“She’s a great guy”: the co-star John Wayne called “my only female friend”
Like many cinematic superstars before and after him, John Wayne had the clout to enlist a number of regular collaborators on a multitude of different projects throughout his career.
The most famous professional association of his career was that between ‘The Duke’ and John Ford, a decades-long partnership that saw them forge a unique combination of father/son, mentor/protégé, and unbreakable best friend bond. Ford might have been the best-known, but he was far from being alone.
Wayne lifted his entire persona from Harry Carey, and even when he passed away, the face of the classic western continued working with his inspiration’s son and wife on a number of films. Ward Bond was another member of the inner circle, as was Jimmy Stewart, forging a close-knit group of trusted allies he could call on at any time.
Then there was Henry Hathaway, who directed Wayne to the crowning achievement of his career when True Grit won him an Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’, with The Duke adamant the filmmaker never got the credit he deserved from within the industry for being one of the safest pairs of hands the business had to offer.
As tended to be the case for the macho-orientated mythology of the star, the majority of his regular creative partners were men. There were several women he worked with multiple times, but only one of them ended up being placed on a unique pedestal by the icon.
Wayne’s personal and political views were very much of their time, which inevitably means that some of his comments on women working within the film business have dated horrendously. Still, he would never dare speak ill of a five-time co-star, if only for the reason they became so close he viewed her as one of the guys.
First introduced through Ford, The Duke and Maureen O’Hara would share the screen in Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, McLintock!, and Big Jake between 1950 and 1971. Their chemistry was as natural as it was effervescent, and that familiarity, both onscreen and off, helped her attain rare status among Wayne’s circle of trust.
“There’s only one woman who has been my friend over the years, and by that, I mean a real friend, like a man would be,” he said. “That woman is Maureen O’Hara. She’s big, lusty, and absolutely marvellous. Definitely my kind of woman. She’s a great guy. I’ve had many friends and I prefer the company of men. Except for Maureen O’Hara.”
This being The Duke, of course, he felt compelled to preface his praise by comparing O’Hara to a man, without forgetting to describe her as big and lusty. Still, it was the sort of admiration Wayne rarely professed for actors of the opposite sex, making her one of a kind.
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out John Wayne Newsletter
All the latest stories about John Wayne from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.