John Wayne was an icon and legend of the cinema, and despite it being the 45th anniversary of his passing, he is one of the few deceased stars who still appear on fan favourite lists. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and as he was facing the end was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal inscribed simply “John Wayne – American” as endorsed by most of the stars and national figures of that time. He epitomised the spirit and values of traditional America. Often unlike his screen counterparts, he was highly intellectual and self-educated, an avid chess player, and a true expert of the customs and history of the Native American. Born In Winterset, Iowa and moved close by in his early years, eventually the family settled in Glendale, California, and he acquired the nickname of Duke from local firefighters, which was the name of his Airedale dog. He gained an athletics scholarship at USC, the University of Southern California and he may have become an NFL player but injury prevented that; however summer work led to full-time work at Fox Studios where he came under the wing of Tom Mix and his famed presence, posture and walk may well have come from Wyatt Earp himself. Starting in countless B movies, he made a mark eventually as a leading man in The Big Trail 1930, but then Stagecoach 1939 with John Ford made him a star. He was co-founder of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals and his political stance as a staunch Republican was evident in The Alamo 1960, which he directed and invested heavily in; his patriotism was shown in The Green Berets 1968 which he co-directed & starred in; he was nominated for Best Actor Oscar for Sands of Iwo Jima 1949 and finally won for True Grit 1969; his last film The Shootist 1976 was of an ageing gunfighter dying with cancer; he was memorable in westerns in Red River 1948, Hondo 1953, The Searchers 1956, Rio Bravo 1959, The Comancheros 1961, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance 1962, The Sons of Katie Elder 1965, El Dorado 1966, Chisum 1970, The Cowboys 1972, but others such as The Quiet Man 1952 & cameos for How the West Was Won, The Longest Day 1962 & The Greatest Story Ever Told 1965 and for the John Ford cavalry trilogy Fort Apache 1949, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 1949 & Rio Grande 1950; at 142 Wayne holds the record for the actor with the most leading roles and he had 184 screen credits, though in many at his start he was uncredited, so the full total may well be well over 200. He was married three times and had seven children and numerous grandchildren at his death. He had lived in Encino, in the south San Fernando Valley, north slope Santa Monica Mountains; his company Batjac offices were at Palm Ave, West Hollywood and he owned sailing boats Nor’Wester, later The Wild Goose, which lay at anchor in Seattle and later Newport Beach; in the 1950s he bought a feedlot in Stanfield, Bar 26 Ranch in Eagar & a Hereford Cattle Ranch in Greer, all in Arizona, and was often seen in Casa Grande, all of these being named the Red River Land and Cattle Company; in 1966 he moved the family to Bay Shore Drive, Newport Beach, Orange County CA; from the Balboa Yacht Club he often sailed to Catalina, off South California; owned an island off Panama and campaigned for return of the Canal to its countrymen. After his death the Orange County airport was renamed after him, there is a John Wayne pioneer trail and a John Wayne Marina in Sequim, both in Washington State and part of Arizona Highway 347 was called the John Wayne Parkway, plus there is a John Wayne Elementary School in Brooklyn, New York, and in Beverly Hills there is a larger-than-life statue, which of course he was himself. We hope you agree he is worthy of a match in his honour – if the numbers or ratings do not suit, then please make contact.
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