She starred alongside Western film icon John Wayne in the 1973 film “The Train Robbers,” and nearly 50 years after the movie was released, Ann-Margret opened up about what it was like to work with Duke.

While speaking to Fox News in April 2021, Ann-Margret revealed that John Wayne was actually a pretty affectionate person. “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. 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.”

Ann-Margret further stated that she wanted to just be friends with John Wayne forever. She also described him as never being pretentious. “He has so many friends and every single person loved him.”

According to its IMDb profile, “The Train Robbers” follows a unhand named Lane who is hired by a widow, Mrs. Lowe, to find gold stolen by her husband so that she may return it and start fresh. The film was written and directed by Burt Kennedy. Rod Taylor also starred in the film alongside John Wayne and Ann-Margret. 

Ann-Margret Refused to Call John Wayne ‘Duke’ and Here is Why

Years prior to speaking to Fox News about working with John Wayne on “The Train Robbers,” Ann-Margret revealed why she refused to call John Wayne by his “Duke” nickname. During her 2014 interview with Interview Magazine, Ann-Margret stated that when she came to the U.S., she and her mother didn’t know English. “ I would curtsey, then say, ‘Thank you,’ and then when I was leaving, curtsey,” The Sweden-born actress explained. She then recalled going to Dallas for “The Train Robbers.”

“I never called [John Wayne] Duke,” Ann-Margret declared. “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. I think you were taught the same things.”

Ann-Margret also told Fort Worth Star-Telegram that John Wayne was bigger than life to her. “When I went to work with him, I would sit in the back [of a car] and he would sit in the passenger seat. He was such a huge man, and he’d have a window open, and in the fields, people would be working and of course, everyone knew who he was.”

John Wayne also offered up his private jet for Ann-Margret and Ben Johnson could attend the Oscars. Although she posted “Best Supporting Actress” for her role in “Carnal Knowledge,” she still remembers to this day the generosity of Wayne.  “The next day, we were back on the set, and Ben had won and I hadn’t. I don’t know what Mr. Wayne said to Ben, but he got me in a corner, and he just said some wonderful things to me.”

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.”