This is the iconic actor John Wayne, born Marion Robert Morrison on 26 May, 1907 in this modest four-room house located at 216 Second Street, Winterset, Iowa. He was the oldest child of Clyde Leonard Morrison and Mary Alberta Brown Morrison. His father was a pharmacist and his mother was a housewife. When Marion was four, his brother Robert was born. This is a picture of Marion, Robert, and their mother Mary. Now here they are with their father Clyde. When Marion was six, the family moved to southern California; Clyde had developed a lung condition, believed to have been tuberculosis, and needed to move to a drier climate. In 1916, the Morrison family was living at this location at 404 North Isabel Street in Glendale. Morrison attended Wilson middle school. This is Morrison, Robert, and their parents, along with Duke, their Airedale Terrier. Marion always had Duke, his dog, with him wherever he went. On his way walking to school with Duke by his side, firemen at a local fire station began calling the pair "Little Duke" and "Big Duke." The nickname stuck, and everyone began referring to Marion as "Duke." It is said that John Wayne kept this picture on his wall of his den at his home in Newport Beach for years. At the age of 12, Duke was delivering packages for his father, who had opened a drugstore. He attended Glendale High School, making all As; where he had excelled in sport, and went in a football scholarship to the University of Southern California. During his first year at college, his parents filed for divorce, and Duke was so angry with his parents that he refused to return home during school break. Instead, his coach, Howard Jones, arranged a job for Duke at Fox Studios. Coach Jones would exchange tickets to football games to stars and studio executives if they would hire his players part-time to supplement their scholarships. Duke was assigned as a prop man, moving furniture around on movie sets, and then later he was assigned to a western star, Tom Mix, as a trainer. During this time, director John Ford took a likin' to the young football player, and their friendship developed through the years. Duke loved body surfing, and while at Balboa Beach he injured his shoulder, and it grew worse during Football practice, causing him eventually to lose his scholarship. Unable to continue schooling, he asked John Ford for work. He began getting small, unaccredited parts. In that same year, in 1926, John Wayne meets Carmen Saenz, daughter of the Consul General of Panama. Although he first met Carmen, it was her sister Josephine that will eventually steal his heart. In 1930, John Wayne got his first leading role in "The Big Trail," directed by Raoul Walsh. Raoul decided that Marion Morrison was not a good name for a leading man. It was Walsh that gave John Wayne his new name. The next year it will be "Arizona," starring John Wayne and June Clyde. There will be five other films in 1931. The next year, in 1932, Wayne will play supporting roles to Western stars such as Tim McCoy and Buck Jones; In 1933, it'll be "Sagebrush Trail" with Nancy Shubert. Wayne had met Carmen Saenz in 1926, while at USC. However, it was Carmen's younger sister Josephine - or "Josie," as she was called - that stole his heart. Josie's father was a wealthy businessman, and Consulate-General for Panama. The family discouraged the romance between the 19-year-old college student, with no apparent future, and the 16-year-old socialite. After a long on-and-off romance, with Josie's father forbidding his daughter to see him, finally, on the 24th of June, 1933, John Wayne and Josie Saenz married at the home of Loretta Young. In 1934, John Wayne starred with Sheila Terry in "'Neath the Arizona Skies." Wayne will star with Sheila Terry in several early westerns. Terry will leave the movie business after a decade. Her last days will be spent in a small apartment in New York. She will pass away on January the 19th, 1957, from an overdose of sleeping pills, at the age of 46. She said that her only regret was: she would watch her old movies on television, and didn't receive a dime in royalties. At the end of 1934, on the 23rd of November, John Wayne and Josie will have their first child, a boy, Michael Anthony Morrison. He'll be best known as Michael Wayne. Michael will become a film director and actor. He will have five children with his wife, Gretchen. Michael will pass away, April the second, 2003, at the age of 68, from heart failure associated with lupus. A year or so after Michael's birth, the couple will have their second child, a daughter, Mary Antonia Morrison. She will be born February the 25th, 1936. She will appear in several unaccredited films of her father's, such as "The Quiet Man" and "The Alamo." She will marry Donald LaCava in 1956, and have eight children. She will live a private life as a mother and housewife. "Toni" will pass away December the 6th, 2000, from battling lung cancer, at the age of 64. One year after Tony's birth, John Wayne will lose his father, Clyde Morrison. He will succumb to a heart attack on the 4th of March, 1937, at the age of 52. John will describe Clyde as being the kindest, most patient man that he ever knew. Clyde Morrison had married Florence Buck after his divorce from Mary. Wayne said he came to love his stepmother. Two years after his father's death, John Wayne will become a major star in John Ford's iconic 1939 Western, "Stagecoach," also starring Claire Trevor. In July of the same year, John and Josie will have