Researched by Sharon DeCarlo
John Wayne, born Marion Morrison, was born in Iowa on May 26, 1907, came West with his family in 1914, and pretty soon was being called “Duke” by everyone who knew him. After some local firefighters in Glendale, California, where the family eventually settled, thought it would be fun to give the boy the same nickname as his constant companion, a proud Airedale dog named Duke.
Living with his parents, Clyde “Doc” Morrison, a pharmacist, and Mary “Molly” Brown, and alongside his brother Robert, Duke was academically and athletically quite successful at Glendale High School.
His exploits there led to a football scholarship at the University of Southern California (USC), where he attended until a bodysurfing injury ended his football dreams, and led him to look for work at local movie studios to support himself once the Great Depression was in full swing. Duke eventually found a job at the Fox Film Corporation as a member of what they called a swing gang, meaning he was a prop man, moving furniture, material, and equipment around for filmmakers. A few of them felt he was the right build to stand in a few scenes here and there as an extra, starting naturally as a football player in “Brown of Harvard” in 1926 and again in “Drop Kick” in 1927. It wasn’t long before one of Hollywood’s great directors, John Ford, noticed Morrison and gave him a job herding geese on a 1928 film called “Mother Machree.” Eventually, the two of them hit it off and became lifelong friends.
But at the time, Morrison tried to learn about filmmaking from Ford, and Ford kept using Morrison as an extra. Eventually, Ford introduced Duke to his colleague, director Raoul Walsh, who gave
Morrison his first starring role, as the cowboy Breck Coleman in the 1930 film, “The Big Trail.” During this production, studio executives gave Morrison a new name in the hopes of making
him an easier sell to film audiences, and he readily accepted the moniker “John Wayne,” saying it was OK with him if the people paying his salary wanted to spruce up his name.
Throughout the 1930s, John Wayne diligently and strategically honed his craft while starring in a series of less well known Western features and serials, preferring to spend most of his time with stuntmen and real-life cowboys so that they could teach him the skills necessary to play a realistic cowboy on screen. He developed over this period his signature walk, a fist-fighting style, wardrobe preferences, and performed many of his own stunts.
Then, in 1939, John Ford gave him his big break as the Ringo Kid in the classic film, “Stagecoach.” Wayne’s performance made him a star for good and earned Ford Morrison tried to learn about
filmmaking from Ford, and Ford kept using Morrison as an extra. Eventually, Ford introduced Duke to his colleague, director Raoul Walsh, who gave Morrison his first starring role, as the cowboy Breck Coleman in the 1930 film, “The Big Trail.” During this production, studio executives gave Morrison a new name in the hopes of making him an easier sell to film audiences, and he readily accepted the moniker “John Wayne,” saying it was OK with him if the people paying his salary wanted to spruce up his name.
Throughout the 1930s, John Wayne diligently and strategically honed his craft while starring in a series of less well known Western features and serials, preferring to spend most of his time with stuntmen and real-life cowboys so that they could teach him the skills necessary to play a realistic cowboy on screen. He developed over this period his signature walk, a fist-fighting style, wardrobe preferences, and performed many of his own stunts. Then, in 1939, John Ford gave him his big break as the Ringo Kid in the classic film, “Stagecoach.” Wayne’s performance made him
a star for good and earned Ford an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
The 1940s and ’50s saw John Wayne develop into an important figure on the American landscape with a series of starring roles in major Westerns and War pictures. He also toured the world and entertained troops tirelessly for the USO, all while raising a growing family that, by this time, included son Michael, daughter Toni, son Patrick, and daughter Melinda.
As the 1960s and ’70s arrived, he added romantic comedies, police dramas, and historical dramas to his portfolio, earned three Academy Award nominations, and finally won the big award in 1969 for his performance as Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit.” His final on-screen performance, as a gunman struck with cancer in 1976’s “The Shootist” is considered among his greatest performances.
