Longest Day producer Darryl F Zanuck was able to negotiate a $25,000 fee from his group for what was mostly a cameo. However, Wayne demanded $250,000 or refused to appear in the film – a request that was granted.
The reason Duke “punished” the producer with this action was because he was quoting in an interview describing Western legend “poor John Wayne” during the 1960s from The Alamo.
This blockbuster was largely produced, directed and financed by the star himself. Zanuck has said he doesn’t think much of actors forming their own production companies, citing Wayne as an example. Not only was Wayne’s non-negotiable fee demand for The Longest Day an act of revenge, it was also a way to get quick pay after all the money he’d spent on The Alamo.
Aside from being more than three decades older for his role in a World War II movie, Duke’s contract also included a clause that made his casting even more controversial.
Read more: John Wayne was very ill almost in the final production of the movie
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