John Wayne, whose 1949 film She Wears a Yellow Ribbon premieres on TCM from 6.15pm this Saturday, has given a brutal assessment of where his Hollywood roles will go as he ages. Known as the Duke, Wayne was known for giving his honest assessment of situations, often wearing his heart on his sleeve as a result. This was seen 50 years ago when he slammed into Sacheen Littlefeather during the 1973 Academy Awards when they gathered the Best Actor gong on behalf of winner Marlon Brando.
And in one scathing commentary, Wayne, who won his own Academy Award in 1970 thanks to his role in True Grit, admitted that he never really aged like Cary Grant, despite his lifelong career on Tinsel Town.
Wayne’s concern about his appearance on camera was also part of the reason he made the transition from actor to director, a switch that helped make the 1960 classic The Alamo.
In addition to his concern about his appearance, unearthed accounts show that he was also incredibly concerned with how critics and audiences alike reacted to the content he produced.
Duke was 53 when The Alamo was released, and according to the 1991 book Alamo Movies, written by Frank T. Thompson, this was one of the driving factors behind his move to directing.
In the years since his death, many famous stars have noted their encounters with Wayne, including double Academy Award winner Michael Caine, who rose to fame during the 1960s through films like Alfie and Zulu.
Kane, who was born in London and is probably best known by younger movie fans for his role in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, recalled meeting Wayne, noticing how the Duke talked to him about Alfie.
Alfie was released in 1966 and is often cited as a film that helped Britain renew its reputation as a country of culture. It also saw Kane receive his first Academy Award nomination.
And when he saw Londoner Wayne in a hotel, Kane got some great advice, the star once admitted.
Wayne told Ken, “You’re going to be a star, boy. But if you want to stay one, remember this: Speak softly, speak slowly, and don’t say too much.”
This mentoring, as Kane once described it, was the best he got and helped him on his way to Hollywood dominance.
The Muppet legend The Christmas Carol added: “John Wayne said, ‘Never wear suede shoes,’ pointing to my boots. I said, ‘Why not? “
He said, ‘Because you’re going to be famous, and you’re going to be in the toilet and pee and the guy next to you is going to turn around and recognize you and pee on your shoes, kid. “I gave all my suede shoes to unknown people.”
Wayne is often remembered for exposing the blunt life, including movies. One friend who felt his wrath when it came to acting was Kirk Douglas, the actor often known as the best who never won a competitive Oscar.
Chatting with James Bowden and Ron Miller, In Conversations with Classic Movie Stars, Douglas noted how Wayne wasn’t a huge fan of his movie Lust for Life.
The 1956 film, which focused on the life of Vincent van Gogh, was a huge success both commercially and critically, with the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes giving it an 85 percent positive rating. Wayne didn’t like this.
Douglas said: “When I played Van Gogh in Lust for Life, we had a private showing of him, and John Wayne was there. We had a little dinner party, and Wayne had a few drinks.
After that, he motioned for me to go out with him to the veranda, and scolded me! He said, “How the hell can you play a goddamn character like that?” “
And I said, “What do you mean?” I am an actor. He’s an amazing character. And Wayne said, “No, no. We should never have to play these kinds of weak and flabby characters. I never want to see you in a part like that again! They have no dignity!”
She wore a yellow stripe from 6.15pm on TCM on Saturday.
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