John Wayne was ‘unhappy with his role in Hollywood classic and complained’ | Films | Entertainment

Back in 1942, John Wayne starred in the period adventure film Reap the Wild Wind, directed by the legendary Cecil B DeMille.

The Hollywood classic is set in 1840s Florida with Paulette Goddard’s feisty woman running a salvage business while being pursued romantically by John Wayne’s Captain Jack Stuart and Ray Milland’s lawyer Stephen Tolliver.

An Oscar-winning box-office hit, the film was unusual for Duke, as it was one of his few pictures in which he played a darker character and had second billing – in this case, to Milland.

DeMille had previously considered Wayne to play Wild Bill Hickok in 1936’s The Plainsman, a role that went to Gary Cooper.

The pair got on very well during filming, with the director admiring Duke’s ability to improve his character.

In fact, DeMille was so impressed, he allowed Wayne to pick out his own costumes for his part as Captain Jack. Yet, despite being pleased to have been cast in such an important movie, Duke was unhappy with his role and complained he was only in the film to make Milland look like a real man. The director had reassured Wayne that he wouldn’t make him do anything in the film that would harm his dignity, to which Duke quipped, “Getting beat up by Ray Milland would lose anybody’s dignity.”

Talking of fight scenes, when Wayne was filming one with Victor Kilian, an accident left the latter actor with one eye. Reap the Wild Wind would also be the final film appearance of Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as an actress. Of course, she would later make cameo appearances as herself in other movies.