Exploring Kirk Douglas’ feud with John Wayne
Over the course of his complicated career, John Wayne created a lot of controversies due to his comments about politics and American culture. An active supporter of McCarthyism and the political persecution of many prominent artists, Wayne’s opinions and activities rubbed a lot of fans and critics the wrong way. One colleague who never understood the Stagecoach star’s political convictions was none other than Kirk Douglas.
Having collaborated on multiple projects together, Douglas wasn’t hesitant about working with Wayne but admitted that he didn’t “see eye to eye” with the Hollywood star about almost everything concerning politics. That’s exactly why their creative partnerships were fully focused on their work since both of them prioritised having a professional attitude on the set. However, Douglas didn’t shy away from voicing his disagreements on a public forum.
During a 1971 interview with Dick Cavett, Douglas was asked about Wayne’s comments in a Playboy article where he claimed that the early settlers were morally justified in violently seizing the lands of the indigenous populations in America. Almost eager to shut this particular trajectory down, the Spartacus star immediately said that he wanted to avoid a media frenzy caused by any comments about Wayne. “I don’t want to get involved in a conversation about John Wayne,” he began.
Continuing, Douglas explained that his professional relationship with Wayne was not affected by the latter’s ideological inclinations even though he didn’t agree with them. “I’ve made quite a few pictures with John Wayne, and, by the way, I’ve always called him John,” he clarified before saying that they had always been in disagreement about these issues. “Everybody calls him Duke. We have never seen eye-to-eye on a lot of things.”
Despite the differences in their political beliefs, Douglas looked forward to working with Wayne because of his approach to the craft. While talking to Cavett, he revealed that Wayne also helped him choose roles, including the one in Cast a Giant Shadow where they worked together. “[It] was a picture done in Israel (and) Wayne was the one who set it up,” Douglas said. “Wayne is the one who called me in London. ‘Hey Kirk, I think this is a part you ought to play.'”
Douglas added: “We get along well, we never discuss politics. But he’s the first guy on the set, the hardest worker I’ve ever worked with, and I think he’s quite a character.” In order to avoid any potential conflicts, they never discussed politics whenever they had dinner together, which proved to be an essential step for maintaining professional harmony.
Watch the interview below.
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