Duke's Leading Ladies Still Living

[chester7777]

Howdy, y'all!

We were roaming the streets of the McCandles, Texas forum over at Yahoo this evening, and came upon the following post, which we share here, as we thought it was pretty interesting. It was initiated by Sheriff Art, the founder of the forum.

Chester and the Mrs.

Hey Art!

How many of John Wayne's leading ladies are still alive?

Brenda

Howdy Brenda,

This was a hard question to work on because it forced me to realize that a lot of the young women I have enjoyed working with the Duke over the years have passed away. The last 3 years have been very hard on the Duke's leading ladies but these are the ones that I found to still be with us.


Starting in 1939 with "Stagecoach" to the "The Shootist" in 1976.

Leading Lady/ Film

Laraine Johnson/ Tycoon (1947)

JOHNSON ONCE SAID THIS ABOUT THE DUKE: I recall playing practical jokes with John Wayne. I once got a whole bunch of keys and had little tags made that said, "If lost, please return to John Wayne, RKO Studios. Reward." And I just dropped them all over town. He got a lot of phone calls, people showing up at the studio. He never learned who did it.

Maureen O'Hara/ Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles(1957), McLintock! (1963),
Big Jake (1971)

Patricia Neal/ Operation Pacific (1951), In Harm's Way (1965)

Nancy Olson/ Big Jim Mclain (1952)

Lauren Bacall/ Bloody Alley (1955), Shootist (1976)

Sophia Loren/ Legend of the Lost (1957)

Eiko Ando/ The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958)

Angie Dickinson/ Rio Bravo (1959)

Constance Towers/ The Horse Soldiers (1959)

Linda Cristal/ The Alamo (1960)

Joan O'Brien/ The Comancheros (1961)

Vera Miles/ The Searchers (1956), Liberty Valance (1962), Hellfighters (1968)

Elsa Martinelli/ Hatari

Elizabeth Allen/ Donovan's Reef (1963)

Martha Hyer/ The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

Kim Darby/ True Grit (1969)

Ann-Margret/ The Train Robbers (1973)

Diana Muldaur/ McQ (1974)

Judy Geeson/ Brannigan (1975)

Thanks for the question.

See you along the trail,

Art

[arthurarnell]

Hi Chester

Going slightly further back

Marsha Hunt - Born to the West

She was born in 1917 and has a very interesting internet site about the HUAC hearing in which she was blacklisted.

There may be a couple more left from the early days


Regards

Arthur

[arthurarnell]

Hi again

Two more if you are prepared to stretch a point Colleen Gray played Fen in Red River and she WAS John Wayne's love interest, but I suppose Joanne Dru was the leading lady. But whatever she is still with us.

Another one who was John Wayne's leading lady was Gwen Gaze she played Pamela Armitage in I Cover The War (1937)

I'll keep looking


Regards

Arthur

[arthurarnell]

And again

I suppose when it coms to Dukes later films he realised that tempis fugit was becoming a factor and so the ladies became less leading more looking to him as a father figure, and if you include those the

Michele Carey - El Dorado

Sherry Lansing and Jennifer O'Neil - Rio Lobo

and going slightly further back and vying with Rita Hayworth Claudia Cardinale

Its not a bad looking quartet.

Incidentally Sherry Lansing is or has just retired as Head of Paramount. There was a big article on her in yesterdays Times. She still looks good.


Regards

Arthur

p. s. another couple Julie Adams McQ
Anne Archer Cancel My Reservation
Doe Avedon The hHgh and the Mighty

[Jay J. Foraker]

Hi All -

Joan O'Brien was also in "The Alamo" as well as "The Comancheros."

Cheers - Jay ;)

[SXViper]

and going slightly further back and vying with Rita Hayworth Claudia Cardinale

Its not a bad looking quartet.

Claudia Cardinale was hot!! I just got done watching The Pink Panther the other night and WOW

Another movie to see her look good in is Once Upon A Time In The West.

[Robbie]

That was a funny story about Duke receiving keys to his studio the result of a practical joke, I wonder what his reaction was! :D