John Wayne
John Wayne’s furious clash left director demanding he be axed: ‘Didn’t admire him!’
Nicknamed The Duke, John Wayne remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring figures, appearing in more than 170 films and TV shows during a long career, which started in the silent era of cinema in the Twenties. For more than three decades, Wayne ranked among the top box-office draws for cinemagoers, and as a result of often regarded as Tinsel Town’s biggest star. His legacy was secured in 1999 when the American Film Institute selected him as one of the greatest male stars of classic US cinema. The pinnacle of his career came in 1969’s True Grit, when after years of trying, Wayne, who passed away at the age of 72 in 1979, finally clinched the Academy Award for Best Actor he desperately craved.
Though critics and fans continue to lavish praise on an incredible film career, it appears that Wayne himself struggled to maintain some relationships with those he worked with. This included with director Mark Rydell, who was Oscar-nominated for the 1981 film On Golden Pond.
The two paired up in 1972’s The Cowboys, with Wayne at the time wishing to star in more up-scale westerns, as opposed to the lower budget flicks he had spent the majority of career appearing in.
The story follows an aging rancher who hires some young teens to help drive his cattle over a 400-mile trail, from Montana to South Dakota. Slash Film, in a report this year, described The Cowboys as the “perfect companion” to True Grit.
Wayne, who that year would cause mayhem at the Academy Awards event with his row with Sacheen Littlefeather over Native American rights, was on a quest to find the perfect script.
John Wayne’s furious clash left director demanding he be axed: ‘Didn’t admire him’ (Image: GETTY)
John Wayne in The Cowboys (Image: GETTY)
Among those against Wayne appearing in The Cowboys was its author William Dale Jennings, who as an openly gay man and felt his values were so different to the western star that he did not want him anywhere near production. Rydell was equally against Wayne’s inclusion.
During the adaptation process of Jennings’ book into script, screenwriters Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr also did not want Wayne, instead writing the lead character of Wil Andersen for George C. Scott, who won the Best Actor Oscar a year after Wayne’s for Patton.
According to John Wayne: The Life and Legend in 2014, author Scott Eyman noted how Rydell’s agreement with the writers saw him dig his heels in, until Wayne himself got involved, and persuaded the director to give him a chance.
Rydell said: “I did not want John Wayne for The Cowboys. But Warners (the film’s studio) was heavily invested in John Wayne, with whom I was at polar opposites politically and emotionally and every possible way.
JUST IN: The Duke John Wayne suffered from ill health
The film was released in 1972 (Image: GETTY)
“I did not admire him. But he seduced me mercilessly. ‘I promise you I will do the best job I possibly can,’ he said. ‘Let’s not talk about anything but acting. Not politics or religion, just acting.’ He completely won me over and I agreed he should play the part.”
On this occasion, Wayne managed to change the perception of himself to others, but when it came to The Duke harbouring his own opinions he was less than forgiving. Among those Wayne reportedly despised was Gone with the Wind star Clark Gable, and double-Academy Award winner Gene Hackman.
Aissa Wayne, one of the Hollywood legend’s children, described his ill-feeling towards the stars in her 1991 book John Wayne: My Father. She recalled how his anger towards Gable, for example, came as a result of a falling out between him and director John Ford, a close friend of The Duke’s.
She wrote: “My dad called Gable handsome but dumb at least four or five times, and now I wonder if it had something to do with my father’s friend, John Ford. During the filming of Mogambo, Ford and Gable had clashed again and again and the subsequent feud had simmered for years.
DON’T MISS:‘Furious’ John Wayne restrained by six men at Marlon Brando Oscar win [ANALYSIS]John Wayne’s desperate move ‘not to disappoint fans’ [LATEST]John Wayne’s 1937 film co-star betrayed by Humphrey Bogart dies at 104 [INSIGHT]
Gene Hackman, the double-Academy Award winner (Image: GETTY)
“In my father’s way of thinking, disloyalty to allies, support in any fashion for their enemies, was expressly forbidden. If Clark Gable took on John Ford, my father’s code demanded that John Wayne stand by his old pal.”
Hackman was also targeted by Wayne, who he described as the worst actor in cinema. Aissa continued: “When it came to his contemporaries in film, I only heard him speak once with any real venom.
“Gene Hackman could never appear on-screen without my father skewering his performance.
“I wish I could tell you why he so harshly criticised Hackman, but he never went into detail. Although it’s pure speculation, had my father lived to see more of his work, I think his view of Mr Hackman would have changed. Back then, however, my father called Hackman ‘the worst actor in town. He’s awful’.”
John Wayne
The Legend Lives On: John Wayne is Still Alive!
