Hi,

Although our friend didn't really die,
he did meet his death in the following:-

1. Central Airport.
2. Reap The Wild Wind.
3. The Fighting Seabees.
4. Wake Of The Red Witch.
5. Sands Of Iwo Jima
6. The Alamo.
7. The Cowboys.
8. The Shootist.

And don't forget he was already gone,
in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.!

May I add another movie to that list as well? Even though we don't know what happened to Duke at the end of The Sea Chase, I guess that it was assumed that he died at the end of that movie.

Another good point,

but I still like to believe that Duke,
was washed up on some Norwegian shore,
in the arms, of a beautiful gal!!

I think the same thing too.

Perhaps Lana Turner washed up on shore with him??????:teeth_smile:

from what i read he almost bought it after a cast party of the SEA CHASE when his second wife took a shot at him when he came home late. she said she thought it was a burglar.:ohmy:

For all Duke fans,
Duke's Screen Deaths are all sad!!
Which one, is your saddest, and most memorable?

Ethan, it just has to be The Shootist. I still have a hard time watching that one. Other than The Shootist, it would be The Cowboys. Bruce Dern would have toted one from me if I could have been there. :stunned:

His death in The Cowboys is the hardest for me to watch, because he is killed in such a despicable manner. In The Shootist, he is already dying of cancer and decides to go out a different way. That one is sort of back-handed as well, but not out of sheer meanness and ugliness. I mean, he went into that place expecting to be shot to death - he was just too good and shot all of the men he expected would get him.

The Shootist is hard to watch because I know it's Duke's last picture, almost mirroring real life - that is the really sad part.

Mrs. C :angel1:

Hi

The Shootist was hard to take for many reasons, although as you say he was determined to go out on a high.

The Cowboys was bad because of the way it came about. For many years after Laura Dern was taunted at school by people saying that her father had killed John Wayn.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

The Shootist was hard to take for many reasons, although as you say he was determined to go out on a high.

The Cowboys was bad because of the way it came about. For many years after Laura Dern was taunted at school by people saying that her father had killed John Wayn.

Regards

Arthur
The Cowboys was the worst for me. It is funny what you said about Laura Dern,I remember a interview with the girl who played Nellie Olson on Little House on the Prarie where she said people would throw stuff at her in parades and other functions because she was so mean to Laura Engels. It is amazing how TV affects our lives and temperement. I can't stand Bruce Dern in anything...You think the "Cowboys" had something to do with that????

That has been the case for years concerning the soap operas. A friend of mine whose daughter was in "As the World Turns" said that many of the actors who played dispicable characters would be confronted in public by viewers that took them to task for being such rotten people! The line between reality and fantasy has been blurred for a long time.
Cheers - Jay:beer:

I agree with everyone else,
The Shootist and The Cowboys,
were sad and memorable scenes.

However, no one as mentioned the Sands Of Iwo Jima.

When watching the film again, we now know what is going to happen,
but I wonder how many of us were as shocked as myself,
when Duke was killed by a sniper!

I agree with everyone else,
The Shootist and The Cowboys,
were sad and memorable scenes.

However, no one as mentioned the Sands Of Iwo Jima.

When watching the film again, we now know what is going to happen,
but I wonder how many of us were as shocked as myself,
when Duke was killed by a sniper!
Sands of Iwo Jima was a shocker but this was war and he died a hero and not by the hand of a coward (Cowboys) or the death wish of a dying gunslinger (The Shootist). In Sands of Iwo Jima aside from his squad and an astranged family he was just another marine who was loved by no one and who,loved no one. Sounds kinda calouse,don't it...

Cowboys, Shootist and then Iwo Jima, in that order.

ET

He also played a corpse in The Deceiver in part of his time at Columbia

The saddest of Duke´s screen deaths is always "The Shootist", because of Duke´s cancer fiction and reality came very close in the movie. It makes me cry whenever I watch it.

