The moment John Wayne almost came to blows with his ‘True Grit’ co-star in pursuit of an Oscar
Practice makes perfect, and if you are a supporter of that old adage, then the career of John Wayne might be considered a great example of it.
Wayne was a player in so many movies before he really began to shine that it is easy to see why his constant desire to uphold the standards of cinema was such a vehement passion of his. Beginning his career in the late 1920s, Wayne would patiently chip away at putting his face on Golden Age cinema’s Mount Rushmore, starring in 150 movies before he won his first coveted Oscar.
Wayne’s career reached its pinnacle with that win, and it came when he landed the role of US Marshal Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. The movie may have been one of many he had completed within the western genre, but the grizzled veteran ultimately achieved his goal of becoming an Academy Award winner with his performance in the movie. But, despite the success of the 1969 feature film, the production would be gnarled by a dysfunctional working relationship.
Wayne’s position as an icon of American cinema may feel like it has been under attack of late. His staunch and unwelcome political views have not translated into modern society. Whether it be his apparent anger at a political Oscars speech or his general distaste for Hollywood, Wayne is now more commonly seen as a blight on the industry than its tough-talking hero.
For the most part, Wayne’s devotees would suggest that this is a modern view of a classic icon. And, to look back at Wayne’s behaviour through such a lens was unfair to the star. In truth, this is no 21st-century invention, and Wayne was a notably cantankerous person on set, clashing with many co-stars throughout his career. But while his behaviour was often cited as “vicious“, Wayne rarely came close to blows with his fellow actors. True Grit was different.
Things didn’t start out fantastically for the production. While Wayne eventually secured the role, which would give him his ‘Best Actor’ statuette through persistence, having read Charles Portis’ novel and fallen for the one-eyed protagonist, he struggled to get the cast he wanted to support him. Notably, Elvis Presley would turn down the opportunity with his notorious manager, Colonel Tom, demanding Presley have top billing despite playing the supporting role of La Boeuf.
That role would eventually go to another singer, Glen Campbell, who would fit right in with a progressive cast that also featured two icons of cinema. Dennis Hopper would take on the role of Moon in the same year he would release his directorial effort Easy Rider and likely add himself to the list of movies Wayne would describe as “perverted”. The other legend of the industry was Robert Duvall.
While Wayne’s misgivings are now common knowledge, Robert Duvall was not without his own particularly short fuse. This made their pairing in the 1969 movie, with Duvall starring as Lucky Ned Pepper, all the more combustible. Duvall was a 38-year-old professional at the time and seemingly comfortable enough in his own work to not avoid trouble when on set.
Duvall operated as the antithesis of what Wayne deemed to be integral to the movie business. While Wayne believed the industry to be a family-first entertainment, Duvall was deeply entrenched in the idea of progressive artistry. Wayne thought of himself as a professional actor, able to deliver what his director required with the close of a clapperboard, while Duvall was from the school of method acting. In fact, the only thing the two had in common was a short fuse.
These differences and similarities would provide a wholly difficult on-set production, with the duo often becoming heated with one another. Things would nearly erupt into a physical altercation when Duvall and his director, Henry Hathaway, began feuding. “The director and I didn’t get along — I don’t get along with a lot of directors,” Duvall said. “Henry Hathaway … we won’t talk about him.”
Hathaway was an old school filmmaker and his way of working did not work well with Duvall, with the actor once sharing: “He’d say, ‘When I say, Action! Tense up, Goddam you.’ It’s hard to work under that as a young actor.” The pair would be ensconced in fiery arguments throughout the production, and this sent professional Wayne over the edge.
Wayne was deeply connected to True Grit, and with the two men fighting, he felt he had to interject, leading to him threatening to punch Duvall if he didn’t back down and get on with the work set out for him by Hathaway. Whether Duvall took in the advice of Wayne or simply got on with the job is not known, but True Grit delivered one of the finer movies of the western genre.
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