John Wayne, one of the world’s most infamous western stars, was the hero in many much-loved movies.
He played the saviour numerous times, and despite his controversial beliefs, continues to be well-respected for his craft. However, only seven years before his death, he issued his co-star a stern warning which has been remembered as a classically iconic line.
In 1972, Wayne was starring in The Cowboys, based on the 1971 novel of the same name. Directed by Mark Rydell, making it his and Wayne’s only collaboration, the movie followed Wil Andersen, a paternal rancher who becomes an almost-adoptive father to a group of young kids. In the movie, he hires the children to help him on a 400-mile cattle drive, prepping and training them for the difficult task ahead.
However, while they’re on the journey they encounter Bruce Dern’s Asa Watts, the leader of a group of cattle rustlers who appear to want to work for Andersen.
But after Andersen denies the group of this opportunity, they later steal his herd. This is when the movie’s most famous moment happens, with Andersen and Watts having a fight. Andersen soon overcomes Watts but when he goes to walk away, is shot and killed by Dern’s character.
And it was reportedly before this scene that Wayne gave his stern warning to Dern. In an interview for the film Last Man Standing, over 20 years after The Cowboys, Dern was asked about being one of the only actors to kill John Wayne on-screen.
He said, “[Wayne] said to me, just before I pulled the trigger and did the first take, ‘Oh how they’re going to hate you for this’.”
However, Dern had an extremely witty response about Wayne’s personal life. Wayne was recovering from an awful interview he’d done with Playboy in which his intolerant views were shared with the public.
During the interview, Wayne openly criticized the Civil Rights movement and said he supported “white supremacy,” as well as labeling Native Americans selfish for trying to claim back and retain their land.
And it was in respect to this scandal, that Dern gave his reply, saying to Wayne, “Maybe, but in Berkeley, I’m a goddamn hero’,” referencing UC Berkeley, a famously liberal university.
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Continuing to speak about that experience with Wayne, Dern further said in his Last Man Standing interview, “You have to remember that was 1972. He’d just done a Playboy interview in which he’d ripped everybody in America that wasn’t waspy white a new behind.”
Wayne would only feature in seven more films while he was alive before dying from cancer in 1979.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