John Wayne
Why John Wayne Turned Down the Chance to Work With Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood and John Wayne are the two biggest legends in the history of Western movies, however, they never worked together. The duo did have the opportunity to work together once in the 1970s. Here’s why the film never came to fruition.
How John Wayne responded when Clint Eastwood tried to work with him
Firstly, a little background. According to the book John Wayne: The Life and Legend, it all starts with Larry Cohen. Though Cohen is not a widely known director like Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino, he’s a huge name to fans of B movies. He directed famous B movies like The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent, It’s Alive, and God Told Me To. He also wrote a script called The Hostiles shortly after Eastwood released his classic High Plains Drifter.
The Hostiles was about a gambler who wins half of an estate of an older man. The gambler and the older man have to work together despite the fact that they don’t like each other. Eastwood optioned the screenplay with the intent of playing the gambler alongside Wayne as the older man.
Eastwood sent a copy of the script of The Hostiles to Wayne. Although Eastwood felt the script was imperfect, he saw its potential. However, Wayne was not interested. Eastwood pitched the film to Wayne a second time and Wayne responded with a letter. Wayne’s letter complained about High Plains Drifter. Wayne was offended by the film and its portrayal of the Old West as a cruel, violent place.
John Wayne
Ann-Margret Refused to Call John Wayne ‘Duke’ While Introducing 1 of His Movies
Ann-Margret once starred in one of John Wayne’s lesser-known movies. However, she refused to call him by his popular moniker Duke. Here’s a look at the film they made together — and why she declined to call him by a nickname.
The one time Ann-Margret and John Wayne made a movie together
Ann-Margret is probably most known for her work in musicals, specifically Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, and The Who’s Tommy. However, she also dabbled in the Western genre. She starred alongside Wayne in the mostly forgotten movie The Train Robbers.
Wayne was also known as The Duke or just Duke. According to USA Today, the nickname was derived from his childhood dog. It stuck with him for many years. It continues to be used today — even on the box covers of the DVDs for his movies.
John Wayne | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
During an interview with Interview Magazine, Ann-Margret explained why she didn’t refer to the Rio Bravo star by this famous name. “When I came to this country, first of all, mother and I didn’t know English,” she said. “I would curtsey, then say, ‘Thank you,’ and then when I was leaving, curtsey. For example, we went to Dallas to introduce a film I did with John Wayne. And I never called him Duke. I just couldn’t. That’s the way I was raised. When you meet someone, you say either Mr. or Mrs. or Miss. You stand up.”
Ann-Margret revealed she treated other famous people in much the same way. For example, she worked with director George Sidney on Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. She always called him Mr. Sidney.
What Ann-Margret thought about John Wayne
Ann-Margret refused to use Wayne’s most famous moniker. However, she had a positive view of the actor. During an interview with Fox News, she was asked what she expected when she met Wayne. “Oh, I didn’t know what to expect,” she revealed. “But when he hugged me, it’s like the world was hugging me. He was so big and wide with that booming voice.
“We were shooting in Durango, Mexico and my parents came down to visit me,” she added. “He was so great with my parents. So absolutely welcoming and gentle with them. And anybody who was great to my parents was on a throne in my eyes.”
How the world reacted to ‘The Train Robbers’
Wayne starred in many classic Westerns, including The Searchers, Stagecoach, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. However, The Train Robbers is mostly forgotten. It didn’t gain a cult following like Once Upon a Time in the West or Dead Man. It wasn’t a critical success either, garnering a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Ann-Margret had some fond memories of making the film — even if she refused to call Wayne by his famous nickname.
My Roommate Demands I Pay Her Back Half the Rent Because She Was Away for Two Weeks
My Landlord Stole My Beautiful Christmas Tree and My Payback Was Harsh
A Stranger Sat Next to Me While My Dying Husband Was in the Hospital and Told Me to Put a Hidden Camera in His Ward to Uncover a Truth
-
Entertainment1 year agoJohn Wayne’s son speaks on military service, Hollywood life and his dad, ‘The Duke’ – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year ago40 Legendary John Wayne Quotes – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year agoNew biography reveals the real John Wayne – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year agoWhy one POPULAR ACTOR was FIRED from THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER and lost his career as a result! – Old western – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year agoRio Lobo (1970) marked the last collaboration between John Wayne and Howard Hawks. – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year agoHow Maureen O’Hara Broke Her Hand During Iconic Scene With John Wayne – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year agoJohn Wayne and the ‘Bonanza’ Cast Appeared in This Epic Coors Light Commercial – My Blog
-
Entertainment1 year agoDid John Wayne really have a good time filming 1972’s The Cowboys? – My Blog