John Wayne & Dogs

Y

YogiBear

Absent Comrade
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
1,179
Reaction score
1,225
Location
Fredericksburg, Texas
Aloha,

This week I watched several John Wayne movies,

"Big Jake", "Fort Apache" and "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon"

All had a Dog in each, the dog did have a part in "Big Jake"

In the other 2, the dog just accompanied the troopers.

In "Yellow Ribbon" when the troopers ran off the Indian's horses,

the Dog was running at the head of the stampeding horses.

I was wondering if John Wayne liked dogs and had them written into the movie?
 
Register to hide this ad
There's the story (possibly apocryphal) of John Wayne, during the filming of Hondo, winning the dog that was in the movie (a Lassie offspring) from owner/trainer Rudd Weatherwax in a highly lubricated, after-shooting-hours poker game. Some stories claim it was Lassie, but Weatherwax says he would never bet Lassie in a poker game.

Anyway, the game supposedly took place in Camargo, Mexico, and went for several hours. Wayne apparently won the dog, Weatherwax's station wagon, and all of Weatherwax's money. The next morning, as the story goes, Wayne gave back the dog and the station wagon.

Don't know if it's true or not...but it makes a heckuva story.:)
 
Last edited:
YogiBear said:
Aloha,

This week I watched several John Wayne movies,

"Big Jake", "Fort Apache" and "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon"

All had a Dog in each, the dog did have a part in "Big Jake"

In the other 2, the dog just accompanied the troopers.

In "Yellow Ribbon" when the troopers ran off the Indian's horses,

the Dog was running at the head of the stampeding horses.

I was wondering if John Wayne liked dogs and had them written into the movie?
Click to expand...

He did. He owned two large dogs that I know of. He also had a dog in: The Searchers and The Green Berets and in other movies.
 
Mule Packer said:
There's the story (possibly apocryphal) of John Wayne, during the filming of Hondo, winning the dog that was in the movie (a Lassie offspring) from owner/trainer Rudd Weatherwax in a highly lubricated, after-shooting-hours poker game. Some stories claim it was Lassie, but Weatherwax says he would never bet Lassie in a poker game.

Anyway, the game supposedly took place in Camargo, Mexico, and went for several hours. Wayne apparently won the dog, Weatherwax's station wagon, and all of Weatherwax's money. The next morning, as the story goes, Wayne gave back the dog and the station wagon.

Don't know if it's true or not...but it makes a heckuva story.:)
Click to expand...

Never heard that before but heck, DONT change a word of that story. It's the stuff legends are made of.;):D
 
I just red in a collectable John Wayne magazine--that he also had a black and White Dachshound? He was living I think in either El Cino or maybe Long Beach at the time when a fire broke out in his home when the family was sleeping. The dog barked waking them and thus saved Duke and family from probably dying in the fire.
 
UncleEd said:
Not just any Apache but Rodolfo (Rudy) Acosta, who played many villains but actually known on the movie sets as a very humorous man who could keep the cast laughing.
Click to expand...

Their Chief was also an Australian--Michael Pate. Ive seen him in three episodes (playing various indians) of Rawhide.
2260e78a7498b95ffe5205433a26c286.jpg

Shortly before he passed away:
Michael+Pate+2008.jpg

Major Dundee:
th
 
Another actor associated with JW is Henry Brandon, born
Heinrich von Kleinbach in Berlin. He played Scar in
The Searchers.

When he was called to play Scar, it really confused him
that John Ford would want a German-born actor to play
a Comanche.

Now back to Sam and other JW's dogs. I suspect they were all
U.S. born....but are we sure? ;)
 
I remember reading something about the Indians in early Westerns. Apparently many directors insisted on using Jewish actors to play Indians, as they thought they looked more like Indians than real Indians did.
 
DWalt said:
I remember reading something about the Indians in early Westerns. Apparently many directors insisted on using Jewish actors to play Indians, as they thought they looked more like Indians than real Indians did.
Click to expand...

Don't want to hijack a thread, but a classic example was that of Chief Iron Eyes Cody. Of course, everybody thought he was a real Indian. He claimed he was a real Indian (Cherokee/Cree). And he certainly looked like a real Indian. I mean, he even dressed the part both on and off camera.

But, in reality, he was Espera Oscar de Coti, an Italian-American from Louisiana. But like my dad used to say, "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, and flies like a duck, and swims like a duck, it must be a duck." Right?:D
Crying-chief-.jpg
 
Last edited:
DWalt said:
I remember reading something about the Indians in early Westerns. Apparently many directors insisted on using Jewish actors to play Indians, as they thought they looked more like Indians than real Indians did.
Click to expand...

And actors of Italian descent. Check out: Anthony Caruso. I dont have the image online to give link to, but a few years ago, I picked up a great original press photo showing him as an indian in: Cattle Queen of Montana. He was also an indian in: Ambush w/ Robert Taylor etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top