More than four decades since his death, John Wayne is still a relevant figure in Hollywood.
Do a quick Google search and you’ll see debates such as which of his movies were the best or how Clint Eastwood stacks up to him.
The beloved actor most well-known for Western and war movies was much more than that, however.
According to one of his children, Patrick Wayne, John Wayne was quite the family man in real life.
“He set the bar and taught me the skills to be a professional,” Patrick Wayne told the EXAMINER in 2022. “He was always prepared for work and knew his lines, and if he had to do a physical skill like shoe a horse, he’d learn to do it before he came to the set, so it looked natural on camera.”
John Wayne, who died from cancer on June 1979, had seven children among three wives. Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz, had four children together: Michael, Toni, Patrick and Melissa.
Wayne later married Mexican actress Esperanza Baur and Peruvian actress Pillar Pallete, whom he had three children with: Alissa, John Ethan and Marisa.
Patrick Wayne followed closely in his father’s footsteps, starring in 40 films, including 11 in which he starred with his father.
Btt his dad didn’t tell his kids to choose acting as their careers.
“He never encouraged us to do anything,” Patrick Wayne told the EXAMINER. “He said, ‘Your life is yours to live, and you have to figure out what will make you happy.’ He was happy and proud when I decided to pursue a career in film.”
Though Patrick Wayne had so many siblings, he said he often had alone time with his father.
“I was quite often alone with my dad,” Patrick Wayne said. “I didn’t have to share him or compete with my brothers and sisters for his attention. We had some amazing trips, especially in Mexico.”
Despite all his success, John Wayne stayed grounded, according to Patrick Wayne.
“He never lost touch with his humble beginnings and was comfortable with anybody,” the son said, but “he was a man so electrifying that he could walk into any room, and everything would come to a standstill. Everybody would stop and look. By the same token, in five minutes he could just charm you into being totally relaxed and comfortable, especially if you were a good-looking woman.”
At home, John Wayne could be a stern disciplinarian, but he never had to do anything.
“All he had to do was walk in,” Patrick Wayne said. “He never had to spank or threaten … Sometimes you slipped and did stuff, but typically you were on your best behavior. You didn’t want this menacing person to come and confront you.”
Still, the mega star had a good sense of humor and could poke fun at himself.
“I would say my dad had a terrific sense of humor,” Patrick Wayne said. “A bit on the dry side.”
The family enjoyed many fun vacations and Christmas was treated as a weeks-long ordeal.
“Dad believed a childhood should be filled with love,” Patrick Wayne said.
While John Wayne was larger than life as an actor, his son said he also was physically huge but with cat-like quickness.
“When my sister Melinda got married, she and her husband, Greg, were standing with the priest and the wedding party at the communion rail. I was in the wedding party and Dad was sitting in the first row. I saw Melinda start to waiver, start to faint. As I moved to help her, Dad streak by me and caught her. He was 32 years older than I, but, I’ve never seen anybody move faster.”
Patrick Wayne still recalls the last conversation he had with his father.
“He went into a coma at UCLA about a week before he passed away,” Patrick Wayne said. “On a Saturday night – two days before he died – he came out of his coma and engaged us in a conversation. We just talked and laughed. Then he just went back to sleep. He just forced himself to wake up and say goodbye to all of us – which I didn’t know at the time. We though he was indestructible.