But we forgot one screen death here: John Wayne playing the son of a poor farmer, died in the B-Western movie Wyoming Outlaw (1939), produced by Republic. He was steeling deer because the poor farmers were cheated by politicians and had nothing to eat. The three Mesquiteers tried to help him, but after a prison-break he became an Outlaw and was hunted down and killed.

Unfortunately I only could see a German version of "Wyoming Outlaw" and it was cut down from over 50 minutes to 25 minutes! But for a B-Western, I would say, it was a good movie!

But we forgot one screen death here: John Wayne playing the son of a poor farmer, died in the B-Western movie Wyoming Outlaw (1939), produced by Republic. He was steeling deer because the poor farmers were cheated by politicians and had nothing to eat. The three Mesquiteers tried to help him, but after a prison-break he became an Outlaw and was hunted down and killed.


Wyoming Outlaw (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=1983)
Sorry, but Duke didn't meet his death in this movie,
as he was in fact,
Stony Brooke one of The Three Mesquiteers, who befriends,
the young farmer Will Parker, who had turned into an outlaw!
I can only assume, you may have mistaken,
this as Duke's character?

The complete movie has a runtime, of 56mins,
so it could be, that much shorter version you watched,
did not show the full story!

I have to watch "Wyoming Outlaw" again! Maybe I am wrong, maybe it was because the movie was shortened... I will have a look at it as soon as possible!

EDIT: Yes, You are right! I watched "Wyoming Outlaw" again. John Wayne IS NOT Will Parker and he is not killed in the movie. He is one of the Misqueteers... Don´t know, why I could not remember, but, maybe I have seen to many of Duke´s movies? - NO, You can´t see to many John Wayne movies, but I have seen these B-movies only once, and so I forgot the details. But I like John Wayne´s B-Western! Most of them where great fun with thrilling stunts, fast and hard riding and quick shooting!

I also say "The Shootist" and "The Cowboys" because he was shot in the back by a "6 fingered busturd" in "The sands of iwo jima" he didn't have to die but he didn't much to live for either

the alamo was probably saddest for me - i was also gutted when colonal bowie got killed, but in the sands of iwo jima, his death came as a complete shock

Don't know if it was just a coincidence but in "Sands of Iwo Jima", "The Cowboys" and "The Shootist" the Duke was in the process of mentoring younger men when he met his end. To me, that is an admirable trait worthy of emulation by all who value the future. Those young folks out there need to be taught right from wrong.

hi Keith

you should have done a poll on this question as it appears that by a large majority in this order

the shootist
the cowboys
Sands of Iwo Jima

are the "top" 3

this is also my choice. I still cannot watch the shootist without weeping buckets.

on a slightly different note, I used to like listening to to the theme tune from Island in the sky but since I heard played during JW last appearance at the oscars I can no longer listen to that without crying. brings back memories of shadow of the man he was, physically I mean, very sad.

Hi

Taking your point about Duke mentoring youngsters when he died. I think that in both Reap the Wild Wind and Wake of the Red Witch he was attempting to right previous wrongs, so I suppose there is some merit in that.

Regards

Arthur

"The Cowboys" is my my saddest death of Duke and it makes me always a bit angry. He protects the young Cowboys until his death and the movie is getting more sinister. It's like they lost their fathers and it's good to see that the Boys are taking revenge for Duke's murder.

I only wish that JW's death in The Alamo was more original, rather than a replay of The Last Command. If anything he should have emulated Fess Parker.

I think Duke's Death in "The Shootist" was the Most Moving for me, because it was His Last Film !
:cry2:
Chilibill
:cowboy:

The saddest and the most poignant is The Shootist. I know he didnt plan it as his epitaph but it was a way to go out.

The most shocking is Sands of Iwo Jima as you expect them to survive after reaching the top of Iwo Jima.

That's very true. Dukes wasn't the one who was supposed to die on Iwo, he's the mentor, the teacher, the guy who would show these young recruits how to survive. But knowing what we know now about the fight on Iwo, it would be anybody who could die. Out of the 6 flag raisers in the famous photo, three would die soon after the flag went up, including Sgt Mike Strank, who though he was much younger than Dukes character of Sgt Striker, was considered the mentor of the others and who they referred to as "the old man". I think he was only 25 or so.

