John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison entered the world on the 26th of May 1907 at 224 South Second Street in Winterset, Iowa. The local newspaper reported his birth weight as 13 pounds. His father worked as a pharmacist and moved the family to California by 1916. They settled at 404 Isabel Street in Glendale where young Marion attended school. A fireman on his daily route noticed he never walked anywhere without a large Airedale Terrier dog named Duke. The fireman began calling him Little Duke because of the loyal companion. He preferred that nickname over his legal name. The moniker stuck throughout his life.
John Ford hired Wayne as a prop boy after a favor from coach Howard Jones. Fox Film Corporation gave him bit parts while he learned the trade. Director Raoul Walsh saw him moving furniture one day and cast him in The Big Trail released in 1930. This film cost over two million dollars to produce using new widescreen technology. It failed commercially despite its ambitious scope. Walsh suggested Anthony Wayne as a screen name but studio head Winfield Sheehan rejected it. He proposed John Wayne instead which Sheehan approved. Wayne received $105 per week for this work. He appeared in about 80 low-budget Westerns between 1930 and 1939. These Poverty Row films established his reputation among stuntmen like Yakima Canutt who taught him fighting techniques.
Wayne joined the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals in February 1944. He served as its president starting in 1949. The group opposed communist influence within the entertainment industry. He supported Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin allegedly ordered his assassination over these political views. Wayne produced The Green Berets in 1968 which supported the Vietnam War effort. He wrote to President Nixon in 1971 opposing his planned trip to China. The letter included hate literature about Henry Kissinger. He also supported the Panama Canal Treaty despite opposition from Republican leaders like Ronald Reagan. This stance
brought him hate mail for the first time in his career.
John Wayne starred in The Shootist released in 1976 playing J.B. Books an aging gunfighter dying of cancer. The film grossed $13,406,138 domestically upon release. It received positive reviews including a spot on Roger Ebert's top ten list for that year. His final public appearance occurred at the Academy Awards ceremony held the 9th of April 1979. He died of stomach cancer two months later on the 11th of June 1979. He was 72 years old when he passed away at UCLA Medical Center. Before death he converted to Roman Catholicism according to family members. His tombstone reads Feo Fuerte y Formal meaning ugly strong and
dignified in Spanish. The John Wayne Cancer Foundation launched in 1985 honored his legacy through medical research funding.
The American Film Institute named Wayne one of the greatest male stars in 1999. He received the Congressional Gold Medal on the 26th of May 1979 during his lifetime. President Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously on the 9th of June 1980. Over 30 films bear his name or reference him across America today. John Wayne Airport stands in Orange County California with a bronze statue at its entrance. A trail spanning Washington State carries his name as well. Joan Didion wrote about seeing him in War of the Wildcats during summer 1943. She described how his voice determined shapes of dreams
for generations. His films remain popular decades after production ended. He appeared in 179 total film and television productions throughout his career.
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Common questions
When and where was John Wayne born?
Marion Robert Morrison entered the world on the 26th of May 1907 at 224 South Second Street in Winterset, Iowa. The local newspaper reported his birth weight as 13 pounds.
How did Marion Morrison get the name John Wayne?
Director Raoul Walsh cast him in The Big Trail released in 1930 after seeing him move furniture. Studio head Winfield Sheehan approved the screen name John Wayne instead of the suggested Anthony Wayne.
What political activities did John Wayne engage in during the Cold War era?
John Wayne joined the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals in February 1944 and served as its president starting in 1949. He supported Senator Joseph McCarthy and produced The Green Berets in 1968 which supported the Vietnam War effort.
When did John Wayne die and what were the circumstances surrounding his death?
He died of stomach cancer two months later on the 11th of June 1979 after making his final public appearance at the Academy Awards ceremony held the 9th of April 1979. He was 72 years old when he passed away at UCLA Medical Center.
Which awards and honors has John Wayne received posthumously or during his lifetime?
President Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously on the 9th of June 1980. He received the Congressional Gold Medal on the 26th of May 1979 during his lifetime.