John Wayne and Raquel Welch may never have starred in a movie together, but Duke did join the actress – who died at 82 on Wednesday – on her hit TV special Raquel! The 1970 CBS broadcast was a multimillion-dollar song and dance extravaganza shot around the world from Paris to Mexico with stars like Tom Jones, Bob Hope and even Duke himself. She met the Hollywood legend south of the US border where he filmed many of his Westerns and hilariously teased him in the opening skit.John Wayne’s estate posted a picture of Duke in a cowboy hat with Raquel on a horse, plus footage of them doing charity work in Mexico.
The posts read: “Rest in peace Raquel Welch, you will be dearly missed. John Wayne and Raquel Welch in Mexico on the set of Raquel (1970) a TV special that showcased her talents as a singer, dancer, and comedienne. While in Mexico, Duke and Raquel visited an orphanage and met over 600 orphans…John Wayne and Raquel Welch visit the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage in Acolman de Nezahualcóyotl, México, in a segment from Raquel Welch’s TV Special, Raquel! (1970). Rest in peace Raquel Welch, you will be dearly missed.”
The accompanying footage began with the late sex symbol teasing Wayne for being a big softy behind his gruff on-screen persona. Raquel told Wayne tongue-in-cheek: “Yeah… big bad John. But I know different. You’re just a real pushover when it comes to kids. About 600 kids to be exact in that orphanage down in Mexico.” What followed was footage of the two Hollywood stars visiting the Mexican orphanage where six people raised 600 kids, with the actress saying how “peaceful” it was.
Duke’s daughter Marisa Wayne commented on the post: “I remember that day. She was so gracious and gorgeous. Rest in peace.” After shots of the orphanage, Wayne is filmed as a cowboy with Raquel thanking him from a horse above, before he “hayed!” her away on her steed. Although the two actors never shot a movie together, she did star in 1968’s Bandolero! opposite James Stewart and Dean Martin. It turns out this Western was shot at the Alamo Village, which was the set originally created for 1960’s The Alamo. This was Duke’s directorial debut, in which he also starred as Davy Crockett and produced the epic with a ton of his own money.