Western movie star John Wayne and classic Hollywood actor Lauren Bacall combined their efforts for 1976’s The Shootist. The film required them to demonstrate a certain uneasy chemistry that blossoms over the course of the runtime. However, Bacall had a real issue with how Wayne couldn’t stop spitting on the set, which really got on the actor’s last nerve.
‘The Shootist’ actors John Wayne and Lauren Bacall worked together once before L-r: Lauren Bacall as Bond Rogers and John Wayne as J.B. Books | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne personally recommended hiring Bacall for The Shootist after they worked together on 1955’s Blood Alley. It tells the story of Capt. Tom Wilder (Wayne) after Chinese Communists capture his ship. Meanwhile, Bacall plays Cathy Grainger, a medical missionary’s daughter.
The Shootist follows an older gunfighter named J.B. Books (Wayne), who has an infamous reputation that precedes him. However,...
‘The Shootist’ actors John Wayne and Lauren Bacall worked together once before L-r: Lauren Bacall as Bond Rogers and John Wayne as J.B. Books | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne personally recommended hiring Bacall for The Shootist after they worked together on 1955’s Blood Alley. It tells the story of Capt. Tom Wilder (Wayne) after Chinese Communists capture his ship. Meanwhile, Bacall plays Cathy Grainger, a medical missionary’s daughter.
The Shootist follows an older gunfighter named J.B. Books (Wayne), who has an infamous reputation that precedes him. However,...
- 3/24/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Shootist actor John Wayne was very particular about the type of roles that he felt passionately about. He represented his own form of masculinity that his longtime fans came to associate with the image of America. Many of Wayne’s greatest roles came from fictional stories, but The Shootist actually had a real-life connection that gave the movie its title.
‘The Shootist’ stars John Wayne as a dying gunfighter L-r: Lauren Bacall as Bond Rogers and John Wayne as J.B. Books | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
The Shootist follows an older gunfighter named J.B. Books (Wayne) in 20th Century Nevada. He goes to see a local doctor, who gives him the bad news that he has cancer and not much longer to live. Books turns to a widow named Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son, Gillom (Ron Howard), to get some peace and quiet.
Several new faces appear,...
‘The Shootist’ stars John Wayne as a dying gunfighter L-r: Lauren Bacall as Bond Rogers and John Wayne as J.B. Books | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
The Shootist follows an older gunfighter named J.B. Books (Wayne) in 20th Century Nevada. He goes to see a local doctor, who gives him the bad news that he has cancer and not much longer to live. Books turns to a widow named Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son, Gillom (Ron Howard), to get some peace and quiet.
Several new faces appear,...
- 3/24/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Western movie star John Wayne frequently rode a horse to complete his cowboy image. However, he grew an affinity for one animal in particular. Wayne went out of his way to ensure that he could ride the same horse named Dollar across seven of his movies.
‘True Grit’ (1969) L-r: John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn and Glen Campbell as La Boeuf | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
The first time that Wayne worked with Dollar the horse on the silver screen was in 1969’s True Grit, directed by Henry Hathaway.
A 14-year-old named Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) seeks out U.S. Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn (Wayne), a man of “true grit.” He’ll need every ounce of it on a mission to track down a hired hand named Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) after he killed Mattie’s father.
Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) joins them on the hunt, looking to bring Tom...
‘True Grit’ (1969) L-r: John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn and Glen Campbell as La Boeuf | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
The first time that Wayne worked with Dollar the horse on the silver screen was in 1969’s True Grit, directed by Henry Hathaway.
A 14-year-old named Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) seeks out U.S. Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn (Wayne), a man of “true grit.” He’ll need every ounce of it on a mission to track down a hired hand named Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) after he killed Mattie’s father.
Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell) joins them on the hunt, looking to bring Tom...
- 3/23/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The end was in sight for John Wayne when he took the part of aging gunfighter J.B. Books in Don Siegel's 1976 Western "The Shootist." He was only 69, but the quintessential American movie star hadn't been nice to his body. Decades of drinking and smoking had taken their toll. He'd lost a lung and a couple of ribs to cancer in the 1960s, but had evidently been in remission since. Still, his energy was flagging. He'd struggled throughout the filming of "Rooster Coburn," and was being asked to literally hop back on a horse in the elevated altitude of Carson City, Nevada. He had not been diagnosed with a return of the cancer that would kill him three years later, but The Duke looked a deathly shadow of his former, swaggering self.
Culturally, there was a sense that people should celebrate Wayne while he was still around (for those willing...
Culturally, there was a sense that people should celebrate Wayne while he was still around (for those willing...
- 3/18/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Actor John Wayne was one of many Hollywood stars to die from cancer. It certainly slowed him down the first time around, but he refused to go down without a fight. Wayne incorporated his support for others with cancer into his public image, as he dedicated his time to a worthwhile cause. The actor once recalled the “biggest fear” when it came to his fight with cancer.
John Wayne contracted cancer twice John Wayne | American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images
Wayne fought cancer two different times over the course of his lifetime. He first contracted it in 1964 in the form of lung cancer, which resulted in the necessary removal of his left lung and two ribs. The movie star’s team wanted him to stay out of the public eye to maintain his image, but he wasn’t willing to do that. Rather, Wayne announced to the world that he...
John Wayne contracted cancer twice John Wayne | American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images
Wayne fought cancer two different times over the course of his lifetime. He first contracted it in 1964 in the form of lung cancer, which resulted in the necessary removal of his left lung and two ribs. The movie star’s team wanted him to stay out of the public eye to maintain his image, but he wasn’t willing to do that. Rather, Wayne announced to the world that he...