A personal memory: The Shootist was filmed mostly in Carson City, Nevada and surrounding areas. Many of us local residents remembers Wayne’s presence in our town and sought him out for a chance to see him up close and personal. As many of us also may remember, the historical Carson City mansion that was turned into Bond Rogers boarding house where Books stayed. The other memory that comes back to me is the scene where he takes Bond Rogers, played by Lauren Bacall, for a buggy ride to Washoe Lake’s south end. The buggy and Morgan horse belonged to local Morgan horse breeder Frank Dodd, a longtime good friend and fellow horseman of my family.
However, my personal favorite John Wayne movie was The Cowboys from 1972. This is one of the most unforgettable, and I believe exceptional, Wayne movies ever made. Real, gritty, and emotional. Mr. Andersen, played by Wayne, as a challenged cattle rancher with no wranglers to drive his cattle.
John Wayne continued to market, makes this movie one of the most exciting, interesting and realistic cowboy movies John Wayne ever made. For me, the young boys that grew into men literally on their first cattle drive was one of the most fascinating tributes to cowboys ever put on film. John Wayne does die in this movie, but you are left with the knowledge that his memory and legacy are with these young boys for the rest of their lives. This, as it turns out, is what John Wayne was about when he was alive, and this is what he is still about, perhaps even more so now. John Wayne’s Movie Horses John Wayne may or may not have liked horses, but he did have a favorite in his later years. The big sorrel gelding called Dollor – no “a” – owned by Dick Webb Movie Productions was Wayne’s favorite horse of all time. Duke liked the horse so much that he signed an exclusive movie rights contract with the company.
John Wayne Movie Horse Trivia Q & A
1. What was the name of John Wayne’s Horse in the movie El Dorado?
Answer: The Appaloosa JW rode in El Dorado belonged to Howard Hawks and this beautiful mount, wasn’t it! It is said that JW didn’t much care for Cochise, at one point he said Hawks had no sense for horse flesh. Personally, he liked the horse he rode during the late forties and early fifties, “Banner” Who was in a lot of westerns with him.
2. Was John Wayne scared of horses?
The Duke was a good rider, he didn’t love horses, but he didn’t hate them either nor was he scared of them. He was at one time a stunt man and rode stunt horses in daring and dangerous stunt scenes.
3. Did John Wayne own his horse?
Answer: Duke only admitted to owning one horse in his name. A little registered Quarter Horse that’s papers were in the name of John Wayne.
4. What is the name of John Wayne’s Horse in True Grit?
Answer: John Wayne’s horse in True Grit was his favorite in the later years. The big sorrel gelding Dollor – no “a” – Duke liked the horse so much that he signed a contract that any future westerns
or movie that included riding a horse that he would have exclusive rights to Dollor. Wayne thought he was a comfortable ride and had a good mind.
5. What was the name of John Wayne’s last movie and who was the horse he rode in that movie?
Answer: The Shootist, 1972 was John Wayne’s last film. Once again he rode his favorite horse Dollor. J.B. Books, played by John Wayne in the movie, gives Gillom, played by Ron Howard, (Ol’ Dollar). This horse had been John Wayne’s favorite horse for 10 years.
Since 1981 the John Wayne name has been committed by the Wayne family to cutting edge research and education, in memory of their father who died of stomach cancer in 1979. The institute, previously know as the John Wayne Cancer Clinic at UCLA, was formed by the John Wayne Cancer Foundation and headed by eldest son, Michael. In 1991 the John Wayne Cancer Institute lauched a successful affiliation with St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Donations may be made anonymously or in memory to honor a loved one. The John Wayne Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. John Wayne Cancer Foundation 210 62nd Street Newport Beach, CA 92663 Donor support information at JohnWayne.org.
“My hope and prayer is that
everyone knows and loves our
country for what she really is
and what she stands for. May we
nuture her strengths and
strengthens her weaknesses so
that she will always be a land of
the free and home of the brave”.
Sincerely,
John Wayne
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