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12 Facts About John Wayne

2 min readMay 23, 2025

Some of these things were genuinely surprising.

Creative Commons: kla4067

At his peak, no one was as closely associated with America as John Wayne. He mostly played iconic heroes. But over the years, many people began to view John somewhat differently. Wayne truly was a product of his time. So. after doing some research, here are some things you might not have known about John Wayne.

1: His real name was Marrion Morrison.

No wonder he got tough. His nickname, “Duke” was taken from his dog. It’s good thing his dog wasn’t named “Spot” or “Fido.

2: Wayne went to USC on a football scholarship.

He lost the scholarship when he hurt his shoulder bodysurfing. Bodysurfing? That sounds like a pinko, hippie activity.

3: It was Wayne who started calling cancer, “The Big C.”

He also started calling an enlarged prostate, “The Big P,” but it never really caught on. Wait, being told that’s not true.

4: At one point, Duke smoked six packs of cigarettes a day.

His guns weren’t the only thing smoking. He carried a six gun and six packs.

5: Joseph Stalin put a hit out on…

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Larrylambert
Larrylambert

Written by Larrylambert

You probably don't know my name, but have likely seen my work. I've written for numerous syndicated cartoon strips and my gags have appeared in national pubs.

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