts. He also almost caught pneumonia after one scene called for him to be dragged into a river.
Networking and Oscar Glory
On top of everything else that was going on in Duke’s life, the actor also discovered that he was being ripped off by his long-time financial advisor. Wayne found himself almost broke. That was partially why Duke’s output during the mid-1960s was so prolific. Subsequently, the actor was despondent but still tried to remain positive in the media about the situation. He stated to The Saturday Evening Post back in 1960:
I suddenly found out after 25 years I was starting out all over again…I would just about break even if I sold everything right now.
As the 1960s progressed, Duke found the critics, with a few exceptions, weren’t being as favorable to the actor as they were in the 1950s. Look no further than the critically panned and out-of-touch Vietnam film The Green Berets (1968), a low point in Duke’s career. The world around Wayne was changing. Another thing changing was his appearances on TV. He was appearing on the small screen in the 1960s more than he had in any previous decade. Alcoa Premiere, The Academy Awards, Jack Parr’s Tonight Show, even The Beverly Hillbillies and The Lucy Show, Duke was making the rounds and networking.
Glen Campbell, John Wayne, and Kim Darby in a scene from “True Grit” (1969)
John Wayne had read and loved Charles Portis’ novel True Grit and immediately started to lobby to be cast in the inevitable film version. Duke knew that the role of Sheriff Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn was one that only came around once or twice in a lifetime. Duke loved Marguerite Roberts’ screenplay and pushed hard on getting it green-lit. It should be noted that Roberts had been blacklisted years earlier, and it was Wayne that demanded that she receive proper credit.
As principal photography on True Grit (1969) neared, Duke became hesitant and worried. He wasn’t quite certain on how to portray Cogburn as the actor was used to having writers tailor scripts geared toward his style and method of acting. Director Henry Hathaway was eventually able to calm the actor down. Part of placating Duke’s concerns was making the now iconic eye patch out of gauze so that Wayne could see properly. Kim Darby who portrayed the vengeful teenage Mattie Ross raved about working with Duke:
“He was wonderful to work with…When you work with someone who’s a big star as he is…there’s an unspoken thing that they sort of set the environment for the working conditions on the set and the feeling on the set…He’s very supportive of the people around him and the people he works with…He’s really a reflection, an honest reflection, of what he really is. I mean that’s what you see on the screen. He’s simple and direct, and I love that in his work”
True Grit was both a critical and commercial success. John Wayne, who had been working in the industry for more than forty years, was now a leading contender to finally secure his first Academy Award. When he did nab the award, he was later congratulated by an ailing John Ford who had told Duke that this was long overdue. Wayne was finally getting the recognition he had wanted from Ford after decades of working in the industry. Duke asked Ford why he never had given him credit earlier in his career. Ford, in typical fashion, stated he didn’t want it going to Duke’s head and was waiting for the right time.
Playboy
In May 1971, Duke, still on top of the world and riding high after his fantastic performance and Oscar win for True Grit, felt the need to sit down with Playboy magazine for an interview. In this interview, the actor railed against Hollywood, the Progressive movement, the state of the film industry, and a myriad host of other issues and topics. He also once again doubled down on the war in Vietnam, voicing his support for what President Nixon was doing. If progressive liberal Democrats didn’t hate Duke before, they sure did now. Duke also stated, on the record, that he supported ‘white supremacy’ stating as follows:
“With a lot of blacks, there’s quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and possibly rightfully so. But we can’t all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks. I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility”
In the same interview, Wayne would also defend taking land from American Indians. He also slammed the current state of the film industry, specifically singling out the 1969 Best Picture winner Midnight Cowboy. Duke stated that the two lead characters, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, were a couple of ‘fags.’ Duke also railed against films like The Wild Bunch (1969) as being hyper-violent and distasteful. It should be noted that Duke was offered, and turned down, the iconic role of Dirty Harry (1971), which would eventually go to Clint Eastwood. Of course, Duke felt that the script was too violent and not befitting of his image.
John Wayne on location and on the set of “The Cowboys” (1972)
The Playboy interview was buried and forgotten about for decades. However, in February 2019, it resurfaced and caused quite a commotion. As a result of the outrage due to Wayne’s over-the-top and overtly racist and jingoistic comments, there was a mass movement that all things John Wayne be removed, taken down, and canceled. This included the renaming of John Wayne Airport located in Santa Ana, California. While the airport still remains in Duke’s name, a USC exhibit dedicated to the actor has since been removed.
Later Years
As the 1970s continued along, Duke had joined the rarified air of being a bona fide Hollywood legend. Wayne and the western genre were synonymous. Further, while many of Duke’s peers were either retired or on a downswing, Wayne continued to crank out box office hits and some genuinely good films. The Cowboys (1972), might be one of Duke’s best during this period. The Mark Rydell-directed film depicted Wayne in a paternal and sympathetic light, and fans ate it up. Bruce Dern also turned in a sadistic and memorable performance.
By the middle of the decade, Duke’s health was in serious decline. His cancer had returned and began to spread to other parts of his body. Duke would reprise his Rooster Cogburn role in 1975, starring alongside fellow legend Katherine Hepburn in Rooster Cogburn (1975). The film was basically a remake of The African Queen (1951), also starring Hepburn. Duke’s final film was The Shootist (1976), perhaps his best late-career performance. Paired with old friends Jimmy Stewart and Lauren Bacall, the film was a fitting end to Wayne’s career as he portrays an aging gunslinger who is dying of cancer.
By the late-1970s, Duke was dying. President Jimmy Carter had formed a friendship with the actor, even though Duke had campaigned for Carter’s rival, Gerald Ford. Carter would award Wayne with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. Duke was also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on his 72nd birthday, May 26, 1979, weeks before his death. Duke’s last public appearance was at the April 1979 Academy Awards ceremony. Introduced by host Johnny Carson, Wayne was alarmingly thinner and given a standing ovation by the Hollywood crowd.
John Wayne died on June 11, 1979, at the UCLA Medical Center, from complications of stomach cancer. The actor had converted to Roman Catholicism just days before his passing. He is buried in the Pacific View Memorial Park Cemetery, located in his beloved Newport Beach. Duke requested that his tombstone read “Feo, Fuerte y Formal”, a Spanish expression that meant “ugly, strong, and dignified.”
