John Wayne

The Movie John Wayne Considered His Worst

John Wayne made over 180 movies in his career, but here’s the 1957 romantic drama he personally labeled as one of his absolute worst films.

John Wayne appeared in over 180 movies throughout his career, but here’s why he considered Jet Pilot one of – if not the – worst. Wayne had fronted dozens of b-movie Westerns before the success of 1939’s Stagecoach elevated him to stardom. He would go on to front many more Westerns, including Red River, True Grit, The Searchers and the unofficial Rio Bravo trilogy. The enduring cinematic image of Wayne is that of a cowboy, but he made films in many other genres throughout his 50-year career.

1952’s The Quiet Man is probably his most famous, and while elements of that movie have aged poorly – such as its stereotyping of the Irish – it’s still considered a classic. Wayne also fronted war movies like Sands Of Iwa Jima, the adventure movie Hatari! or even romantic drama The Barbarian And The Geisha. Wayne was famously blunt when it came to the quality of his own work, especially with some of his final films like Cahill U.S. Marshal or Rooster Cogburn – his only sequel.

One film he was particularly unhappy with was Jet Pilot, a cold war romance where Wayne’s Air Force Colonel Shannon falls in love with a Soviet defector, played by Psycho’s Janet Leigh. The background of Jet Pilot is more interesting than the actual movie, which was produced by reclusive millionaire Howard Hughes. Jet Pilot started filming in 1949, with the film being intended by Hughes to be a showcase for the latest aircraft, but Hughes’ obsession with re-editing the film – especially the aerial sequences – meant it didn’t see release until 1957.

Why Wayne Considered Jet Pilot One Of His Worst Movies

John Wayne signed on to Jet Pilot despite reservations over the quality of the screenplay because he liked its political themes. His concerns over the story would prove well founded, with reviews of Jet Pilot lambasting its inconsistent tone and sheer goofiness. Wayne – who was nicknamed “Duke” after his childhood pet – himself would later state of the film that “It is undoubtedly one of my worst movies ever.” By the time the film hit theaters, all of the Air Force aircraft it was produced to display were outdated models too.

If nothing else, Jet Pilot features some impressive aerial photography, and the cast commits to their roles amid the melodrama and forced romance of the screenplay. However, it ranks alongside other John Wayne films like The Conqueror – where he was infamously miscast as Genghis Khan – as the actor’s worst efforts and has been essentially forgotten in the years since its release. Given how tough Wayne was on his own filmography – even critiquing True Grit, the film that won him his sole Oscar – labeling Jet Pilot his worst is almost a badge of honor.

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.