John Wayne

Fans and critics consider John Wayne one of the all-time greats among motion picture stars. His family moved to Southern California because of his father’s health. The family first tried ranching in the Mojave Desert and later moved to Glendale, California. The family names his pet Airedale “Duke” and it is the source of John Wayne nickname. 

He does well in school academically and in football. He narrowly fails admission to Annapolis. However, he earns a football scholarship to University of Southern California (USC). While attending USC, he and a few other USC students worked in the film industry, usually as extras, grips or both.

Studios cast Wayne in a series of second-rate features, which did little to improve his career. Not satisfied with his slow progress, he went to Columbia to make a string of pictures that were equally disappointing at the box-office. Then came a series of adventure-type films for Warner Bros., which improved his outlook toward the future. In 1932, Wayne joined Mascot Pictures and starred in a long list of Westerns known as Lone Star Productions. Between features and serials, he was one of the most active players in Westerns. 

It was during that period of his career that he portrayed the first singing cowboy hero on the screen. Getting the jump on Ken Maynard and Gene Autry by a couple of years, Wayne played the lead in the “Singing Sandy” series, which highlighted some scenes in each feature wherein the hero sang. For these scenes, the producers dubbed in the singing voice while Wayne went through the actions. The singing is attributed to many different sources like the director’s son, Smith Ballew and even Wayne himself.

When Monogram merged with Mascot, Consolidated and Lone Star to form the new Republic Studios in 1935, Wayne remained with the company for another year and then went to work for Universal and made a string of non-Western features. Around 1938, he returned to Republic to replace Bob Livingston in the “Three Mesquiteers” series and became one of the studio’s most important stars.

Not yet having risen above starring in B-class horse-operas, Wayne received the biggest break of his career in 1939 when director John Ford selected him to play the lead in Stagecoach. Appearing with an excellent supporting cast that included Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, George Bancroft and Andy Devine, he became a full-fledged star while critics hail the picture as the best Western ever made. From then on, Wayne appeared in nothing but top grade productions, many which John Ford directed.

Wayne continues to work out his contract at Republic Studios in B (plus) movies. However, other Hollywood studios hire the actor for some of their A-features. They include The Spoilers, Pittsburgh, Reap the Wild Wind, Reunion in France, A Lady Take a Chance, and Without Reservations. During World War II, Wayne starred as a war hero in Flying Tigers, The Fighting Seabees, Back to Bataan and They Were Expendable. However, it was during the filming of Reap the Wild Wind that Wayne suffered an ear infection that exempted him from military service.

Hollywood nominated him for an Oscar as best actor of the year in 1949 when he played in The Sands of Iwo Jima and was praised for his performances in Shepherd of the Hills, Tall in the Saddle, Red River, The Quiet Man and The High and the Mighty. After many great roles, Wayne finally won his Oscar as the boozy, patch-eyed, over-the-hill lawman in the 1969 Western, True Grit. Upon accepting his Oscar, Wayne said, “If I’d know this was all it would take, I’d have put that eye patch on 40 years ago.”

When he is not making pictures, Wayne lives a rugged life similar to the one he portrays on the screen. Unlike most movie tough-guys, he is just as rough in real life. His twelve-year marriage to Josephine Saenz ended in divorce in 1945. A year later, he wed Esperanza Bauer, a union that lasted until 1954. He then married Pilar Pallette in 1954 and the marriage lasted until his death in 1979. He had four children with his first wife Josephine and three with Pilar.

There is some question on what the Duke’s actual middle name is. His original birth certificate has it as Marion Robert Morrison. After his brother Robert is born, his parents decide to change Marion’s name. Some claim it to be Michael and some believe it was actually changed to Mitchell.