Tell me about Central Airport. I am not familiar with the movie, and though Duke had a minor role, I don't know how his death was portrayed. I'd like to know more about that movie.

As for the best death scene, I'd have to say, Sands of Iwo Jima because it is the first movie I've seen him that he died. I did see The Shootist in 1976, but this would be since my renewed interest with John Wayne back in 1990.

Cheers :cool: Hondo

Tell me about Central Airport. I am not familiar with the movie, and though Duke had a minor role, I don't know how his death was portrayed. I'd like to know more about that movie.

Cheers :cool: Hondo

Mike,
Central Airport is a rare one, but we don't have it listed as missing,
or unavailable.
Duke was way down the list as 'uncredited'!
He appears 56 minutes into the film
as an officer in a downed plane in the Gulf Of Mexico.
His screen time is short, some 32 seconds,
as he helps passengers onto the plane's wing and
drowns while helping a passenger.

Wow, I just learned something new here. Didn't know about Central Airport. Is the movie any good?

Mike,
Central Airport is a rare one, but we don't have it listed as missing,
or unavailable.
Duke was way down the list as 'uncredited'!
He appears 56 minutes into the film
as an officer in a downed plane in the Gulf Of Mexico.
His screen time is short, some 32 seconds,
as he helps passengers onto the plane's wing and
drowns while helping a passenger.

Hi Mike and Keith

I have a copy of this movie on DVD, a transfer from video tape. However been a long time since I watched it probably cos JW is not in it very long.

Made in 1933 so pre Stagecoach days but after The Big Trail 1930 which should have rocketed him to Americas leading man.

IMO What a hunk he was in the Big Trail and what an epic film! Would do almost anything to see the 70mm version on the big screen. ANY OFFERS FROM CINEMA OWNERS??

My friend ColoradoBob recently sent me the latest DVD release with a remastered version of the 70mm film on it but not the same watching it on large screen TV as it would be at the cinema.

Elly,

When you watch it, tell us about this movie. I'd like to hear about it. Is it worth a viewing?

Cheers :cool: Hondo

Elly,

When you watch it, tell us about this movie. I'd like to hear about it. Is it worth a viewing?

Cheers :cool: Hondo


Will do but it may be awhile before I can watch it. All my JW stuff is in UK and I am in Bulgaria now. Hoping to be in UK around Christmas time so perhaps a review in the new year?

Hi

Central Airport was one of a number of flying films made in the 1930s, the best of which were made by Howard hawks. It was a starring role film for Richard Barhlemass with John Wayne in at best a peripheral role or even as an extra.

it was made at a time when Duke was struggling to make his way in the industry after The Big Trail. But for all of that its not a bad picture.

Regards

Arthur

It took me many many years to watch the shootist after it's release. When I did finally watch it, it jumped to my favorite Duke movie, not because of the death but simply because of his acting. He was second to none as JB Books. I'm curious does anyone know was the character in the book named the same, I was thinking Jb books could have been used as The books of batjac productions and reversed bj to jb since bj isn't as manly as JB . they used clips from his old movies to show his past life. I'm probably wrong but the thought entered my simple mind.

Yes, Brick, his name was J.B. Books in the book as well. The book does tend to get a bit graphic in it's telling of Books' cancer and the pain he endures. It also graphically tells how each shot enters and damages the man who is shot. But it is quite a good read.

Mark

Batjac had little to do with the making of the Film, But Duke called most of the Shots on How Much Blood and Guts were shown in the Film !
Chilibill
:cowboy:

He also demanded some of the shots to be redone due to the fact that it showed Books shooting one of the bar people in the back, and he didn't want any of his characters shooting anyone in the back.

