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John Wayne, though never involved in real combat or heroic rescues, is revered as a legendary figure, the kind of man your grandfather idolized. With a prolific career spanning nearly 250 films, some of his most iconic roles came when he was in his late sixties. Here are 10 intriguing facts about this American legend, from his encounters with the KGB to whispers about his health.
10. Stalin Wanted Him Dead
Joseph Stalin, an avid movie enthusiast, was infuriated by John Wayne's anti-communist stance in the late 1940s. Allegedly, he ordered the actor's assassination, sending two KGB agents in 1951. However, the FBI uncovered the plan and stopped the assassins. The agency also reportedly thwarted additional attempts on Wayne's life, including a sniper attack during his visit to Vietnam in 1966.
Evidence pointing to Stalin's involvement includes an unnamed Soviet source and a statement from his successor, Premier Nikita Khrushchev. During their 1958 meeting, Khrushchev apologized to John Wayne, stating, “That was Stalin’s decision during his final irrational years. I revoked the order.”
9. Cancer
John Wayne achieved his greatest fame as a Wild West sheriff, but his most miscast role was undoubtedly as the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan in the 1956 film The Conqueror. Not only was the movie painfully dull, but its troubling backstory adds to its infamy.
A significant portion of the movie was filmed in Utah, near Nevada’s nuclear testing grounds. In subsequent years, almost half of the cast and crew developed cancer, including two of Wayne’s sons. John Wayne himself faced cancer later in life (he famously referred to it as “The Big C”). In 1964, he lost four ribs and his left lung to lung cancer. He passed away from stomach cancer on June 11, 1979, at the age of 72.
Wayne rejected the idea of the “Curse of The Conqueror,” attributing his cancer to his smoking habit. This was a reasonable assumption, given his six-pack-a-day addiction.
In 1985, Wayne’s family permitted the use of his name for the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, which supports numerous initiatives to combat the disease.
8. Marion And The Duke
John Wayne was originally named Marion Robert Morrison, born on May 26, 1907. His parents had a peculiar fondness for the name “Robert,” reserving it for their next child, leading to Marion’s middle name being switched to Michael.
As a child, Marion was always accompanied by his Airedale terrier, Duke, earning him the nickname “Little Duke” from local firefighters. The name stayed with him forever, as he disliked the more feminine “Marion.” (Another notable Marion who adopted a nickname is Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight).
When he entered the film industry, studio executives were unimpressed with his given name. He was credited as “Duke Morrison” in the 1929 film Words and Music. By 1930, director Raoul Walsh and Fox Studios executive Winfield Sheehan rebranded him as “John Wayne.” The actor had no input and remained indifferent to the change, though he continued to be called “Duke” by close friends.
7. Football Career
John Wayne’s height of 193 centimeters (6’4″) was exceptionally tall, especially for someone born over a century ago. His stature earned him a football scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he played as an offensive tackle. Since college athletes weren’t paid, Coach Howard Jones arranged for him to work at Fox Studios as a laborer and prop assistant.
Just before his junior year, while body surfing at Balboa Beach with a friend, Marion was struck by a massive wave and injured his shoulder. Despite attempting to continue playing football, his performance suffered due to the injury. Coach Jones demoted him on the team and cut off his meal privileges. Facing financial strain and hunger, Marion left football and focused entirely on his work at Fox Studios.
6. Draft Dodging
Despite portraying numerous war heroes on screen, John Wayne never served in the military. Born in 1907, he missed World War I due to his age. By the time World War II began, he was 34 and rising to fame.
Wayne also faced health challenges, including a back injury from performing stunts, recurring ear infections, and a shoulder injury that ended his football career. A military physical might have classified him as 4-F (unfit for service). Instead, his studio secured a 3-A deferment (“hardship to dependents”) due to his family obligations.
Given his celebrity status, Wayne could have been offered a symbolic military role. However, he contributed to the war effort by starring in films that celebrated the military. He also applied to join the OSS and spent months entertaining troops through USO appearances.
