John Wayne

John Wayne’s Oddball Advice Left An Impression On Michael Caine

There is not a greater celebrity raconteur than Michael Caine. The 89-year-old movie star has lived the fullest of lives, appeared in a number of great films, and snatched up two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor — and he loves to talk about it. The son of blue-collar parents seems perpetually tickled by his success. Ask him about a critically acclaimed classic like “The Man Who Would Be King” or a universally reviled bomb like “Jaws: The Revenge” and you’ll get a good-humored story out of it. He is the platonic ideal of “affable.”

If you were to pick an actor who resided on the opposite end of the “affable” scale, you couldn’t find a more ornery cuss than John Wayne. Wayne was aloof. It took a cagey journalist like Joan Didion to humanize him, and, in retrospect, she seemed a little starstruck. Wayne seemed to have made all the friends he’d ever need by the time he’d become a star. But when an immovable object like The Duke meets an irresistibly charming force like Caine, an unlikely friendship might be in the offing.

Suede shoes are a luxury movie stars cannot afford

Caine rocketed to stardom as the caddish title character of Lewis Gilbert’s “Alfie” in 1966. It was around this time that the actor, in Los Angeles for the shooting of Ronald Neame’s superb “Gambit,” found himself routinely kicking around the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel for a bit of celebrity spotting. One day, John Wayne came through and spotted Caine. He’d seen “Alfie,” and told the young Brit “It’s very good, son.” A friendship ensued, which led to the American movie icon giving his newfound pal from across the pond a strangely specific bit of advice:

“He said, ‘Never wear suede shoes.’ I asked why and he said, ‘Because you’ll be taking a piss in a men’s room and there’ll be a guy next to you, and all of a sudden the guy will recognize you and he’ll turn and go, ‘Michael Caine!’ And he’ll piss all over your shoes!’ I never wore suede shoes again.”

One wonders if rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins had intended a slightly different lyric for his classic “Blue Suede Shoes.” Mostly, though, this suggests that John Wayne had significant experience getting urinated on in men’s rooms. If so, perhaps he elaborated on these experiences to his friend Michael Caine. If he did, I can guarantee you one thing: Caine wouldn’t keep it to himself.

John Wayne

How Maureen O’Hara Broke Her Hand During Iconic Scene With John Wayne

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara starred in five films together over the course of their impressive movie careers. The only thing greater than their off-screen friendship was their on-screen chemistry.

Even though the pair had undeniable affection for each other, their film takes weren’t always flawless. In fact, one of their most memorable movie scenes resulted in O’Hara breaking her wrist. The scene takes place in The Quiet Man, a movie that was considered to be a passion project for director John Ford…the same man who introduced John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara at a party.

In a 2004 interview with Diane Sawyer, Maureen O’Hara shared a behind-the-scenes details about how filming a scene with John Wayne while she was angry at him resulted in her broken wrist.

“That particular day I was mad at him,” O’Hara recalled of a day on the set of The Quiet Man. “I was hitting him for real and I was intending to break his jaw. As you’ll see, as I hauled off to hit him, he puts his hand up and stops it. In that moment he snaps my wrist back and cracked a bone in my wrist.”

O’Hara finished filming the scene then went to the hospital. She later returned to the set to continue working because “you got no sympathy.”

O’Hara went on to explain in the interview that she was angry because John Wayne and the movie’s director had put down sheep’s dung for the scene where Wayne’s character drags O’Hara’s on the ground.

“Let me tell you, it stinks!” O’Hara said. “They loved tormenting me. Probably because I reacted. If I had had the sense not to even react they probably would have quit tormenting me.”

Hear Maureen O’Hara talk about breaking her hand while taking a swing at John Wayne in the clip below.

John Wayne

Inside John Wayne’s Decades-Long Relationship With Maureen O’Hara

One of cinema’s most beloved pairings was John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Both are legends in their own right, but when paired together, the two made magic on the screen.

They co-starred in five movies throughout their careers: Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963), and Big Jake (1971).

Their chemistry on-screen and close bond off-screen led many to believe that O’Hara and Wayne were an actual couple.

But their friendship was just that…friendship. They couldn’t have though higher of each other, and they made sure everyone knew!

In an interview posted to Wayne’s official Instagram account, a reporter says, “She’s been your wife a great many times,” and O’Hara interjected, “His fighting partner!”

Wayne laughed and when the sam reporter said, “There’s no way to make her not look beautiful,” Wayne revealed, “[Director John] Ford tried to make her unattractive in a few scenes – and it was impossible!”

They remained close friends until The Duke’s death in 1979. O’Hara spent three days with her legendary friend in the hospital trying to raise his spirits. When he wasn’t feeling great about turning 72, about two weeks before his death, O’Hara told him, “So what? Mileage never hurt a Rolls Royce.”

O’Hara passed away from natural causes in 2015 at the age of 94, reuniting her with one of her dearest friends, as well as her husband Charles Blair.

We are thankful for this partnership in cinema, friendship, and legacy they left behind!

John Wayne

Famed famous actress will not work with John Wayne for many years .

While many fans love John Wayne and his movies, it turns out he wasn’t always that popular with his fellow celebrities. In fact, there was at least one actress that refused to work with him for a long time! eventually, she came around but she called out his behavior and asked him to change. That actress was the iconic Katharine Hepburn.

In the ‘50s, John was a Republican who would often share his political views. Of course, this led to disagreements and other people didn’t always agree or like his views.

John wanted Katharine to play Angie Lowe in his western film Hondo. However, after she discovered that he supported the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), she didn’t want to work with him.

Kathar Hepburn famously feuded with John Wayne : In changed her mind. They worked together in the 1975 classic Rooster Cogburn. However, it doesn’t seem that all was well when they filmed the movie. After the movie was completed, Katharine spoke out about John, saying that he was always arguing with the crew and the director. She called him out during the film’s wrap party.

Reportedly, she told him, “I’m glad I didn’t know you when you had two lungs. You must have been a real b*****d. Losing a hip has mellowed me, but you!” Years later, before his death in 1979, they apparently made up and had some fun times together.