The man we call the Duke.
John Wayne, what comes to mind when I hear that name; the great Western movies of my childhood. I remember them well and what a joy they were to watch. I was a big fan of this talented man. He was an inspiration to many a young child. I remember the little lads playing cowboys and Indians, arguing over which one would be Rooster Cogburn.
Here are some facts that you may not know about the man we all called ‘Duke’
1. Born Marrion Robert Morrison, May 26 1907 in Winterset, Iowa, U.S.
2. He appeared in more than 175 films
3. His career spanned over fifty years
4. Nominated three times for an academy Award
5. John won an Oscar for Best Actor in 1969 for his performance in True Grit. You can watch his acceptance here http://youtu.be/7qQhODwivLU
6. John beat lung cancer after having a lung and several ribs removed.
7. In 1980 he was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter.
8. Even at birth John was a size, weighing in at 13 pounds!
9. ‘The Alamo’ was Produced, Directed by and starred John Wayne himself.
10. John got the nickname ‘Duke’ from his Airedale dog that had the same name.
11. He was married three times and divorced twice.
12. He died June 11th 1979 aged 72 of Stomach Cancer http://www.jwci.org/
John Wayne was renowned for many well-known quotes. Here are a few of them.
• Get off your horse and drink your milk.
• Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much.
• Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
• Get off your butt and join the Marines
Some of my favourite John Wayne Movies
Here is a list of my favorite movies starring the Duke. In no particular order.
• True Grit
• El Dorado
• The Longest Day
• Stagecoach
• The Flying Leathernecks
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
• The Quiet Man
• Rio Bravo
• She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
• The Shootist
• Operation pacific
Thank you Duke
It was a sad day when John Wayne passed away, but he has left us with many wonderful movies that we are able to enjoy for all time and for that we are very grateful. RIP Duke.
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