their third child, another boy, Patrick John Morrison. Patrick will become an actor like his father. He will appear in 40 movies, 11 with his father. One year and five months after Patrick was born, the Waynes will have their fourth child, a daughter, Melinda Ann Morrison, born 3 December, 1940. This is Sunday at home with the Morrisons. On the left is Patrick, Melinda, Tony and Michael. Melinda was 4 when her parents divorced. The kids lived with their mother, but they spoke to their father every day by phone. "He would rent these big houses and let us come visit him while he was on location." By 1943 John Wayne and Josephine had separated. However, it'll be two more years, 1945, before the final divorce. It's been said that Josie was not interested in her husband's career. He was always surrounding himself with film world associates, and they also disagreed on how to raise their children. During the war years,1941 through 1945, Wayne made several patriotic movies, such as "The Fighting Seabees" in 1944, and "Back to Bataan" in 1945. He was criticized for not serving during the war; he was deferred for having four kids. He wrote John Ford to see if he could serve under his command. By the time the officers' ranks were full, and he believed that he could serve the country better by making patriotic movies than picking up cigarette butts as a private. On January the 17, 1946, less than one month after his divorce from Josephine, John Wayne will marry Elizabeth Diaz Baur. They had met to Mexico back in 1941 when he was on vacation. "Chata," as Esperanza Baur was called, was from Mexico City and had starred in several Spanish-language films. Their marriage will be very rocky from the very beginning. Wayne will say that Chata was jealous of his four kids and jealous of him, even accusing him of having an affair with his young co-star Gail Russell in "The Angel and the Outlaw" in 1947. Both Russell and Wayne denied the affair. While married to Chata in 1948, Wayne will star in "Red River" with Montgomery Clift and Joanne Dru, and then it'll be "Fort Apache" with Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple. In 1949 it'll be "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" with Ben Johnson and again with Joanne Dru. Also in '49, it'll be a war film: "Sands of Iwo Jima." This is the Duke with Chata, at home, with their dogs, "Fearless" and "Stagecoach." The next year, in 1950, it will be "Rio Grande" with Maureen O'Hara. O'Hara stated that she met John Wayne through John Ford not long after coming to the United States to star with Charles Laughton in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1939; they were friends early on, but it grew stronger after making their first of five movies together, "Rio Grande." Duke always said that Maureen O'Hara was his favorite actress, and she always said that he was her favorite co-star. A few weeks before John Wayne's death, O'Hara actually flew from her home in St.Croix, the Virgin Islands, to Washington to testify in behalf of her best friend so that the president would strike a commemorative gold medal in his honor It was important, O'Hara said, for people to know what kind of man John Wayne was; his love for his family, his loyalty to his friends, and how he helped others. She said, "When he came to visit me and my husband, we would always try to get him to try new island dishes, but he always ordered steak." Two years later, in 1952, John Wayne will again star with Maureen O'Hara in John Ford's movie, "The Quiet Man." "The Quiet Man" was filmed in Ireland, so Duke would rent a huge house and invite his children to come and stay. He allowed his kids to serve as extras on the film. That same year John Wayne and his second wife, Esperanza, will separate. It'll be two more years before a nasty divorce will be granted. While being separated from Chata, and before their divorce was granted, Wayne was in Lima, Peru scouting movie locations when he meets Peruvian actress Pilar Palette Weldy. Pilar was from a socially prominent family and her father was a Peruvian Senator. At the time she was married to big-game hunter Richard Weldy. They will divorce the next year, in 1953. That same year, she came to Los Angeles to dub a film in English. While in Los Angeles, she will meet John Wayne the second time. They'll become romantically involved. At the same time, he will be starring in "Hondo" with Geraldine Page. On November the 1st, 1954, the same day John Wayne gets his divorce from Chata, he will marry Pilar Weldy. Chata will eventually return to Mexico and pass away in 1961 from a heart attack, at the age of 37. Wayne and Pilar were married at Kona, Hawaii, and, unlike his first two wives, Pilar will take an interest in his career. At the time of their marriage John Wayne was 46 and she was 26. In 1956, John Wayne will travel to the beautiful Monument Valley where his career first started in "Stagecoach" in 1939. It's located on the Arizona - Utah border. He went there to film "The Searchers," that starred Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, Jeffrey Hunter, and Vera Miles. The film will be a commercial success, and it was considered one of the great Western films by the American Film Institute in 2000 & 8. On March the 31st, 1956, the same year that Wayne will star in "The Searchers," He and Pilar will have their first child, Aissa Wayne. Aissa will be Wayne's fifth child, and her first. In later years, Aissa will become a family attorney in Malibu. In 