Cheers :cool:

Hondo, Yes Duke said that He was Not Going to Shoot anyone in the Back, and He Did Not !
:wink_smile:
And He would Not Drop His Pants for the Doc. "Jimmy Stewart" to check Him For Cancer as The Director Don Siegel wanted in the First Part of The Film !!
:ohmy:
He said "There are Not Going to be Any Bare Asses in any Movie I am In !!!"
:glare:
Bill
:cowboy:

I think what made the shootist the saddest for me besides the reflection of the Dukes own death was also the role. JB Books was a man who was for lack of better words was out of his time. The world was changing and had left him behind more or less. His charactors represented more than John Waynes death but also the death of a special breed whos time had passed. Sorta like Monte Walsh protrayed the last of the of the old breed of cowboys. I hope what i just said made sense.

I hope what i just said made sense.
It made complete sense, and is a perspective on The Shootist I hadn't considered before.

Chester :newyear:

I have a copy of this movie [Central Airport] on DVD, a transfer from video tape. However been a long time since I watched it probably cos JW is not in it very long.

Elly, when you watch it, tell us about this movie. I'd like to hear about it. Is it worth a viewing?

Will do but it may be awhile before I can watch it. All my JW stuff is in UK and I am in Bulgaria now. Hoping to be in UK around Christmas time so perhaps a review in the new year?

Hey, Elly, did you have opportunity to obtain and watch Central Airport? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to hear more about the film, and Duke's death in it.

Chester :newyear:

when talking about sad screen deaths, how about "the man who shot liberty valance"
i haven t yet watched all dukes films but did he play a more tragic figure than this? he lost the girl he loved, he saved the life of the man who took his girl off him and the guy who took his girl off him took all the credit for killing liberty valance. he then went and died and the only 2 people who could have told the truth decided to keep it to themselves

Badger
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was I think maybe the most tragic role the Duke played. The death probably doesnt strike home as hard as the others because we knew he was dead from the beginning. The others he died in front of us. But all in all I do think that The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was perhaps his most tragic "role". Red River had much tragidy but in the end it all worked out. But in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance he took his tragedy to his grave with him. Others will probably disagree and maybe I forgot one. Sands of Iwo Jima he played a kinda tragic charactor and died as well.
Steve

The man who shot liberty valance upset me so much that i ve only watched it the once - even when i look at it in its case i get a sad feeling - and yes....i know i probably need to get out more:cry2:

In this Film Duke almost took the Back Seat to His Good Friend Jimmy Stewart, but it was still a Great John Wayne Film, and one that I have Hard A Time Watching Some Times, But it was Duke All The Way !!!
Chilibill
:cowboy:

The Cowboys has the most moving death scene for me as it was not expected. When I first saw it I expected the boys to bandage Duke up and get him to a ranch. A few shots of Tequila and all would would be well. It was also a while before the actual end of the film.

Iwo Jima comes second, as it is a gripping film and story line, and after so much fighting to see him shot when it is all over was such a shock.

The Shootist is a sad ending that was made worse because it was so closely linked to Duke's own health, and it was to be his last film. It could be said it was a fitting end to an amazing film career, that he did what had to be done and then took his final ride into the sunset. Very poignant.

Bob

Bob,
I must agree with You all the Way, I have a Hard Time Watching These Films !
Bill
:cowboy:

The toughest screen death for me is the cowboy's, when Duke tells Dern to go to hell, then he shoots him in the back, you know he is dying a slow painful death, that one is tough.
With regards to The Shootist, you knew Duke would die in the picture, I figured it out when he was explaining to Ron Howard that you need that third eye, because it is always some other bastard that gets you.
The ending from THE SANDS OF IWO JIMA I think started his way to becoming an American icon.
Just my opionions.
Andy:teeth_smile:

Andy,
Yes that was a Very Sad time in Films, and that was the End of Dern, and He was a Bad Guy from that time On !!!
:angry:
Bill

Read this thread for the first time today.
I agree with all the previous posters that Duke's saddest death was The Shootist. They have already articulated the reasons better than I could.
Duke's meanest death was in The Cowboys. In a response to Mr. Brook's entry a mere five years ago, can you imagine being a young suitor picking up Laura Dern at home for the first time and Dad answers the door? I bet she never missed curfew.
His most iconic death has to be The Alamo. Rousing, tragic, heroic, inspiring - everything that made him a legend.



