The life and works of John Wayne
John Wayne’s rugged looks, American football talents and acting ability certainly earn him the title of ‘American Hero’. Like so many other American Hero’s such as Elvis and Marilyn, John Wayne seems to have become more famous after his death, elevated to legendary status.
Today, John Wayne lives on in his movies, and people’s minds, and a whole range of John Wayne memorabilia is available to pay tribute to his legendary status.
John Wayne was actually born Marion Robert Morrison as was later known by the name of Marion Mitchell Morrison. He was born in Iowa and lived there until his family moved and settled down in California. John was a successful football player, playing first for his team at Glendale High School and then later at University of Southern California.
Unfortunately, he suffered an injury while surfing at Newport Beach and was not able to continue playing football. As a consequence he lost his athletic scholarship, and had to leave the university due to a lack of funds. It was then he began working in the local film studios which would start his acting career.
Starting in the prop department, John quickly progressed into speaking a few lines here and there in films. This was to be where he gained his screen name John Wayne, which was decided on his behalf by his agent.
John then moved on to playing parts in low budget films until he received stunt training for the’33 film Riders of Destiny. It was this which secured him a role in Stagecoach, the film that would truly open the doors to the acting world for him.
John Wayne believed in acting in films that reflected American values, and he turned down roles that he felt did not match these expectations. He later became the face of war heroes in movies, and was associated with the United States military despite not enlisting in World War II.
John Wayne passed away in’79, after a battle with stomach cancer. Throughout his busy life, John was married four times, fathered seven children and had numerous affairs. The American values that he portrayed in his long and successful film career were reflected in his political interests, and have helped to make John Wayne so memorable.
Ross Tilley is a freelance writer with a passion for film collectibles, such as John Wayne memorabilia.
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