1959, John Wayne will appear in "The Horse Soldiers" with William Holden and Constance Towers. Also in '59 it'll be "Rio Bravo," with Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson and Angela Dickinson. In 1960, John Wayne will act in and direct "The Alamo." He will hire numerous actors such as Richard Widmark, Lawrence Harvey, Frankie Avalon, and Linda Cristal. His son Patrick and daughter Aissa will also be given parts. He will invest much of his own money. The movie set that he built for "The Alamo" is said to be the most accurate set ever built in the movies. The movie will cost so much that it will take years to recuperate his investment. Wayne's wife Pilar stated the whole family lived in a small town close to the set. It was a family affair, and it was wonderful. On February the 22nd, 1962, John andnd Pilar will have their second child, John Ethan Wayne. He goes by Ethan Wayne. His name, Ethan, was chosen in direct relation to John Wayne's character in "The Searchers," Ethan Edwards. Ethan will become an actor and appear as the grandson in "Big Jake." He will later serve as head of the John Wayne Enterprise. The same year Ethan was born, John Wayne will play in two major films: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," with Lee Marvin and Jimmy Stewart. John Wayne was already suffering from lung cancer, but it will not be diagnosed until two years later, in 1964. He will also play as Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort in "The Longest Day." The next year, it'll be "McClintock" with his favorite co-star Maureen O'Hara. His son Patrick and his daughter Aissa will also work with their father. Aissa will play a native girl in "Donovan's Reef," Also in 1963, with Lee Marvin and Elizabeth Allen, filmed on location in Hawaii, directed by John Ford. Back in 1955, John Wayne had starred with Susan Hayward in "The Conqueror," produced by Howard Hughes. The filming location was Snow Canyon, close to St. George, Utah. Snow Canyon was picked for filming because the red sand there was the same as the original location. Although the crew was aware that Snow Canyon and St. George was in a direct line a hundred and thirty-seven miles south of Yucca Flats, Nevada, where the government, in 1953, had exploded eleven Atomic Bombs. It was known that wind currents had carried radioactive dust south to the filming location; however, the government assured the film crew and the people of St. George that it was perfectly safe. The cast and crew spent 13 weeks filming in the canyon dust. For close-ups they hauled 60 tons of red sand to the Hollywood lots, so it would match. The first sign of trouble was sheep and livestock in large numbers beginning to die. Seven years after release of "The Conqueror," Dick Powell, the film's director, will die of cancer. In 1960, actor Pedro Armendariz will be diagnosed with cancer of the kidney. In 1963, when he learned that his cancer was terminal he committed suicide. Wayne's co-star Susan Hayward and actress Agnes Moorehead will both pass away from cancer in the seventies. Actor John Hoyt will pass away from lung cancer in 1991. With 220 cast and crew, by 1981, 91 was diagnosed with cancer. In 1964, John Wayne will be diagnosed with lung cancer on September the 17th. He will follow his doctor's orders and have his left lung and several ribs removed. Within a year, in 1965, he will be back at work on the set of "The Sons of Katie Elder" with Martha Hyre, Dean Martin, Earl Holloman, and Michael Anderson, Jr. This is the Duke with his son, Ethan, on location in Mexico during the filming of "Katie Elder." On the 22nd of February, 1966, John and Pilar will have their third child, Marissa. Marissa will remember that between movies Duke would spend as much time with his family and friends as he could on his hundred-and-thirty-seven-foot yacht, The Wild Goose. He said he needed a large boat in order to entertain his expanding family. He only sold The Wild Goose a few weeks before his death while trying to put things in order. Also in1966, Wayne will star in "El Dorado" with Robert Mitchum and James Caan. It was directed by Howard Hawks, and filmed at Old Tucson Studios. Robert Mitchum managed to get his brother John Mitchum a part, and he will shoot him as a bartender in one of the scenes. Wayne's next movie will be "War Wagon," with Kirk Douglas in 1967. In 1968, John Wayne will direct and star in the controversial film "The Green Berets" with David Jensen and Jim Hutton. Wayne wanted to do something to support the troops in Vietnam; there was demonstrations against the war, and the movie critics came out against the film; so much so that it made the public want to see it! It made the expenses back in the first three months; one day later, it was making money. In 1969,Barbra St******* will present John Wayne the Academy Award for his portrayal of US Deputy Marshal Rooster Cogburn in the movie "True Grit." It will also star country-music singer Glen Campbell and actress Kim Darby. Darby will play the role of a fourteen-year-old girl, although she was 21 at the time and going through a divorce. 