Why John Wayne Not Serving in World War II Made Him Hollywood’s Valuable Commodity – My Blog
Actor John Wayne avoided serving in World War II, which had both positive and negative impacts on his career. The “super-patriot” always held high opinions of the country and those who served to protect it. However, Wayne took criticism for not fighting for the country when he had the opportunity to do so. The actor believed that he served in his own way, but staying home actually benefited his career more than one may think.
Why John Wayne avoided serving in World War II
L-R: John Wayne as Lt. Rusty Ryan and Robert Montgomery as Lt. John Brickley | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne had a variety of reasons why he didn’t serve in WWII back in the day. However, he would later open up about the real reason why he didn’t enlist. The actor initially tried to explain how he wanted to serve, but that he wasn’t allowed to. Wayne ultimately didn’t enlist in WWII on the basis that he was the sole supporter of his family, but he failed to mention that he was in the process of getting a divorce at the time.
Nevertheless, the Western movie star ultimately found his own purpose to serve during the war. He felt that he symbolized America in a unique way and he wanted to act as morale for the soldiers fighting for the United States. However, some folks surrounding the actor didn’t agree with this assertion and they reminded him of that.
John Wayne became Hollywood’s valuable commodity after not serving in World War II
Marc Eliot wrote about the They Were Expendable actor in American Titan: Searching for John Wayne and how not serving in WWII ultimately gave him a huge advantage in his career. As a result, he became a huge commodity in Hollywood because many of the leading men went off to war.
Naval reservist Henry Fonda was called to active duty, even though the 37-year-old was married with three children. Meanwhile, 33-year-old Jimmy Stewart went on a diet of candy, beer, and bananas to reach the minimum weight requirement to serve his country by flying dozens of missions over Germany.
Eliot explained how Gene Autry joined the Army Air Corps, Robert Montgomery and William Holden joined the army, and Tyrone Power enlisted in the Marines. Additionally, Clark Gable joined the army after his wife, Carole Lombard, tragically died in a plane crash during a tour selling war bonds. Ronald Reagan also gave up his booming acting career to fight in the war, which resulted in World War I veteran Humphrey Bogart getting the lead role in Casablanca.
Many male actors left to fight in WWII because of the pressures of patriotism, but not Wayne. Even Laurence Olivier, a member of the “Beverly Hills Brits,” had to return home to do their duty.
As a result, Wayne was one of the few big names in Hollywood to not leave to fight in WWII, allowing him to further expand his brand and movie career.
The actor’s patriotism took a hit
Wayne ultimately saw his film career continue to grow for not serving in WWII. However, he considered himself a “super patriot” and that self-assessment took a hit as a result. Wayne often represented America itself at the time and many audiences look up to him as such. Nevertheless, his mentor, John Ford, knew how to push his buttons – bringing up the fact that he didn’t fight for his country in the war.
The actor heavily regretted not serving his country. However, he still stuck to his guns that he served in another way. Wayne remains one of America’s biggest actors, who frequently made movies about and supported the soldiers in the wars he didn’t serve in.
‘Black movie queen’ Maureen O’Hara – a close colleague of John Wayne passed away in front of the audience’s mourning. – My Blog
The star of the movie “Miracle on 34th Street”, a familiar co-star of actor John Wayne, has passed away due to old age and weakness. Maureen O’Hara, an Irish star, was once known as “the queen of movies. color”, died at his home in Boise, Idaho, USA, on October 24, at the age of 95.
The information was confirmed by Johnny Nicoletti, her long-time manager. “She passed away in the loving arms of her family, as well as on the soundtrack of the movie The Quiet Man that she loved so much,” one Maureen O’Hara’s relatives shared.
During her illustrious career, O’Hara had five times played the screen lover of actor John Wayne. She appeared in many classic Hollywood films, such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), How Green Was My Valley (1941), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952). , Our Man in Havana (1959) and The Parent Trap (1961).
However, she never received an Oscar nomination. A year before Maureen O’Hara’s death, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to present her with an honorary Oscar for her service to Hollywood.
During the 1940s, when color film began to flourish, Maureen O’Hara appeared in a series of compelling works such as To the Shores of Tripoli (1942), The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945). and The Quiet Man.
Possessing fair skin, red hair, as well as green eyes, she “shines like the sun on a silver screen,” as the New York Times described it. It was Dr. Herbert Kalmus, the inventor of color film, who gave Maureen O’Hara the nickname “color film queen”.
The reason why John Wayne is labeled ‘Draft Dodger’ in Wor ւ ԁ War II . – My Blog
When actor John Wayne visited American soldiers in Vietnam in the summer of 1966, he was warmly welcomed. As he spoke to groups and individuals, he was presented gifts and letters from American and South Vietnamese troops alike. This was not the case during his USO tours in 1942 and ’43.According to author Garry Wills’ 1998 book, “John Wayne’ America: the Politics of Celebrity,” the actor received a chorus of boos when he walked onto the USO stages in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Those audiences were filled with combat veterans. Wayne, in his mid-30s, was not one of them.
Around the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Wayne was not the big-name actor we remember him being today. He was fresh off the box-office success of the 1939 film “Stagecoach.”Being drafted or enlisting was going to have a serious impact on his rising star. Depending on how long the ԝаr lasted, Wayne reportedly worried he might be too old to be a leading man when he came home.
Other actors, both well-established and rising in fame, rushed off to do their part. Clark Gable joined the Army Air Forces and, despite the studios’ efforts to get him into a motion picture unit, served as an aerial ɡսոոеr over Europe. Jimmy Stewart was initially ineligible for the draft, given his low weight, but like some amazing version of Captain America, he drank beer until he qualified.In his 2014 book, “American Titan: Searching for John Wayne,” author Marc Eliot alleges Wayne was having an affair with actress Marlene Dietrich. He says the possibility of losing this relationship was the real reason Wayne didn’t want to go to ԝаr.
But even Dietrich would do her part, smuggling Jewish people out of Europe, entertaining troops on the front lines (she crossed into Germany alongside Gen. George S. Patton) and maybe even being an operative for the Office of Strategic Services.Wayne never enlisted and even filed for a 3-A draft deferment, which meant that if the sole provider for a family of four were drafted, it would cause his family undue hardship. The closest he would ever come to Worւԁ Wаr II service would be portraying the actions of others on the silver screen.
With his leading man competition fighting the ԝаr and out of the way, Wayne became Hollywood’s top leading man. During the ԝаr, Wayne starred in a number of western films as well as Worւԁ Wаr II movies, including 1942’s “Flying Tigers” and 1944’s “The Fighting Seabees.” According to Eliot, Wayne told friends the best thing he could do for the ԝаr was make movies to support the troops. Eventually, the government agreed.
At one point during the ԝаr, the need for more men in uniform caused the U.S. military brass to change Wayne’s draft status to 1-A, fit for duty. But Hollywood studios intervened on his behalf, arguing that the actor’s star power was a boon for ԝаrtime propaganda and the morale of the troops. He was given a special 2-A status, which back then meant he was deferred in “support of national interest.”The decision not to serve or to avoid it entirely (depending on how you look at the actor) haunted Wayne for the rest of his life. His third wife, Pilar Wayne, says he became a “super-patriot for the rest of his life trying to atone for staying at home.”