John Wayne

John Wayne: Things you may not have known about his children.

John Wayne, originally named Marion Robert Morrison and nicknamed The Duke, was a film icon in western films, making him Hollywood’s heartthrob during his time. The late actor had three wives, so with all the fame and recognition, we can’t help but wonder, what were John Wayne’s children’s lives like growing up, and where are they now?

The producer, actor, and director started working for Fox Film Corporation after losing a football scholarship at the University of Southern California due to a body surfing accident. From there, he got small roles, eventually starring in The Bog Trail by Raoul Walsh, but the film didn’t sell so well.He was casted for leading roles in the 1930s, but it was Stagecoach by John Ford that turned him into a mainstream star. From then on, his career took off. But it seems he took being a heartthrob too close to heart as he allegedly had numerous affairs.

John Wayne was first married to Josephine’ Josie’ Saenz, with whom he had four children—Michael, Toni, Patrick, and Melinda. However, it was Wayne’s infidelity and Josphine’s indignation that ended their marriage.

A year later, Wayne tied the knot with Esperanza “Chata” Baur Diaz, but Diaz became an alcoholic, leading to numerous arguments, so their marriage ended as well. According to Wayne’s friends, his wedding with Diaz seemed to be a “spur of the moment” occasion which was probably the reason why they didn’t bear a child together.

Wayne’s third wife, Pilar Pallete, is a Peruvian actress and the daughter of a Peruvian senator in Northern Peru. They welcomed three children—Alissa, John Ethan, and Marisa—into the family.

That said, let’s meet John Wayne’s seven children.Michael Wayne (Michael Anthony Morrison)

Michael was born on the 23rd of November 1934 in Los Angeles, California. Years later, he got his Business degree at Loyola University in 1956, also in California.Being John Wayne’s eldest child, Michael was greatly influenced by his dad’s career choice. He started as a production assistant on The Quiet Man set in 1951 before joining Batjac Productions, his father’s production company at the time, for Alamo in 1960. With a reputable track record of being a good businessman, Michael held a position as president, as well as chairman of the board, of the John Wayne Foundation, and was part of the board of Motion Picture & Television Fund.Michael was married to Gretchen, and they had five children together—four daughters (Josephine, Teresa, Alicia, and Maria) and a son named Christopher. However, in 2003 at the age of 68, Michael passed away due to heart failure caused by complications from lupus erythematosus.Mary Antonia “Toni” Wayne LaCava (Mary Antonia Morrison)

Josephine and John Wayne welcomed their first daughter, Mary Antonia Morrison, to the world on the 25th of February 1936. Just like her father and brother, Toni also pursued a career in show business as an actress. She is best known for her work in the 1992 The Making of The Quiet Man, and the 1941 Meet the Stars #3: Variety Reel #1.However, she spent most of her life taking the role of a wife and mother. Toni was married to Donald La Clava, and together they had eight children—Christopher, Anita, Brendan, Peter, Kevin, David, Mark, and Brigid. Unfortunately, on December 6, 2000, Toni died of lung cancer.Patrick Wayne (Patrick John Morrison)

Patrick was born on the 15th of July 1939 in Los Angeles, California. As with the rest of his family, Patrick also pursued a career in acting with his stage name, Patrick Wayne. He built a career for himself and made appearances in films such as The Searchers, and Mister Roberts. He created more than 40 films, of which 11 are with his father.In the later years of his career, he hosted television shows including The Monte Carlo Show, a 1980 variety show, and Tic-Tac-Dough, the 1990 revival of the show. He officially retired in 1997.Melinda Wayne Munoz (Melinda Ann Morrison)

Born as Melinda Ann Morrison on the 3rd of December 1940, Melinda was also an actress best known for her work in the 1952 The Quiet Man. She married Gregory Munoz on April 4, 1964, and the couple had five children together, but they later divorced in 1985.Aissa Wayne

Aissa was born on the 31st of March 1956 in Burbank, California. She was also an actress known for her work in 1963 McLintock, the 1960 The Alamo, and the 1977 Hollywood Greats. But eventually, Aissa left the show business and became an attorney in Los Angeles.

John Ethan Morrison (Ethan Wayne)

Ethan was born on February 22, 1962, in Encino, California, but was raised in Newport Beach, California. It’s clear that his birth and upbringing were heavily influenced by his father and the film industry seeing as he was named after his father’s character, Ethan Edwards, in The Searchers, and he also played Little Jake, the grandson of Big Jake, his father’s character.After his father died in 1979, Ethan started doing stunt work with his first film being The Blue Brothers. However, he returned to acting with his two major film appearances being; Longshot, a comedy film, and Scream, a slasher film.His later works include numerous TV appearances before he retired in 2003. He is now serving as the director of John Wayne Cancer Foundation, while also managing John Wayne Enterprises.Marisa Carmela Wayne

Marisa was born in Burbank, California, on the 22nd of February 1966. On the 4th of May 2005, Marisa married Tony Ditteaux, and they have two children: Carmela Louise Ditteaux, who was born on June 18, 2004, and Duke Morrison Ditteaux, who was born on September 13, 2007.From his children’s chosen careers and lifestyles, Wayne’s influence on his kids is evident. Despite being under the spotlight for most of their childhood, John Wayne’s children still continued to look up to their dad. And it is precisely this influential manifestation that allowed John Wayne’s legacy to live on.

John Wayne

Why John Wayne Turned Down the Chance to Work With Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne are the two biggest legends in the history of Western movies, however, they never worked together. The duo did have the opportunity to work together once in the 1970s. Here’s why the film never came to fruition.