We deal in lead, friend.

can we add the deceiver,he played a dead man?

can we add the deceiver,he played a dead man?

kevin, thanks for your post, and you make a good point.
However, The Deceiver has never been included,
because in all the other films Duke at least appeared or even starred!

what about the sea chase?

what about the sea chase?

kevin, if you look back at the beggining of this thread,
The Sea Chase is mentioned

How many films (roles) did John Wayne die in?

I know of 4

Sands of Iwo Jima
Fighting Seabees
The Shootist
Reap the Wild Wind

the other films john wayne died
the alamo
the cowboys

Well, squirrelled away on page 8 of the Newbie Forum is the complete answer, along with some interesting discussion -

In How Many Movies Did John Wayne Die? (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=60)

BTW, Ben and ringo, you've got 6 of the 7 (or 8) generally accepted films in which Duke's character dies. Good job!

The reason I say seven OR eight is that in at least one film, we don't actually see him die, but it is assumed that death was the result. I'll let you read the other thread for yourselves, for a more complete picture. :wink:

Chester :newyear:

Even closer to home is this dedicated 'sticky' thread in the Movie section,
so for continuity, I have moved your posts across to here.

Here they are:-
1. Central Airport.
2. Reap The Wild Wind.
3. The Fighting Seabees.
4. Wake Of The Red Witch.
5. Sands Of Iwo Jima
6. The Alamo.
7. The Cowboys.
8. The Shootist.

And don't forget he was already gone,
in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.!

Here is the previous discussion on this
March 1st 2003
bob

In How Many Films Did John Wayne's Character Die?
In how many films did Wayne's character die? Can you name the films?

March 1st, 2003
Hondo Duke Lane
Bob,
Duke's character met with death in 8 of his movies. They are:

1. Central Airport
2. Reap the Wild Wind
3. The Fighting Seabees
4. Wake of the Red Witch
5. Sands of Iwo Jima
6. The Alamo
7. The Cowboys
8. The Shootist

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" had Duke already dead, but reflected on his life with the James Stewart character. Count it or not he did not die in the movie.

March 14th, 2003
AEC23
Hey! What about the Sea Chase? They leave it open at the end whether the Duke and Lana Turner survive the explosion. What do you think?

There is actually one more movie that I know about. When duke was really young he was cast a a corpse for Columbia( im not sure of the title) duke was so annoyed at the disgusting way he was treated at columbia that he never worked for them again which shows what a real man he is even though he had to turn down some big roles. I dont know if this film counts or not as one in which he dies in but I thought I'd let you know!!!

The last movie Duke was in with Columbia pictures was Two-Fisted Law released August 30, 1932. I don't know anything about the picture that tells me if Duke was a corpse or not . . .

I have "Two-Fisted Law" and he doesn't die in this one.

Here is the answer you were looking for. The movie was THE DECEIVER (1931) - Ian Keith played Thorp in this film and John Wayne took over when this character became a corpse.

Here's a little more information to clarify this situation.

According to Fred Landesman's The John Wayne Filmography , The Deceiver is the film in which John Wayne appeared only as a corpse, as Hondo stated above. Here's what Fred says, in the "Notes" section -
Wayne's only role in this film was to appear as a coprse. He suffered the indignity of lying on the floor, replacing actor Ian Keith. Despite pleading from the studio, Wayne would never again appear in a Columbia film.

But he was most definitely in Two-Fisted Law (1932), right? Well, Two-Fisted Law may not have been released until August 30, 1932, but it was filmed a year earlier. Again, quoting Fred Landesman -
Filmed in one week, during the late summer of 1931, at a negative cost of $20,000, this modest Western ended up on the tail-end of double-bills in many theaters.

