John Wayne did establish himself as one of the greatest actors ever in Western films. But did you know that he invented a punch? The venerable actor did just that as he changed the narrative, so to speak. Before “The Duke” started duking it out with bad guys, the good guys usually were following the rules of fighting. Not with John Wayne.

John Wayne Always Packs A Punch For His Movie FansIn an interview, he once described how things changed with his mighty fists. “The hero could only knock the villain down politely and then wait until he rose,” Wayne says. “I changed all that. I threw chairs and lamps. (And) I fought hard, and I fought dirty. I fought to win.” He usually would come out on the winning end, too.

What about the punch? If you have seen him in The Searchers or Stagecoach, then you know he would fight to hold his ground. Wayne’s punches were in the form of a big arc or circle-like configuration. Doing so will send the puncher and the intended target off of their feet. They would look wobbly. John Wayne would make sure the moviegoers would see him in action. By doing this, they would get the full punching and fighting experience.

Martin Scorsese Remembers The First Time He Saw ‘The Searchers’Director Martin Scorsese, who has made a few good movies in his career, loves The Searchers. He once called seeing John Wayne in it “the greatest performance of a great American actor.” In an interview with the famed director, he recalled going to see the movie with some friends as a young man. Scorsese remembers seeing Ethan Edwards, Wayne’s character, for the first time.

“And, you sit there, and suddenly this character – this lonely character – comes out of the, out of the desert or something and he’s absolutely terrifying,” he says. “I mean he’s with all – well, he’s filled with – he just literally acts out the racism, the worst aspects of racism of our country, you know, and it’s right there. It’s right there. And you could see the hate. You could see it building. You could also understand how he could go that way. …”

When it comes to other actors loving this movie, put Sam Elliott in there, too. The venerable movie star and most recently cast member of 1883 was asked in an interview what were some of his favorite movies growing up. “Oh God, I’ve got a lot of them,” he said. “The Searchers was probably a favorite as I was growing up, along with Red River. And you know, I don’t just single out those two because John Wayne was in both of them.”

Some of television’s most iconic western stars came together in the 1990s giving fans the best beer commercials ever made. It’s a throwback to some of our favorite western families as The Duke himself, John Wayne, joins forces with the Bonanza team in a marriage of classic television footage; technology; an old-fashioned storyline; and a good, cold Coors Light.

And, the result is an awesome one. The cast of Bonanza and John Wayne weren’t around at the time of the development of the commercial. However, technology inserts the western heroes directly into the storyline.

The hilarious ad begins as two rough-looking men barge into a bar. The decidedly intimidating patrons soon notice a couple of cold bottles of Coors light sitting at the bar. The men decide to make themselves at home and drink up the “free beer.”

The men are surly and certainly have no desire to make friends at the establishment. However, the bartender warns the two that they may be pushing their luck.

“I gotta warn you boys, those seats are taken,” the bartender says. A nice gesture no doubt. But it does little to sway the beer-drinking bullies. Then another bar-goer shows up, telling the men that these are “our beers.”

The two large men don’t seem to care, however. And they soon begin to give the Coors light owner a rough time, finally asking “who do you think you are, John Wayne?”

1990s Coors Ad Has Legendary Cowboy John Wayne Doing What John Wayne Does Best

Now, few who watched this commercial back in the day were likely expecting what came next. However, it seems that in a Coors commercial, if you summon The Duke, The Duke shall appear!

“No,” says a familiar voice off-screen.

“That would be me,” the commenter continues just as we see John Wayne step into view.

However, one of the beer thieves doesn’t see the iconic cowboy just yet and he responds by saying “yeah right, and I’m Ben Cartwright.”

“No, he’s over there,” says the bar-goer whose beers have been stolen. Sure enough, the camera pans to the other end of the bar revealing the familiar faces of the Bonanza cast. That’s right, Ben Cartwright and the rest of the Bonanza clan including Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Pernell Roberts, and Dan Blocker are all standing tall. Looking as if they have just stepped off the Ponderosa Ranch.

Well, soon the barroom bullies realize that their ill-tempers have no place when sitting in a bar with John Wayne and the Cartwrights. So, they offer to buy a round of beer for the house. A happy ending for all.

Hollywood’s most iconic cowboy, John Wayne, gave the mythic battle at The Alamo a modern presence with his 1960 film. “The Alamo,” shot in Brackettville, Texas was located just a little over 100 miles from where the battle took place. However, interestingly, before settling on a final location in Texas, John Wayne considered filming in South America or Mexico.

The Journey Behind ‘The Alamo’

According to Texas Monthly, John Wayne had actually penned ideas for “The Alamo” as early as 1945. However, debate surrounding the movie’s setting is likely part of what delayed its release until 1960, 15 years following the iconic cowboy’s initial inspiration.

As per the outlet, John Wayne had explored locations south of the U.S. in preparation for the film’s making. In fact, he was once close to settling on Panama, as it had “San Antonio-like scenery and cheap labor.” When that didn’t pan out, he eyed Durango, Mexico. But, as we know, Wayne’s second choice was also tossed.

While searching for ideal locations to film “The Alamo,” prominent Texans learned of the actor and producer’s intentions to set the iconic Texan event outside of the states. One of those prominent individuals was Bob O’Donnell, whom the outlet reported owned a chain of movie theaters. And he, alongside other noteworthy and influential persons, ultimately decided the fate of “The Alamo.” In the end, they said they would not air John Wayne’s film in TX if it were to take place anywhere else.

After a long search for an ideal setting, John Wayne took “The Alamo” to Brackettville, TX, just 40 miles from the Mexico border. There, he found James T. “Happy” Shahan’s 22,000-acre ranch, amid the region’s spare brush country. It’s now the setting that populates the John Wayne film half a century following its debut.

Why Hollywood’s Two Most Famous Cowboys Never Starred in a Western Together

Besides John Wayne, Clint Eastwood is arguably Hollywood’s most iconic cowboy. Together, the historic actors boast nearly 300 projects. As such, given their status in the realm of filmmaking, it’s interesting John Wayne and Clint Eastwood never starred alongside each other. And despite the intrigue there, there is a very simple, overt reason for that.

At one time, a director by the name of Larry Cohen had asked both actors to star in a movie called “The Hostiles.” Always one for honesty and clarity, John Wayne turned down the offer. “The Alamo” actor and producer reportedly hated the script for the film, however, it wasn’t the only contributor.

Despite equal success in the industry, John Wayne didn’t like Clint Eastwood either as an actor or a director. Less information exists about Wayne’s opinion on Eastwood simply as an individual.