How John Wayne responded when Clint Eastwood tried to work with him

Firstly, a little background. According to the book John Wayne: The Life and Legend, it all starts with Larry Cohen. Though Cohen is not a widely known director like Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino, he’s a huge name to fans of B movies. He directed famous B movies like The Stuff, Q: The Winged Serpent, It’s Alive, and God Told Me To. He also wrote a script called The Hostiles shortly after Eastwood released his classic High Plains Drifter.

The Hostiles was about a gambler who wins half of an estate of an older man. The gambler and the older man have to work together despite the fact that they don’t like each other. Eastwood optioned the screenplay with the intent of playing the gambler alongside Wayne as the older man.

Eastwood sent a copy of the script of The Hostiles to Wayne. Although Eastwood felt the script was imperfect, he saw its potential. However, Wayne was not interested. Eastwood pitched the film to Wayne a second time and Wayne responded with a letter. Wayne’s letter complained about High Plains Drifter. Wayne was offended by the film and its portrayal of the Old West as a cruel, violent place.

John Wayne

Ann-Margret Refused to Call John Wayne ‘Duke’ While Introducing 1 of His Movies

Ann-Margret once starred in one of John Wayne’s lesser-known movies. However, she refused to call him by his popular moniker Duke. Here’s a look at the film they made together — and why she declined to call him by a nickname.

The one time Ann-Margret and John Wayne made a movie together

Ann-Margret is probably most known for her work in musicals, specifically Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, and The Who’s Tommy. However, she also dabbled in the Western genre. She starred alongside Wayne in the mostly forgotten movie The Train Robbers.

Wayne was also known as The Duke or just Duke. According to USA Today, the nickname was derived from his childhood dog. It stuck with him for many years. It continues to be used today — even on the box covers of the DVDs for his movies.

John Wayne | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

During an interview with Interview Magazine, Ann-Margret explained why she didn’t refer to the Rio Bravo star by this famous name. “When I came to this country, first of all, mother and I didn’t know English,” she said. “I would curtsey, then say, ‘Thank you,’ and then when I was leaving, curtsey. For example, we went to Dallas to introduce a film I did with John Wayne. And I never called him Duke. 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.”

Ann-Margret revealed she treated other famous people in much the same way. For example, she worked with director George Sidney on Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas. She always called him Mr. Sidney.

What Ann-Margret thought about John Wayne

Ann-Margret refused to use Wayne’s most famous moniker. However, she had a positive view of the actor. During an interview with Fox News, she was asked what she expected when she met Wayne. “Oh, I didn’t know what to expect,” she revealed. “But 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,” she added. “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.”

How the world reacted to ‘The Train Robbers’

Wayne starred in many classic Westerns, including The Searchers, Stagecoach, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. However, The Train Robbers is mostly forgotten. It didn’t gain a cult following like Once Upon a Time in the West or Dead Man. It wasn’t a critical success either, garnering a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Ann-Margret had some fond memories of making the film — even if she refused to call Wayne by his famous nickname.

John Wayne

True Crime on Amazon Prime: ‘Lorena’ Reexamines a 90s Tabloid Sensation

True crime might not be the first type of show that comes to mind when you think of the offerings on Amazon Prime Video. The perpetually buzzy genre is usually more associated with the likes of Netflix and HBO.

However, the streaming service boasts at least one standout docuseries from 2019. It’s one that can scratch the true crime itch for fans, but also give them a much needed new perspective on a well-worn tabloid sensation from the 1990s.

‘Lorena’ was produced by Jordan Peele of ‘Get Out’ fame

Jordan Peele, Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke, and Lorena Gallo attend the 'Lorena' Premiere during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Jordan Peele, Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke, and Lorena Gallo attend the ‘Lorena’ Premiere during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. | Rich Fury/Getty Images

Lorena, as the simple, to-the-point title suggests, chronicles the sordid story of Lorena and Jon Bobbit. The series was produced by Jordan Peele, the comedian-turned-director best known for Get Out and Us, and released on Amazon Prime Video in early 2019 following a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 1993, Lorena Bobbitt infamously cut her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt’s penis off in his sleep with a kitchen carving knife. She drove off with it, tossed it out the car window into a field, and eventually called 911 to report the incident. After a search followed by 9.5 hours of surgery, John Bobbitt was able to get his penis reattached and functioning normally.

Thanks in large part to the salacious and sexual nature of the Bobbittss story, it quickly became a tabloid and late-night talk show sensation. Sadly, as one might expect from a male-dominated culture, the media spectacle largely focused on John Bobbitt as a sympathetic victim and cast Lorena as a hysterical victim. John Bobbitt went on to become something of a cult figure for a time, even starring in two pornographic films.

Part of the mission statement of Lorena, the series, was to use the true crime format to recontextualize the Lorena Bobbitt story. Despite the prevailing perception of the incident beforehand, in reality, John Bobbitt had subjected Lorena to years of domestic abuse and rape, up to and including the night of her attack.

John Bobbitt was eventually acquitted on rape charges. Lorena Bobbitt was found not guilty by a jury for reasons of insanity.

“25 years later, Lorena is a groundbreaking re-investigation of the deep moral issues and painful human tragedies buried at the heart of this infamous American scandal,” Amazon’s official description of the series reads, as reported by Deadline. “Lost in the tabloid coverage and jokes was the opportunity for a national discussion on domestic and sexual assault in America.”

Lorena saw a positive reaction upon its release, currently boasting an 82% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was the biggest project yet from director Joshua Rofé, who previously helmed Lost for Life, a documentary about juvenile offenders sentenced to life in prison.