John Wayne _ The Man Behind the Myth - Michael Munn [59]
It was the story of a wounded gunman taken in by a family of Quakers. Although he has sworn to kill the man who murdered his foster father, the Quaker girl he falls in love with persuades him to hang up his guns. Ultimately, he must face the man he’s been hunting, but the Quaker girl intervenes, and he hands her his gun. His father’s killer is finally gunned down by the local marshal.
“I liked the twist in the story,” said Wayne. “The audience expected me to kill the man, and they’re surprised when I don’t.”
Grant persuaded Wayne to let him direct the film, and they spent much of 1946 in preproduction. Wayne cast Bruce Cabot, who would become a close friend of Duke’s, as the father’s killer. Harry Carey played the marshal, and in the role of the Quaker girl was the delicately beautiful Gail Russell.
Wayne had developed the habit of getting up early in the morning, no matter how late into the night he had been working— or drinking.
All day long he and Grant worked on every detail of the production, and Chata constantly complained that he was ignoring her. Filming began in April 1947.
“That was a big step for me, to produce,” said Wayne. “But I felt that if anyone was going to give my career a kick up the rear, it would have to be me. I knew that the film was a modest one, and a good one to start with. But the pressures of producing and acting were more than I’d realized, and I have to admit I gave a tongue-lashing to just about everybody, which was more than was usual for me in those days. I found I was going around apologizing to everyone all the time, and thankfully, because they were my friends, they forgave me.”
Chata accused him of having an affair with Gail Russell and he loudly denied the accusations. Wayne actually became very protective of Gail who was only twenty-two years old and had had a 21184_ch01.qxd 12/18/03 1:43 PM Page 110
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rough time in Hollywood since her debut in Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour in 1942. Wayne had a glint in his eye when he said of her,
“Gail was just such a beautiful young girl that some of those fucking sons of bitches at the studios had taken advantage of her. You know about the old casting couch? She’d been there a number of times.
Well, it didn’t happen with me. I gave her the part on her own merits. She was one person I never shouted at because I knew she was insecure. She had an anxiety problem, which I understood because I’d had that when I was just a kid. I felt all she needed was someone to show her some kindness. She didn’t understand it at all because she thought that I was like everyone else and wanted to take advantage of her. I didn’t have to say anything specific to show her she was wrong. I just did what I could to encourage her and give her advice, but I never made any advances on her, and that took her by surprise.
“One day Jimmy Grant said to me, ‘You know she’s got a real crush on you, don’t you?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but that’s only because she’s not used to someone she’s working for showing her real respect and kindness.’ I made sure Gail knew I wasn’t like that. But when she wanted to talk, when she needed a friendly ear, I made sure I was there for her. God rest her soul. She died in 1961 after a long battle with alcoholism. I sure loved that girl, but not in a romantic way. I know there were rumors, but I say fuck them that like to think sordid thoughts.”
When the film wrapped, Wayne hosted a party for the cast and crew at Eaton’s restaurant which was opposite the Republic studio. Duke finally relaxed and drank more than was usual. When the party ended early in the evening, some, including Wayne, decided to head for another bar. Duke drove Gail’s car, but en route they lost sight of their friends, and the two of them ended up at a restaurant on the beach at Santa Monica.
They didn’t arrive at Gail’s home until it was almost midnight