1970 will be a busy year. On 17 March,1970, John Wayne will lose his 84-year-old mother, Mary Morrison, or "Molly," as she was called by family, after a long illness. Molly had been living with Duke's younger brother, Robert, in Long Beach. John Wayne said of his mother that she always belittled him and gave him no credit for any of his successes. She always favored Robert and made no bones about it. All his life, he tried to please her, but she would have no part of it. He naturally turned to his father for comfort. Four months after his mother's death on July the 25th, he will lose his brother Robert to lung cancer. Robert was 58 years old. Duke said he always had a good relationship with his brother. Wayne will make two movies in 1970, "Rio Lobo" with Jennifer O'Neil, Jack Elam and Christopher Mitchum, who is the son of veteran actor Robert Mitchum. "Chisholm" will be filmed in Durango, Mexico. Co-stars will be his friends Forrest Tucker and Ben Johnson. While filming, Ben Johnson received word that his sister had passed away in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Wayne had Ben Johnson flown to Oklahoma for the funeral by his private plane. In 1971, it'll be "Big Jake" with Maureen O'Hara and Richard Boone. Duke's youngest son Ethan plays his grandson in the movie, and his son Patrick and Robert Mitchum's son Christopher will play Big Jake's two sons. The next year, in 1972, it'll be "The Cowboys." John Wayne's character will have to hire young boys on a cattle drive. Bruce Dern will be the outlaw leader who tries to steal the cattle herd. Roscoe Lee Brown will add a bit of class to the cast. In 1973, John Wayne will star in "Cahill, US Marshal," with George Kennedy and Gary Grimes. Also in November, 1973, John Wayne and his third wife Pilar will announce their trial separation. She complained about his absence from home even when he wasn't working. She'll move out of their waterfront home located at 2686 Bayshore Drive, Newport Beach. Although they separated, they will never divorce, and still be married at his death. Duke will set up a trust fund to take care of her financially. She will marry twice more after his death. In 1975, it'll be "Rooster Cogburn" with Katharine Hepburn. Although Wayne and Hepburn were both veteran actors for many years, "Rooster Cogburn" will be the only time for the two stars to work together. the high altitude, during filming, caused Wayne to use oxygen often, and he contracted pneumonia in his only lung close to the end of the film. Marissa Wayne, Duke's nine-year-old daughter, went to the golf range with her dad during the break while 'Rooster Cogburn" was being filmed. While learning to swing a golf club, Marissa accidentally hit her dad in the eye, sending him to the doctor. She said he was very gracious about it, but in the movie, you can tell - he began wearing a bigger eye patch. She said her father, up to that time, always called her "Princess;" after that he called her "Nine-Iron," as in "Nine-Iron, go clean your room!" In 1976 John Wayne would star in his last movie, "The Shootist." He will request Lauren Bacall and James Stewart. Stewart had been retired for five years and only agreed as a favor to Duke. The problem was: James Stewart couldn't hear, So he couldn't tell when he was supposed to say his lines. The scene in the Doctor's Office went on so long, the Director got plumb mad. This will be James Stewart's last appearance in films. John Wayne was so ill during filming, he was hospitalized for two weeks with influenza and pneumonia. Production was shut down, and it was uncertain if the film would ever be completed. The doctors didn't want him to continue. Duke was determined to finish his last film. He wanted to pay tribute to his horse, "Dollar," that he had rode in several of his movies, so he had it entered into his contract that he could mention the name of the horse several times. That's why he told Ronnie Howard's character, "I'm giving you old Dollar", and he called Dollar's name several times in the scene. In March, 1978, John Wayne will be hospitalized for heart valve replacement. On January the 12th, 1979, Duke will be informed that his cancer is back and had metastasized to the stomach, Intestines, and spine. For the last few years Wayne had been living with his secretary, Pat Stacey. Their romance had received little or no publicity. John Wayne appeared in over 150 films during his career. He's one of the most successful and most recognized actors ever. His last public appearance was at the 51st Academy Award Ceremonies, where he presented the Best Picture of the Year. Two months earlier, in January, 1979, he had underwent cancer surgery. One month after his last public appearance his old friend, Maureen O'Hara, visited Duke at his Westport Beach home only a few weeks before his death. O'Hara was a cancer survivor herself. She said they laughed and cried for two days. 36 years later, Maureen O'Hara would pass away at the age of 95 on the 24th of October, 2015. On June 11, 1979, John Wayne, The Duke, will succumb to stomach cancer at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He is buried at the Pacific View Memorial Park, Newport Beach, California. John Wayne was 72 years old. Before his death he told his son Michael, "Remember, I would not be who I am, or you who you are; we would not have the lifestyle we have if it were not for the public. Only use my name for their benefit." The children of John Wayne took his words to heart and helped form the John Wayne Cancer Institute. Now, a personal note: I have a friend that had cancer and was being treated at Duke University Center in North Carolina. She was losing the battle. Someone mentioned John Wayne Cancer Center in California might be able to help. She believes to this day that she would not be here if it had not been for John Wayne and his children.
