(b. May 26, 1907; d. June 11, 1979) Actor.

Born Marion Michael Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, John Wayne moved to California at a young age. After an undistinguished football career at the University of Southern California, Wayne entered the movie world changing props for Fox studio before playing roles in a number of unremarkable films. It was not until the 1939 film Stagecoach that Wayne gained star status in Hollywood. Stagecoach marked the first of his many successful collaborations with director John Ford and contributed to the long association of John Wayne with Western films.

The advent of World War II transformed Wayne's career. While many of Hollywood's leading men, such as Clark Gable, Henry Fonda, and Jimmy Stewart, entered the armed forces, Wayne chose to advance his career at home. The dearth of leading men allowed Wayne's star to rise during the war. Although apologists for Wayne claim that he...