There is actually one more movie that I know about. When duke was really young he was cast a a corpse for Columbia( im not sure of the title) duke was so annoyed at the disgusting way he was treated at columbia that he never worked for them again which shows what a real man he is even though he had to turn down some big roles. I dont know if this film counts or not as one in which he dies in but I thought I'd let you know!!!
The last movie Duke was in with Columbia pictures was Two-Fisted Law released August 30, 1932. I don't know anything about the picture that tells me if Duke was a corpse or not . . .
I have "Two-Fisted Law" and he doesn't die in this one.
Here is the answer you were looking for. The movie was THE DECEIVER (1931) - Ian Keith played Thorp in this film and John Wayne took over when this character became a corpse.
Here's a little more information to clarify this situation.
According to Fred Landesman's The John Wayne Filmography , The Deceiver is the film in which John Wayne appeared only as a corpse, as Hondo stated above. Here's what Fred says, in the "Notes" section -
QuoteWayne's only role in this film was to appear as a coprse. He suffered the indignity of lying on the floor, replacing actor Ian Keith. Despite pleading from the studio, Wayne would never again appear in a Columbia film.
But he was most definitely in Two-Fisted Law (1932), right? Well, Two-Fisted Law may not have been released until August 30, 1932, but it was filmed a year earlier. Again, quoting Fred Landesman -
QuoteFilmed in one week, during the late summer of 1931, at a negative cost of $20,000, this modest Western ended up on the tail-end of double-bills in many theaters.
The Deceiver was released in November 1931, but presumably was filmed AFTER Two-Fisted Law, making Wayne's threat to never work for them again real.
Thanks again to Fred Landesman's book!
Mrs. C