The health issue that almost ruined John Wayne’s performance in ‘Rio Lobo’
Few actors have had as much of an impact on the western genre as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. While the latter was known for making darker, more violent movies, Wayne preferred to bask in America’s glory, trampling over the land of its native inhabitants in a quest for greatness. As a result, he became one of the industry’s most recognisable stars, appearing in movies like Rio Grande, The Searchers and Fort Apache.
Writer Joan Didion once encapsulated how Wayne defined so many American lives with his unforgettable presence. “John Wayne rode through my childhood, and very probably through yours, he determined forever the shape of certain of our dreams,” she wrote. Wayne was an icon of the silver screen, but he was also a symbol of an era that was quickly becoming outdated.
Wayne was strongly opinionated, often spewing racist and sexist remarks, even going as far as to state his belief in white supremacy. His films were a product of their time, and while many of them remain influential, Wayne represents a time in cinema history in which we’ve significantly progressed.
He kept acting until the ‘70s, not long before he died, with some of his last movies including Brannigan, The Shootist and Rooster Cogburn. Nine years before his death, he starred in Rio Lobo, marking his final collaboration with Howard Hawks. Coming after Hawks’ Rio Bravo and El Dorado, which saw Wayne play similar characters, the film wasn’t as successful as its predecessors, in fact, it was a box-office bomb.
Set during the American Civil War, the film follows Wayne’s Colonel Cord McNally as he vows to discover the two traitors who helped to execute a raid on a gold shipment which resulted in the loss of the precious goods – as well as an officer. The story of betrayal and justice had real promise, but there were several production issues that resulted in Hawks’ film becoming a failure.
Besides issues with the filming location, with Michael Winners’ Lawman getting in the way of where Hawks needed to be, causing the crew to have to spend more money to secure a new set, Wayne also posed some problems. The actor had filmed The Undefeated a year before, but while doing so, he’d fractured three ribs and torn a ligament in his shoulder.
Subsequently, Wayne was left with some mobility issues that made the camera crew’s job particularly tricky. He couldn’t move one of his arms because of the torn ligament, so he was only able to be shot from one side when the use of the limb was required. Body doubles were instead used to bypass the difficulties, which certainly complicated the filming and editing process.
Fight scenes – and any other moments which required Wayne to appear active – were hard to shoot. As a result, much of the violence takes place away from the camera’s view. Hawks’ filming crew did the best job they could, but in the end, Rio Lobo just wasn’t a success. Hawks was even quoted as saying, “I didn’t think it was any good”.