5. Chess
Chess was one of John Wayne’s favorite hobbies. While he was a talented player, he wasn’t above using sneaky tactics when he thought he could get away with it.
During the filming of 1970’s Chisum, Wayne befriended Christopher Mitchum, the son of Hollywood icon Robert Mitchum. When John invited Christopher to play chess, the younger Mitchum was shocked to discover Wayne cheating by moving two pieces at once, using his large hands to obscure Christopher’s view.
Initially unsure how to handle the situation, Christopher confided in Ed Faulkner, a seasoned actor who had collaborated with Wayne on multiple films. Faulkner suggested that Christopher confront Wayne about his cheating.
During their next game, John resumed his cheating tactics, prompting Christopher to say, “Excuse me, Duke, but you’re cheating.” Wayne remained unfazed and replied, “I was wondering when you’d call me out. Set ’em up. We’ll play again.”
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4. Wayne’s Boxer Relative
American boxer Tommy Morrison, who briefly held the WBO and ICB heavyweight titles, played the mulleted antagonist Tommy “The Machine” Gunn in Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky V. He was also John Wayne’s grandnephew and adopted the nickname “The Duke.”
Despite his boxing achievements, Morrison faced numerous challenges. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and his mother stood trial for murder. His older brother, Tim, served 15 years in prison for rape. In 1996, Morrison revealed he had contracted HIV, attributing it to a “permissive, fast, and reckless lifestyle.”
After retiring from boxing, Morrison frequently encountered legal troubles. He even lived as a survivalist, sleeping in a cave, convinced the world was ending. In 2006, he claimed his earlier HIV diagnosis was a false positive and declared himself disease-free. However, a 2007 negative test result was likely due to tampered blood samples. In 2011, Quebec required a supervised blood test for him to box there, which he refused.
Morrison indeed still had HIV and did little to manage his condition. Despite outreach from HIV-positive Magic Johnson, Morrison ignored the advice. He only took the antiviral drug AZT for a month. He eventually succumbed to AIDS-related complications in 2013 at age 44, after being bedridden for over a year.
3. Red Meat
One of the most bizarre and amusing rumors about John Wayne claimed that an autopsy revealed several pounds (some sources say 40) of undigested red meat in his digestive system after his death.
This tale has all the hallmarks of a sensational urban legend—a celebrity, death, dietary indulgence, and digestive issues. However, it’s easily debunked. John Wayne was 72 when he passed away, having battled cancer for years. His death was clearly due to natural causes, so he didn’t undergo an autopsy.
Interestingly, a similar story could be told about Elvis Presley, who died at 42. Elvis had a congenital colon defect and a history of drug and laxative misuse. At the time of his death, his colon contained a significant amount of hardened fecal matter.
2. Bald
John Wayne seemed unlikely to conform to Hollywood’s obsession with appearance. He would never visit a plastic surgeon for Botox to maintain his youth. However, when his hair started thinning in the 1940s, he began wearing a wig for films and select public events, likely at the studio’s insistence. Despite this, he was open about his baldness, often going au naturel around family and friends and never hesitating to be filmed or photographed without his hairpiece.
In 1974, during a visit to Harvard University, Wayne faced a barrage of questions from students with confidence. Despite nearing 70, he enjoyed the interaction. When a student asked, “Where did you get that fake toupee?” he responded, “It’s not fake. It’s real hair. Of course, it’s not mine, but it’s real.”
1. Yakima Canutt
Stuntmen in Western films often came from rodeo backgrounds, and Yakima Canutt, a world champion rodeo rider, was the most iconic. Canutt collaborated extensively with John Wayne, revolutionizing fight scenes to make them thrilling and authentic. Early film fights were often unconvincing, typically featuring awkward, single-punch knockouts.
Wayne also owes a significant part of his persona to Canutt. Many of his trademark traits—his squint, confident stride, and slow, deliberate speech—were directly inspired by Yakima.
Canutt endured countless injuries, such as broken ribs and legs. A horse once crushed him, cutting his intestines, and a bull’s horn tore open his face. Despite these hardships, he passed away naturally at the age of 89.
