John Wayne's hilarious 5-word response to co-star that led to nickname on classic film set
John Wayne's real name was Marion Morrison, but the film legend went on to be known as 'The Duke' after the first film in which he starred, The Big Trail, was released
John Wayne was a mere 23 year old prop boy in Hollywood's late 1920s when he caught his first major break with "The Big Trail."
It was director Raoul Walsh who noticed the young man, named Marion Morrison then, shuffling furniture around the studio and decided to cast him as Breck Coleman, the lead in this Western spectacle.
Walsh originally proposed that Morrison take up the stage name Anthony Wayne after Revolutionary War hero "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
- Iconic Hollywood director instantly regretted working with John Wayne
- John Wayne's terrified reaction to filming on dangerous set of romcom Hatari
But the Fox Studios head honcho Winfield Sheehan wasn't onboard, claiming it sounded "too Italian"—thus, "John Wayne" became the name we know today.
"The Big Trail" stands out as the inaugural high-budget outdoor film in the sound era, set amidst the vast, largely uninhabited American Southwest, involving a host of extras and a staggering budget of $2 million for its time.
Despite being a huge financial disappointment upon release, the 70mm epic would eventually earn accolades from modern critics and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress in 2006.
Adding to the legend, the John Wayne estate revealed on Instagram this week that Wayne had a knack for inciting laughter among the crew, earning him an endearing nickname on set.
The estate revealed a funny behind-the-scenes story from the set of The Big Trail (1930): "During the filming of The Big Trail (1930), John Wayne was working alongside a Crow Indian actor who had a great sense of humour.
In one scene, Duke's character was supposed to have a serious standoff with the Native warriors.
DON'T MISS:
John Wayne lost star role in classic Western film to Gary Cooper
John Wayne was inches from death in movie stunt gone wrong
John Wayne's final public appearance as he said 'goodbye' before tragic death
The director called for a dramatic stare-down, with Duke towering over the group.
The Crow actor, straight-faced, looked up at Wayne and said, 'You sure are big Must've taken two mothers to raise you.' Duke, caught off guard, let out a deep chuckle and replied, 'Nah, just one tough one.'
The whole crew burst into laughter, and from then on, the Crow actor called him "Two Mothers" whenever they crossed paths.
John Wayne, always up for a joke, took it in stride, even signing an autograph for him with the note, 'From your pal, Two Mothers.'".
