John Wayne had three marriages, the first two of which he regarded failures. He raised seven children who belonged to him as a father in a multi-million dollar mansion. Wayne’s third wife left him before cancer took his life. He was still a good father, though, and his children hold that opinion of him.
Before entering the entertainment business, John Wayne attempted to become a farmer. He was born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907. He adopted the same nickname as his dog when he relocated to California: “Duke.” “Large Duke” and “Little Duke” were their nicknames.
He received a football scholarship to attend the University of Southern California. Sadly, an injury caused his scholarship to end after two years. Wayne worked as a film extra and appeared in the movies “Drop Kick” and “Brown of Harvard” rather than concentrating on sports.
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As he received more offers, he got to know John Ford and Raoul Walsh, the actor’s real name. Wayne frequently appeared in western-themed B movies as an average actor. He eventually received his breakthrough role in Ford’s “Stagecoach” in 1939.
Wayne quickly rose to become one of the most well-known actors of his era, best known for his parts in “The Alamo” and “True Grit.” He appeared in the films “Seven Sinners,” “Pittsburgh,” “The Spoilers,” “Red River,” “The Long Journey Home,” and “Fort Apache” as well.
He received praise for his portrayal in “Sands of Iwo Jima,” which led to his 1949 nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He won his first Academy Award for his role in “True Grit” twenty years later.
Despite being married, he started an affair with the actress and was said to have dated several other women, including Esperanza “Chata” Baur, a Latina.
Wayne also had a background career as a producer and director. The first movie he produced was “Angel and Badman,” He made his directing debut in “The Alamo.” He produced, co-starred, and directed “The Green Berets” in 1968.
Seven children were born to John Wayne from two of his three marriages.
Aside from his work in movies and television, Wayne also left a legacy with his seven children. From 1933 to 1945, Wayne married Josephine Saenz, a businessman’s daughter from Panama. Saenz received his education at a convent-run school while growing up in a strict Catholic household.
The four offspring of the couple were Patrick, Michael, Antonia, and Melinda. Wayne’s two sons and his four offspring with Saenz continued in the entertainment business. Patrick pursued an acting career while Michael became a producer.
John Wayne and his two kids at a restaurant circa 1967. | Source: Getty Images
With Marlene Dietrich frequently paired with him, Wayne was already making waves in Hollywood. Despite being married, he started an affair with the actress and was said to have dated several other women, including Esperanza “Chata” Baur, a Latina.
They immediately fell in love when the two first met in August 1941. Wayne deviated from his typical type, which shocked his friends in particular. He drank much less than Baur, a brothel keeper’s daughter, and she had a darker complexion.
It was well known that Wayne and Dietrich saw each other romantically while filming. While Saenz initially exhibited patience, it became unacceptable for her husband to be involved with two other women. To no avail, she turned to a priest for assistance, pointing Wayne in the correct direction.
John Wayne, Michael Wayne, Gretchen Wayne, Alicia Wayne, Maria Wayne, Teresa Wayne, and Josephine Wayne, March 19, 1968. | Source: Getty Images
Wayne claimed she was cold in bed, which caused their marriage to end quickly. Wayne eventually wed Baur, but their union was doomed from the start. They were separated not only by a language barrier. She was extremely irritable, though.
Wayne concluded that his marriage needed to end in May 1952. Later, he married Pilar Palette, his third wife, with whom he has three children: Aissa, Ethan, and Marisa Wayne. of them. Only Ethan entered the acting industry.
The biggest room in the mansion and another room in the actor’s house was his office. The room mirrored Wayne’s personality, which is that of a warm, friendly man who enjoys feeling at home.
John Wayne sits on a chair and reads a Prince Valiant comic with Patrick, Melinda, Toni, and Michael Wayne, Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Unfortunately, there were issues with their partners as well. Palette had grown accustomed to Peruvian society as a child, so she struggled to adapt to life in Hollywood. She ultimately turned to sleep pills for comfort. Ultimately, after almost two decades, the couple decided to part ways.
Despite his lack of marital faithfulness, Wayne was a good provider and father. He made lifetime experiences for his kids while trying to be the best father he could be.
John Wayne raised his Daughters in a California Mansion.
Wayne’s children spent most of their days in a 4,500-square-foot house in Newport Beach, California’s Big Canyon Golf Course. It featured amenities, including a gym and a library, and had an amazing golf course view. There were three bedrooms and four baths in the home.
The biggest room in the mansion and another room in the actor’s house was his office. The room mirrored Wayne’s personality, which is that of a warm, friendly man who enjoys feeling at home. Wayne’s office featured a fireplace, a modest gun collection, and American Indian and Western art.
Wayne’s study contained various pieces of his professional life, such as the film genres he worked with and the kachina dolls the actor acquired while shooting in Arizona’s Monument Valley. Wayne’s station wagon was parked in front of the house’s front door.
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Wayne and his children have lived on the Newport estate since relocating from their Encino house fourteen years ago.
Screenshot of John Wayne’s California house. | Source: Wall Street Journal
Wayne was pleased with his choice to move when the chance arose. Given the rise in local real estate costs, the actor would undoubtedly have had trouble paying for the property if he had purchased it later.
Dwayne changed dramatically the moment he arrived on location. Undoubtedly, his kid thought he was a meaner man.
Screenshot of John Wayne’s California house. | Source: Wall Street Journal
Wayne made an effort to feel at ease while away from home by bringing elements of his home into hotel accommodations. He stated:
“You often have to stay in some horrible motel room for several months. Well, I like to put a few familiar things on the wall. I try to dress the place up a little, [making] it seem more like home.”
