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.

Although he is known for his more serious, western film roles, John Wayne did have a fun side, this includes him dressing up as an Easter Bunny in a 1970s comedy sketch.

During an episode of the “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” series, the two presenters announced that John Wayne would be appearing on the show. “Oh, we got a real problem,” one of the presenters declared. “John Wayne refuses to do the sketch. He says he feels stupid.”

The presenter further states that John Wayne was backstage holding his breath as a sign of protest. “Hey Duke, come here. What’s the matter?” The other presenter asked. And here comes John Wayne rocking an Easter Bunny suit. “First one [that] snickers gets a broke face,” Wayne declared.

When the presenters say they don’t know what was bothering him, the Easter Bunny-dressed John Wayne stated, “I’ll tell you what’s bothering me. I’m a grown man. You got me all dressed up in this silly bunny outfit.”

John Wayne, while still wearing the Easter Bunny outfit, said he will not perform in the bunny sketch. “I’m an actor. I read the part. It’s demeaning and embarrassing. I won’t do it.”

As the presenters continue to try to convince John Wayne to do the sketch, other cast members took the stage wearing animal costumes. He ends rehearsing for the sketch, which causes the audience to crack up laughing.

Finally, John Wayne said he was no longer having all of the nonsense. “I’m gonna go to some bar and have a martini … and a carrot,” he added then he hopped away. He did reappear at the end of the episode and said, “I guess it could have been worse. They could have asked me to dress up like a liberal.”

John Wayne’s Son Said His Father Knew He Wouldn’t Be Around to See Him Grow UpDuring a 2018 interview with Fox News, John Wayne’s son, Ethan Wayne, spoke about how his father knew he wasn’t going to be around to see him grow up. “He took with me on location. I’d be homeschooled down on location in Mexico because he knew he wasn’t going to be around for me when I was older, and that he would probably lose me while I was young, teenage man. So he took me with him when I was little. And one of my jobs was to load the car with all the personal items that he wanted with him when he would make a film somewhere remote. Or if he went on his boat, the Wild Goose.”

John Wayne’s son was 10-years-old when his father was 66-years-old. Even at that time, the Duke was still cowboyin’ in movies. “[And] he’s on a horse, he’s running at full speed across open country, with a herd of horses running with him… he was a bold, outgoing individual who was full of life, constantly moving forward… And nobody sits on a horse like John Wayne does.”