Your Daily Facts about John Wayne
John Wayne was born on the date, May 26th, in 1907. He was born in Winterset, Iowa. We live about 18 miles from Winterset and have been to the house (museum) and also met his sister when she was there a few years ago. If you are ever in Iowa, stop by Winterset and visit the John Wayne House. Oh, and one other historical note about Winterset is that it is the county seat of Madison County and the move “The Bridges of Madison County” starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Check out the Madison County Website.
Birth name: Marion Robert Morrison
His name was changed to Marion Michael Morrison when his parents decided to name their next son Robert.
His family moved to California when he was four.
Wayne applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but was not accepted. He instead attended the University of Southern California (USC), majoring in pre-law.
A bodysurfing injury cut his college football career short.
Without his athletic scholarship he had to drop out of school and start working in the prop department of a film studio.
A director and a studio executive came up with his stage name. Wayne wasn’t present for the meeting.
After he started acting, stuntmen taught him horseback riding.
Wayne was married and divorced three times.
All three of his wives were hispanic women.
He was exempt from the WWII draft because of his age (34). Many other actors enlisted, and Wayne considered it, but continually postponed it until “after he finished one more film.”
Wayne’s third wife, Pilar, wrote, “He would become a ‘superpatriot’ for the rest of his life trying to atone for staying home.”
He was a Freemason.
He smoked five packs a day until he got lung cancer and had his lung removed in 1964. He switched to tobacco and cigars after that.
In a 1971 interview, Wayne said, “I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility.”
Wayne was approached by Mel Brooks to play the part of The Waco Kid in the film Blazing Saddles. After reading the script he said, “I can’t be in this picture, it’s too dirty…but I’ll be the first in line to see it.”
For more information about John Wayne, his film career, and more, go to John Wayne.