He rode a horse to school, swam in irrigation ditches, and like most dutiful young men, worked alongside his pharmacist father, but John Wayne’s destiny was Hollywood and it was there that he developed and nurtured his reputation as a western and military film hero.
John Wayne’s Early Years
On May 26, 1907, John Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa to Clyde and Mary Alberta Morrison. He was named Marion Roberts Morrison after his grandfather, Marion Mitchell Morrison. The family moved to Glendale, California in 1911 where his father worked as a pharmacist. The family nicknamed Wayne “the Duke” because he had a faithful airedale terrier named Duke who followed him everywhere. Wayne played football for the Glendale High School team. He also applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but was turned down. He enrolled instead with the University of Southern California where he played football until he was injured and lost his scholarship.
Wayne Finds Work with the Film Studios
As soon as he left college, Wayne started working in the props department at the local film studios. Fox Film Corporation hired him for $75 a week to play bit parts under the name Duke Morrison, but when he was offered his first starring role in 1930s “The Big Trail,” studio executives changed his name to John Wayne and raised his pay to $105 a week. “The Big Trail” was the first wide-screen movie, but most theaters where unequipped to handle the film and it failed financially. Wayne returned to playing small roles, appearing over eighty “horse operas” over the next nine years.
John Wayne Gets His Big Break in Hollywood Films
John Ford’s popular 1939 “Stagecoach” provided Wayne with his badly-needed “break” into Hollywood stardom. Ford was unable to finance the movie with Wayne as top-billing, so Claire Trevor was given this position, but movie-goers recognized Wayne as the true star of the film. Wayne starred in twenty more John Ford movies, including “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” “The Quiet Man,” and the 1946 western “The Searchers,” which is believed to be Wayne’s most powerful acting performance. Wayne appeared in more than 171 films. He was awarded an Oscar for his performance in 1969s “True Grit,” and nominated for his performance in the 1949 movie “The Sands of Iwo Jim.”
John Wayne as Movie Director and Producer
Wayne eventually moved into directing and producing and started a number of film studios, including Batjac, named after the fictional shipping company in “The Wake of the Red Witch.” He produced twenty films and directed five, including the 1960 film “The Alamo,” which brought him another Oscar nomination.
John Wayne’s Personal Life
Wayne was married three times. His first marriage was to Josephine Alicia Saenz in 1933. They were divorced in 1945. They have four children together, including: Michael Wayne, film producer and founder of the John Wayne Cancer Institute; Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne LaCava; Patrick Wayne, Hollywood actor and Chairman of the John Wayne Cancer Institute; and Melinda Wayne Munoz. He married Esperanza Bauer in 1946. Bauer tried to shoot Wayne in a drunken rage after accusing him of having an affair with actress Gail Russell and they divorced in November of 1954. He married Pilar Wayne in November of 1954 and they have three children, including attorney Aissa Wayne, actor John Ethan Wayne, and actress Marisa Wayne. At the time of his death, Wayne had twenty-four grandchildren.
John Wayne’s Politics and Awards
Wayne once claimed to have been a Socialist in college, though in later years he was clearly a conservative Republican and spoke critically of Socialism in interviews. He was also vocal about his anti-communist beliefs and a supporter of the actions of the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1944, he participated in the creation of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals and served as their president in 1947.
National Recognition of John Wayne as an American Icon
On May 26, 1979, Wayne received the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his status as an American Icon. General Omar Bradley and many famous Hollywood actors testified to Congress as to why Wayne deserved this prestigious award. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter posthumously awarded Wayne the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Death of John Wayne and his Legacy
Wayne was a chain-smoker from the time he was a teen and long before cigarette companies warned of the dangers. Wayne had one of his lungs removed in 1963, but died fifteen years later from stomach cancer on June 11, 1979. He is buried in the Pacific View Memorial Park cemetery in Corona del Mar.
The John Wayne Cancer Foundation
The John Wayne Cancer Foundation continues to pay tribute to this brave and compassionate man through awareness and education programs and support groups. The Foundation also supports the John Wayne Cancer Institute, which conducts clinical and laboratory cancer research.
Resources:
“Biography of John Wayne.” Thinkquest.org
“John Wayne.” Official Website of Biography.com.
The John Wayne Cancer Foundation
The John Wayne Cancer Institute.
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