Screenshot of John Wayne’s California house. | Source: Wall Street Journal
However, nothing beats being at home. Children of Wayne recall their home affectionately, especially when the performer was a part of it.
Ethan, Wayne’s son, recalls his father as a loving father who was very different from the roles he played on television. Ethan remembered, “He’d pick me up and spin me around after I’d run and leap. “Huge bear embrace. He always gave you a bear embrace or a head kiss. Convey to you his affection.”
John Wayne impersonator Ermal Williamson stands in front of portraits of John Wayne at the Fall 2000 Book Bash on September 20, 2000, in Newport Beach, California. | Source: Getty Images
Dwayne changed dramatically the moment he arrived on location. Undoubtedly, his kid thought he was a meaner man.
Wayne took his son out of school and brought him on a trip when he was a youngster. The adoring father’s reasoning was straightforward: since he wouldn’t be around when Ethan Wayne was in his 30s, he wanted to show him affection as he could. Ethan said, “He was a wonderful dad. When Ethan was born, Wayne was 56.
Screenshot of John Wayne’s California house. | Source: Wall Street Journal
Later, Ethan became the CEO of John Wayne Enterprises and stayed in his native Newport Beach, California.
When Patrick reflected on his father, he described him as having “grit and bravery” right up until the end. He was a guy who persevered through challenges and supported others when they were in need.
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Aissa and Marisa, Wayne’s children, also recall times spent with their father. Aissa recalls Wayne as a strict but fair, loving parent. She has a specific recollection of intentionally stepping on another girl as a young child.
Christmas was one of Wayne’s favorite holidays. According to his daughter, Wayne would wake up early to watch his kids unwrap their presents.
John Wayne holds his daughter, Aissa, on the set of “The Alamo.” | Source: Getty Images
Wayne made his daughter confess the truth after she revealed what Aissa had done. “If you lie to me, you’re gonna disappoint me, and you’re gonna go to your room, and you’re gonna be punished,” he said. “If you tell the truth, you’re still gonna be punished, but I’m not gonna be disappointed in you.”
Marisa and Wayne shared a unique encounter that she will never forget. When she was nine, she attempted to play golf and unintentionally struck her father with a stick. Wayne was transported by ambulance without delay.
While shooting the film “In Harm’s Way,” John Wayne and Aissa Wayne circa 1965. | Source: Getty Images
Thankfully, she only struck him close to the eye and not at the temple, where it might have slain him. Instead of getting mad at his daughter, Wayne said, “Well, you’re the only one who had the nerve to do this to me.”
Marisa had always been referred to as his father’s Princess, but people started calling her Nine Iron after the event. Each of us thought we were his best, she remarked.
John Wayne, Pilar Pallete, and Aissa Wayne, in Monte Carlo on August 29, 1963. | Source: Getty Images
Christmas was one of Wayne’s favorite holidays. According to his daughter, Wayne would wake up early to watch his kids unwrap their presents. She remembered:
“On Christmas Eve, he’d take me to the room where the wrapped presents were and let me open a few. He’d say, “I got you so many; it’s not fair to the other kids.'”
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After John Wayne battled cancer, his wife abandoned him. He nonetheless made an effort to provide for his children.
Wayne’s health worsened as he got older. He was given the all-clear in 1964 after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis in the 1960s. But he had to have a lung and a few vertebrae removed.
Even after being diagnosed with cancer, Wayne acted in movies, starring with Robert Mitchum in “El Dorado” and “True Grit.” Even though she insisted they were married until his last breath, his third wife also decided to abandon him in the early 1970s.
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Following his passing, Wayne earned additional honors, such as having Orange Country Airport renamed, appearing on postage stamps in 1990 and 2004, and being inducted into the California Fall of Fame.
Palette called her husband a “strong, kind, and generous” man with a wonderful sense of humor. Because of his intelligence and personality, he was someone that people truly loved. In addition, Wayne had strong political views, which he expressed in his public and film comments.
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The Shootist, Wayne’s penultimate movie, was released in 1976, and he played cancer patient John Bernard Books in it. Books desired a quiet death, but he took part in another shootout just before he passed away. Before his on-screen part became a reality, it took two years. Wayne received a diagnosis of gastric cancer in 1978.
“He was in constant pain and very uncomfortable,” Wayne’s son, Patrick, said of his last weeks. “He would often reach out to others in the UCLA Medical Center and try to console them.”
John Wayne’s headstone at Pacific View Memorial Park in Newport Beach. | Source: Getty Images
On June 11, 1979, Wayne died from a deadly illness in Los Angeles, California. He was 72. Wayne was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Award of Freedom in addition to his acting accolades. In 1980, his family received the medals.
Years after his death, in 2013, Wayne’s California home sold for $3.95 million. Even though the home will always be associated with Wayne, its interior and atmosphere have changed.
John Wayne and Ethan Wayne at Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park, Buena Park, California. | Source: Getty Images
Following his passing, Wayne earned additional honors, such as having Orange Country Airport renamed, appearing on postage stamps in 1990 and 2004, and being inducted into the California Fall of Fame.
Before he passed away, Wayne requested his loved ones and friends to support physicians as they battle cancer, leaving a lasting legacy. The John Wayne Cancer Foundation was established in 1985 to fund projects relating to cancer research.
During the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary’s 29th Annual Odyssey Ball, John Wayne’s family hosted at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on April 5, 2014, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Years after his death, in 2013, Wayne’s California home sold for $3.95 million. Although the home will always be associated with Wayne, the interior and atmosphere have changed from what the actor had envisioned. The prior owners had renovated it several times.
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