John Wayne: The Legendary Cowboy Who Redefined the Western Genre
Explore the life and Western film legacy of John Wayne, the Hollywood icon who became the ultimate cowboy and a symbol of American cinema.
No Tempo das Diligências (1939): Uma jornada em que um grupo de nove pessoas precisa cruzar um território indígena no Arizona em carruagens.
Marion Michael Morrison was born on May 26, 1907. Disliking his birth name, he changed it as soon as he entered the film industry. Standing 6’3” tall and a football champion at the University of Southern California, Wayne began to gain notice in films such as The Big Trail (1930), starring in numerous B-movies before rising to stardom with the role of Ringo Kid in the classic Stagecoach (1939).
Stagecoach proved to be a pivotal milestone that launched Wayne to fame and helped define the essential characteristics of classic American Western cinema. His partnership with director John Ford was prolific, resulting in 22 films together, including memorable Westerns like Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Searchers (1956), and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Other notable Ford collaborations included the Cavalry trilogy: Blood Alley, The Fighting Seabees, and Rio Grande.
Another legendary director Wayne frequently worked with was Howard Hawks, one of the era’s greatest filmmakers. Together, they made major Western classics such as Red River (1948), El Dorado (1967), and the genre-defining Rio Bravo (1959).
Besides Ford and Hawks, Wayne also worked with other top directors of the time, such as Henry Hathaway, who directed him in True Grit (1969), the film that won Wayne his only Academy Award for Best Actor. Otto Preminger cast him in the acclaimed war drama In Harm’s Way (1965), Don Siegel directed his final film The Shootist (1976), Michael Curtiz helmed The Comancheros (1961), and John Huston worked with him on The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958).
Throughout his 50-year career, Wayne starred alongside many of Hollywood’s greatest stars, including Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara, Sophia Loren, Elsa Martinelli, Kirk Douglas, William Holden, Marlene Dietrich, Rock Hudson, Robert Mitchum, Lee Marvin, and Richard Widmark.
John Wayne married three times: first in 1932 to Josephine Saenz, with whom he had four children; in 1946 to Mexican actress Esperanza Baur, from whom he divorced seven years later; and finally to Pilar Palette, with whom he had two more children.
Wayne also directed notable films like The Alamo (1960) and The Green Berets (1968). The latter stirred controversy due to its pro-Vietnam War stance, prompting protests from anti-war activists.
A lifelong smoker, Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1964. He underwent surgery to remove his left lung and four ribs. Despite attempts to keep the illness private, Wayne publicly announced his diagnosis and urged the public to undergo preventive health checks. By 1969, he was declared cancer-free but continued to chew tobacco and smoke.
In the late 1970s, Wayne volunteered in cancer vaccine research. He died on June 11, 1979, from stomach cancer. He is buried at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, Orange County, California.
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