- 3/10/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Movie star John Wayne took his career very seriously. He starred in a wide assortment of Western and war movies, but they weren’t all winners. Wayne wasn’t afraid to admit when a movie role wasn’t the right one for him. However, he always took it personally when a bad one came across his desk. It once went so far that he threatened to fire his agent when he read a script that he found offensive. Nevertheless, it went on to win big at the Academy Awards.
John Wayne wanted to play strong movie roles John Wayne | Rdb/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Wayne made his first box-office disaster with 1930’s The Big Trail, which was directed by Raoul Walsh. He didn’t get the opportunity to explode into stardom until 1939’s Stagecoach, which was his first leading collaboration with his mentor, John Ford. The movie star had...
John Wayne wanted to play strong movie roles John Wayne | Rdb/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Wayne made his first box-office disaster with 1930’s The Big Trail, which was directed by Raoul Walsh. He didn’t get the opportunity to explode into stardom until 1939’s Stagecoach, which was his first leading collaboration with his mentor, John Ford. The movie star had...
- 3/9/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Wayne earned two Oscar nominations for Sands of Iwo Jima and The Alamo before finally taking home the win for 1969’s True Grit. His eyepatch-wearing performance as Rooster Cogburn became one of the most iconic images in Hollywood history, although there was some talk that the Oscar win was meant more as a “career award” than for the individual performance. However, that honor should have been for playing J.B. Books in The Shootist.
‘The Shootist’ actor John Wayne tackled mortality and dignity John Wayne as J.B. Books | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Shootist found Wayne playing an older gunfigther after he travels to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. He’s diagnosed with cancer, deciding to stay in town and die with as much dignity as possible, seeking peace in his final days.
J.B. Books rents a room from a widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son,...
‘The Shootist’ actor John Wayne tackled mortality and dignity John Wayne as J.B. Books | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Shootist found Wayne playing an older gunfigther after he travels to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. He’s diagnosed with cancer, deciding to stay in town and die with as much dignity as possible, seeking peace in his final days.
J.B. Books rents a room from a widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son,...
- 2/23/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
True Grit actor John Wayne finally earned his first Oscar, which the cast and crew of Rio Bravo wanted to celebrate. He was often criticized for his signature acting style, which came across more as playing himself than disappearing into another character. Nevertheless, he undeniably drew from a loyal fan base. Wayne had a nice surprise, along with support from his colleagues on his next set.
John Wayne won his only Oscar for ‘True Grit’ John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne first officially considered himself an actor with his stunning performance as Thomas Dunson in Red River. However, he thought his performance in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon represented some of his best work. Nevertheless, Wayne didn’t earn an Oscar nomination for either of those films.
The movie star scored his first Oscar nomination for playing Sgt. John M. Stryker in Sands of Iwo Jima,...
John Wayne won his only Oscar for ‘True Grit’ John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne first officially considered himself an actor with his stunning performance as Thomas Dunson in Red River. However, he thought his performance in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon represented some of his best work. Nevertheless, Wayne didn’t earn an Oscar nomination for either of those films.
The movie star scored his first Oscar nomination for playing Sgt. John M. Stryker in Sands of Iwo Jima,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Movie star John Wayne had dedicated fans who hated seeing any deaths surrounding the characters he played. He held an image that represented America to many moviegoers, making it hard for some to stomach watching his characters die. Nevertheless, Wayne had 8 character deaths out of his large filmography totaling over 200 motion pictures, not including 1955’s The Sea Chase, which left his character’s fate unknown.
‘Reap the Wild Wind’ (1942) L-r: Paulette Goddard as Loxi Claiborne and John Wayne as Captain Jack Stuart | FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images
Cecil B. DeMille’s Reap the Wild Wind is set in the 1840s, when a group of salvagers go from profiting off shipwrecks to to causing them. All those in the American South consider King Cutler (Raymond Massey) the most dangerous, who sets his eyes on the ships of the wealthy Devereaux Company, Captain Jack Stuart (Wayne), and the company’s lawyer,...
‘Reap the Wild Wind’ (1942) L-r: Paulette Goddard as Loxi Claiborne and John Wayne as Captain Jack Stuart | FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images
Cecil B. DeMille’s Reap the Wild Wind is set in the 1840s, when a group of salvagers go from profiting off shipwrecks to to causing them. All those in the American South consider King Cutler (Raymond Massey) the most dangerous, who sets his eyes on the ships of the wealthy Devereaux Company, Captain Jack Stuart (Wayne), and the company’s lawyer,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Clint Eastwood and John Wayne may be Western icons but they didn't exactly see eye-to-eye on the genre that made them both superstars. Back in the early '70s, B-movie maestro Larry Cohen wrote a screenplay called "The Hostiles," intended as a vehicle for both Wayne and Eastwood to co-star. It was an appropriate title; Wayne didn't want to be in a movie with the younger actor, writing a poison pen letter to Eastwood citing his hatred of "High Plains Drifter" as one of the reasons.
Cohen never fulfilled his dream of a film starring Wayne and Eastwood, and it is perhaps little surprise that the two legends didn't hit it off. They represented very different eras of the Western; Wayne was the old guard, an indomitable screen legend of Hollywood's Golden Age and star of dozens of straightforward good guys vs bad guys horse operas, a totem of a...
Cohen never fulfilled his dream of a film starring Wayne and Eastwood, and it is perhaps little surprise that the two legends didn't hit it off. They represented very different eras of the Western; Wayne was the old guard, an indomitable screen legend of Hollywood's Golden Age and star of dozens of straightforward good guys vs bad guys horse operas, a totem of a...
- 11/26/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
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