The Deceiver was released in November 1931, but presumably was filmed AFTER Two-Fisted Law, making Wayne's threat to never work for them again real.

Thanks again to Fred Landesman's book!

Mrs. C :angel1:

As we already had in the Movie Reviews a more recent larger
'sticky' thread on this subject
For continuity I have copied and merged the relevant
old and new posts together, here in the dedicated thread

Here is our review on
The Deceiver (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=4679)
The Deceiver was hardly a forward move,
in young Morrison's career!!
In the film he plays a CORPSE!!!.
as a stand-in for the body of
Ian Keith, who is murdered in the film's plot.

The story to how this happened,
is that a prop man, told Harry Cohn,
that Duke was having an affair with a Columbia actress
a favourite of the studio head!
As a result Duke's bit parts at the studio
were drastically diminished, so much so ,
he was on Cohn's 'S*** list,
As a result, Duke was treated as something best swept in the gutter!
In The Deceiver, Cohn let the actor know where
he stood in Columbia's pecking order,
by casting him as a corpse,
No lines, No movement- Just dead!!

It was major humiliation for a young actor,
who not long before was the star of The Big Trail!

He was certainly alive in
Two Fisted Law (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=1873)

and although our filmography
has the Columbia films in this order

1931.THE DECEIVER
1931. RANGE FEUD- (Columbia)
1931. MAKER OF MEN- (Columbia)
1932. TEXAS CYCLONE- (Columbia)
1932. THAT'S MY BOY- (Columbia)
1932. TWO FISTED LAW- (Columbia)

They are indeed release dates and certainly
one can bet The Deceiver was his last!!

For me the cowboys is the saddest death of john wayne.i first saw the film when i was 12 and i was so made that i wanted to shoot bruce dern in the back to.i still cant watch the cowboys to this day without getting mad.i hate the sight of bruce dern i would not watch him in anything only the war wagon when he getts shot.

i hate the sight of bruce dern i would not watch him in anything only the war wagon when he getts shot.
Funny how he has that affect on people around here. :))):

Chester

ROFL

I agree

For me the cowboys is the saddest death of john wayne.i first saw the film when i was 12 and i was so made that i wanted to shoot bruce dern in the back to.i still cant watch the cowboys to this day without getting mad.i hate the sight of bruce dern i would not watch him in anything only the war wagon when he getts shot.

When The Cowboys was shown two years ago in Winterset besides having Robert Carradine there they asked Brue Dern. He politely declined saying that Duke fans will only boo him and that people to this day still hate him.
All I can say is only a good actor can make people hate him for not really killing someone.

Please people, Bruce Dern is an actor, get over it. Someone had to play the part and he played it well. It did have an effect on people, and that is what a good movie does. I hated the part he played but he did it so well.

I am not a big Bruce Dern fan myself, but he is a fine actor. I find you all a little savage over this man's role. It wasn't Bruce Dern who killed John Wayne, it was Long Hair who killed Will Andersen.

Cheers :cool:

its the manner in the way he killed him.i know it was long hair that killed will anderson but its john wayne that you see.

Good job we never knew who the sniper was in Sands Of Iwo Jima
He sure wouldn't have rested easy either!!!

Of all this these movies, I have a hard time to watch The Cowboys, maybe because he get shoot in a cowardly way.

Its all in the presentation. A hero's death is hard to take when they are killed by a coward.

The Shootist. The film is both profoundly moving and almost unbearably painful to watch. The smile Duke gives to Ron Howard right before he dies is a both a moment of triumph and a moment of heartbreak.

It did mirror his life, his dignity, and his death. I only wish he'd been able to die as cleanly as he did in the film instead of the agonizing death he suffered.

Goodbye, Duke. I love you.

I'm Sorry but i think the saddest death was in the cowboys. It was a unexspected, unprovoked attack by a low life creature named Bruce Dern. In the Shootist, death was inevitable. It was either that or face death by cancer.