Questions
What was John Wayne’s real name?
He was born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa. The screen name John Wayne came later in Hollywood.
How did he get the nickname "Duke"?
A local fireman reportedly called him "Little Duke" because he never went anywhere without his massive Airedale Terrier, who was named Duke. He preferred the nickname to Marion and it stuck.
Where did the name "John Wayne" come from?
Director Raoul Walsh suggested "Anthony Wayne" after Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, but Fox chief Winfield Sheehan rejected it as "too Italian." Walsh then proposed "John Wayne," which was approved.
How did he get his start in the film business?
He worked as a prop boy at Fox Film Corporation, alongside director John Ford and actor Tom Mix, before moving in front of the camera.
What was his first major starring role?
He starred in the widescreen epic The Big Trail (1930), directed by Raoul Walsh. It flopped commercially at the time but is now highly regarded by critics.
Which film made him a real star?
John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) was his breakthrough, lifting him out of B-movies and into mainstream stardom.
Did John Wayne ever win an Oscar?
Yes. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1969 for True Grit, playing the cantankerous one-eyed marshal Rooster Cogburn.
How many films did he make?
He appeared in 179 film and television productions and was a top box-office draw for three decades.
What are some of his most famous films?
Beyond Stagecoach and True Grit, his classics include Red River (1948), The Quiet Man (1952), The Searchers (1956), Rio Bravo (1959), and The Longest Day (1962).
Did he play college football?
Yes, he played for the USC Trojans under coach Howard Jones. A broken collarbone suffered while bodysurfing reportedly ended his athletic career and his scholarship.
Did he change how movie fights were staged?
Reportedly he helped rework Western fight choreography by letting the good guys fight dirty rather than politely, working with stuntman Yakima Canutt to develop fisticuffs techniques still used today.
What was his last film?
The Shootist (1976), in which his character J.B. Books dies of cancer. It proved eerily prescient, as Wayne died of stomach cancer three years later.
When and how did he die?
He died of stomach cancer on June 11, 1979, in Los Angeles at age 72. He is buried at Pacific View Memorial Park.
Did he receive any honors after his death?
Yes. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and, in 1980, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1999 the American Film Institute named him one of cinema’s greatest male stars.
