John Wayne

You remember John Wayne right? It's okay we will not tell anybody you are old enough to remember. He's fondly remembered for his terrific cowboy pictures along with his most wild west movies.

Did you know that a few of his films were based in fact? Although the majority of his films were fiction there were several that weren't. John Wayne's role as an actor has been broad and varied. He's played with a wide range of personalities ranging from cowboys to solders.

Born on May 26 1907 in Winterset Iowa as Marion Robert Morrison his nickname was Duke. In fact he really produced some pictures under his nickname.

Duke was a handsome feller, with his six feet four inches tall frame, brown hair and blue eyes. Many a gal could not resist! Duke played soccer at University of Southern California and eventually he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity.

There's a lot of discussion between film buffs about which film ought to be credited as John Wayne's first. At the end of the day, most concur Words and Music taken in 1929 should be categorized as his first film, even though he acted under the title Duke Morrison.

He stared in several wild west cowboy films. His screen career was more than many, and even now his films continue to be highly popular.

A number of his classic cowboy films were Lawless Range where he assists settlers that are plagued by desperadoes. Wayne is captured and has to plan his escape before it's too late. This terrific oldy but goldy was led by Robert Bradbury in 1935 and has been shown in white and black.

Another of John Wayne's screenplay was The Range Feud led by Ross Lederman and produced in 1931. This is a westernized Romeo And Juliet gem. Two Arizona families feud over property while he threatens to differentiate the fire between himself and co-actress Susan Fleming

The Lucky Texan starring John Wayne with George Gabby Hayes was created in 1934 and led by Robert Bradbury. This unlikely pairing of Wayne and Gabby made a miner hard luck story. The pair strikes gold in their mine, but their luck turns for the worst if some low down claim jumpers framework Gabby for murder so as to get the claim

In Two Fisted Law, he stars as a rancher on the edge of losing his ranch. To make matters worse he's on the verge of losing his girlfriend and his liberty when he becomes the prime suspect of the Wells Fargo Express Office robbery.

His job as Ringo Kid in the 1939 film Stagecoach directed by John Ford, was the film that made him a celebrity. This was Duke's ticket to stardom. The 1976 film Shootest was the last picture Duke made.

Whether cowboy or film buff, anyone who has watched John Wayne, also referred to as the Duke, you need to acknowledge that John Wayne in his wild west cowboy films is one of the best cowboys ever to hit the screen.