JOHN WAYNE FURIOUSLY REJECTED an offer from Steven Spielberg, branding his film “drivel.” Yet many, including the Western star’s wife Pilar, believe his actions were rooted in a need to “atone” for his own secret shame.

For decades, Wayne straddled the screen, the ultimate symbol of US frontier and even military machismo. Firmly right-wing in his personal and public views, his third wife Pilar labelled him a “superpatriot.” And when a chance came towards the end of his life to work with the new hottest director in town,  the ageing star furiously shot him down. After being offered a plum role, Wayne typically did not mince his words and told Spielberg the film 1941 was “the most anti-American piece of drivel I have ever read in my life.”

1941 is remembered as one of the director’s rare misfires, despite attaining cult status in subsequent years. Although it turned a very small profit, it paled in success next to his previous Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Released in 1979, it was soon eclipsed and forgotten after the first Raiders of the Lost Ark movie hit screens two years later.

The action-comedy humorously imagines a Japanese attack on Los Angeles days after the offensive on the US fleet at Pearl Harbour.

Wayne refused the role of General Joseph Stilwell (which went to Robert Stack) and told Spielberg: “You know, that was an important war, and you’re making fun of a war that cost thousands of lives at Pearl Harbor. Don’t joke about World War II.”

The Duke’s patriotic fervour is understandable but was also rooted in his own rather compromised past.

Will there ever be another Hollywood cowboy quite like John Wayne? These Yellowstone fans think Kevin Costner is the only to come close.

Right off the bat, this feels an odd comparison to draw for this Outsider. Sure, on the surface it works: both men are incredibly famous for their work in Westerns. Yet as individuals and their roles in Hollywood at large – they could not be more different.

But that’s just one man’s opinion! As a fellow Yellowstone fan, however, I do think it’s fair to say Costner’s John Dutton is having a considerable impact on American pop culture today – much in the same way John Wayne did in his heyday.

Perhaps this, then, is what has led to an active discussion over on Reddit’s Yellowstone board between passionate fans. There, Redditor deepinterwebz jumpstarts the conversation with: “I see Kevin Costner as America’s modern day John Wayne. He embodies America’s true cowboy spirit as Wayne did.”

Which, again, on the surface kind of works. The top comment picks up on some of the same hiccups mentioned earlier, though, as u/hitch_in_my_gitalong replies: “Leaving out their actual personalities, John Wayne generally played good guy roles. John Dutton wants something that’s honorable and good but is crooked in how he goes about it.”

True, yet both were products of their time. In this discussion, fans seem to be whisking all of Wayne’s iconic cowboy roles into one fictional cowboy of a man – which was largely The Duke’s public persona. Wayne always wanted to play good guys, sure (except, you know, that one time he played Genghis Khan in one of the worst missteps in Hollywood history), but many of his characters were just as “crooked” as Costner’s Dutton for their time. Cinema simply wasn’t as breakneck and gory in the golden age. Things were… Much different. Something like Yellowstone would be unfathomable to audiences of the mid-20th century.

‘Yellowstone’ Fans on ‘Hollywood’s Version of a Cowboy’

To this end, Redditor DemenicHand believes “it would probably be better to compare Rock “The Dwayne” Johnson’s persona to John Wayne, instead of [Costner].”

An interesting take! Honestly, Johnson certainly has a much more similar bravado to Wayne about him that Costner. Wayne was “larger than life,” as is Johnson. Costner, however, is far closer to that actual “cowboy spirit” of less showmanship – more action.

Yet Redditor johnnykoxville (not to be confused with the actual Jackass star) disagrees that either could ever be considered the “True cowboy spirit,” saying “It’s so far off in reality.”

Eh… I Disagree. From someone who has two literal cowboys for great uncles, both men remind me a lot of Kevin Costner and a little of John Wayne. So take that for what you will, Yellowstone fans.

As Redditor AnnaNonna says, “John Wayne embodied Hollywood’s version of a cowboy.”

Kevin Costner and his characters – like one John Dutton – however, feel far more true to life.

We all remember John Wayne for being the honorable, heroic cowboy— yet The Duke was not without a temper. While filming his 1970 Western film, Chisum, Wayne proved to be a lot like the man he played in westerns.

During a 2018 interview, Wayne’s co-star, Chris Mitchum opened up about what it was like to work with the legend. According to the actor, Wayne was much like the character he presented on the screen: just and stern when he felt it necessary.

“He was big enough that he would state when he was wrong,” Mitchum began about working with Wayne on set. “He also was extremely fair. I remember one time when we were doing Chisum, the prop guy asked the cast to check their guns when they left the set as it was unsafe around Durango and he did not want them to be misplaced.”

John Wayne Yelled at an Actor

According to Mitchum, the prop guy went to find Geoff Duel, another actor on set who made a mistake of not keeping a close watch on his guns— which were real firearms.

“Duke waited until everybody was seated having lunch. Duke stood up and ripped Geoff apart for not checking his gun. He hollered, ‘Everybody on the set has a job to do, and we help everybody do their job. We work as a single unit here. You were asked to check your gun. Do it and don’t make him come running!’” Mitchum continued.

Even though Wayne was known for being a bit hot-headed at times, he only acted that way when he saw someone not being treated fairly.

“The next day there was an actor standing and Duke said, ‘Why don’t you go sit down? It’s hot.’ This actor replied, ‘Well Duke, I don’t have a chair.’ Duke had gotten his start as a prop man for Fox in the late 1920s. He called the prop guy over and just ripped him a new one for not having a chair there. Duke gave it out to everybody who was out of line,” Mitchum said of John Wayne.

Mitchum also described Wayne as being “more of a mentor and a father to me in the business than my own father was.” He also added that “Duke did nothing but give me support. He took me from a two or three-line role to costarring with him. He basically made my career.”

Throughout his career, Mitchum would star alongside Wayne in films such as Chisum, Rio Lobo, and the legendary Big Jake.