You know, maybe it is not always a good thing to get involved with the family of John Wayne. Duke University is learning the hard way. See, Duke is on the end of a lawsuit from the Wayne family. It is over the use of the word “Duke.” That is, of course, Wayne’s forever nickname “The Duke.” The Wayne family sues in a trademark dispute regarding alcoholic beverages.

John Wayne Family Sues Duke University Over Using ‘Duke’ Nickname

John Wayne Enterprises filed for a trademark application in 2021 to use the word on alcoholic drink labels, except for beer. Duke University objected. The school argues that there could be a “false suggestion of a connection” between the labels and the school, according to a complaint by the Wayne family filed July 3, 2021, in a U.S. district court in California.

But the Wayne family believes there is no reason for any confusion. Duke University “does not own the word ‘Duke’ in all contexts for all purposes,” the complaint says. “Duke University is not and never has been in the business of producing, marketing, distributing, or selling alcohol.” We get more from USA Today. John Wayne’s birth name was Marion Robert Morrison. He happens to be called Duke as a boy. It was the same name of the family dog.

Duke University Offers Its Own Words In Trademark Battle

Duke University has a few words to say, too. “While we admire and respect John Wayne’s contributions to American culture, we are also committed to protecting the integrity of Duke University’s trademarks,” according to an e-mail from university spokesman Michael Schoenfeld. “As Mr. Wayne himself said, ‘Words are what men live by… words they say and mean.’” The Wayne family outlined five other objections from the university since 2005.

We will wait and see how this all pans out. Still, John Wayne is lovingly remembered as “The Duke.” It speaks volumes for the man’s accomplishments. Wayne may have died in 1979 yet his movies keep his memory alive along with his fans old and new. Also, let’s talk about the generations of family members who share their own films with others.

One of the great collaborations in film history happened to be between Wayne and director John Ford. They would provide fans with movies like The Searchers, featuring Wayne in the pivotal movie role of Ethan. Both usually worked well together but it didn’t happen on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Ford reportedly kept picking on Wayne for not being an NFL star, something costar Woody Strode actually was before acting. It did bug Wayne yet he went ahead and finished the movie. Go listen to Gene Pitney sing the movie’s theme song and enjoy it.

Although Kirk Douglas and John Wayne starred in the classic films “Harm’s Way,” “Cast A Giant Shadow,” and “The War Wagon” together,  there was a time when the duo did not see eye to eye with each other. 

According to Express, John Wayne was furious with Kirk Douglas while on the set of their classic “The War Wagon” due to Douglas being late to production one day. This was due to Douglas shooting a commercial to endorse Edmund G Brown, a Democrat, as Governor of California. This seemed to irk Duke because He was a lifelong conservative and supported the Republican candidate, who was Ronald Reagan. Wayne ended up being late the next day due to him shooting an endorsement commercial for Reagan.

Although there was tension on and off the set, eventually Wayne and Douglas did eventually get along. This is despite Douglas not referring to Wayne as Duke ever.

Even during a 1971 interview with DIck Cavett, Douglas did not put up with the discussion about Wayne’s controversial views on Native American land. Wayne previously stated, that a lot of people needed the land and “the Indians were being selfish and thought that they ought to have it.”

When asked about Wayne’s opinion, Douglas declared, “I don’t want to get involved in a conversation about John Wayne. I’ve made quite a few pictures with John Wayne, and, by the way, I’ve always called him John. Everybody calls him Duke. We have never seen eye-to-eye on a lot of things.”

Also during his interview with Cavett, Kirk Douglas stated he and John Wayne did not speak about politics. “We get along well, we never discussed politics. But he’s the first guy on the set. The hardest worker I’ve ever worked with. And I think he’s quite a character.”

Kirk Douglas Reveals Why John Wane Was the ‘Perfect Movie Star’ 

Also during an interview with Roger Ebert, Kirk Douglas stated that John Wayne was the perfect movie star. “I was in a lousy picture with him once, ‘In Harm’s Way.’ I used to think about John Wayne that he brings so much authority to the role he can pronounce literally any line in the script and get away with it.”

Douglas then said that in the duo’s “In Arm’s Way,” there was a line that he thought John Wayne couldn’t get away with. “It was ‘I need a fast ship because I mean to be in harm’s way.’ I thought, ‘Oh s—, I’ve gotta hear him say this line.’ But you know what? He said it. And he got away with it. Now that’s John Wayne…”

Douglas went on to proclaim that there is nothing wrong with a John Wayne movie. “I hate arty-farty pictures. What you always hope to make is a good, honest picture with balls. We did that with ‘Spartacus.’ That was the best big spectacle ever made.”

Today, we know Ron Howard as an actor and producer with more than 60 years of experience. Back in 1976, however, Ron Howard was a young actor of 22, just breaking out of his reputation as the child star who played Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham on Happy Days.

After landing a lead role in the coming-of-age film American Graffiti, Ron Howard moved on to The Shootist, the story of a gunfighter’s battle with cancer. Being cast in this film came with an exciting opportunity: to star alongside legendary western star John Wayne. Though thrilled by the chance to work with the icon, Ron Howard recalls feeling terrified ahead of meeting his co-star John Wayne.

In an interview with The Oklahoman, Ron Howard recounted the nerve-wracking experience. “That was kind of strange,” Howard says. “I went into The Shootist expecting not to have a great time. Wayne was notorious for not getting along with young actors.”

“I went to meet him with (director) Don Siegal,” Howard continued. “Somebody had given Wayne that week’s copy of TV Guide. My picture was on the cover. He looked at it, looked at me, and said, ‘Ah, here’s the big shot.’ I thought, ‘Uh-oh, I’m in trouble.’ But he couldn’t have been nicer. He talked a lot about television, about how it’s such a good training ground sort of like the one- and two-reelers Wayne made when he was young.”

“I’ll never forget the fact that he never, ever made me feel like a kid. He treated me like a pro…one pro working with another.”

Meeting John Wayne Taught Ron Howard the Value of Hard Work

An actor from the age of 5, Ron Howard is no stranger to hard work. That said, meeting and working with a nearly 70-year-old John Wayne was still an inspirational experience for Ron Howard. In an interview with Men’s Journal, Howard described what he learned about work and manhood.

“John Wayne used a phrase, which he later attributed to John Ford, for scenes that were going to be difficult,” Howard said. “‘This is a job of work,’ [John Wayne would] say. If there was a common thread with these folks – Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Glenn Ford – it was the work ethic. It was still driving them. To cheat the project was an insult. To cheat the audience was damnable.”

Ron Howard also credits Clint Eastwood with certain viewpoints he holds today. Specifically, having the confidence to avoid comparing himself to other people. “We’re all constantly keeping score. You can’t help it,” Howard said. “But trying to pit ourselves against other people in some measurable way is largely a waste of time.”

“Look at Clint Eastwood and Ridley Scott, two guys who, at least creatively, inhabit their space in a way that I admire. I don’t know them well, but I don’t think they are looking over their shoulders and wondering what people will think of them.”