Roles Turned down by John Wayne

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    I found this site that list roles turned down by John Wayne. Most we know but there are a few new ones

    Mike


    1941


    Steven Spielberg says he had Wayne read the script in hopes he would play Gen. Stilwell. Wayne turned down the part saying it was in bad taste to make fun of WWII.
    Actor who got the part: Robert Stack



    All The King's Men


    John Wayne was offered the part of Willie Stark by director Robert Rossen, but he turned it down.
    Actor who got the part: Broderick Crawford



    Beau John


    John Wayne had a script commissioned for him called Beau John, where he would co-star with Ron Howard, but the film was not made because of Wayne's ill health.
    Actor who got the part: None



    Blazing Saddles


    Turned down a role in the movie after reading the script saying "I can't be in this picture, it's too dirty...but I'll be the first in line to see it."
    Actor who got the part: Slim Pickens



    The Dirty Dozen


    John Wayne turned it down, reportedly because he thought the movie depicted the military in a bad light.
    Actor who got the part: Lee Marvin



    Dirty Harry


    John Wayne turned down the lead role.
    Actor who got the part: Clint Eastwood



    Dr. Strangelove


    Did not respond to an offer to play Maj. T.J. "King" Kong in the anti-war masterpiece.
    Actor who got the part: Slim Pickens



    The Frisco Kid


    According to Gene Wilder's autobiography, John Wayne was offered the part of Tommy Lillard. Wayne was willing to take the role but was not able to get the $$ he needed.
    Actor who got the part: Harrison Ford



    Heaven's Gate


    John Wayne turned down the lead male role in mid 70's when the project was called Johnson County War. When this attempt at the project fell through, Michael Cimino made the Deer Hunter instead.
    Actor who got the part: Kris Kristofferson



    Lonesome Dove


    Writer Larry McMurtry had originally invisioned Lonesome Dove as a movie starring John Wayne, James Stewart, and Henry Fonda.
    Actor who got the part: Tommy Lee Jones



    Patton


    Wanted to play General Patton but the producer turned him down.
    Actor who got the part: George C. Scott



    Present Laughter


    John Wayne tried for years to get backing to play in this Noel Coward comedy as a change of pace.



    Welcome to L.A.


    Budget overruns and production delays kept Wayne from taking the role of Carl Barber, the millionaire father of Keith Carradine's songwriter/horndog character.
    Actor who got the part: Denver Pyle

    Mike,

    That was interesting to see. I didn't know a few of them. I think I know of others, but I don't want to list them until I can confirm them. I knew of some of the roles in his earlier days in the 1940's and 50's but I forgot most of them. Good topic.

    Cheers :cool: Hondo



    Quote

    "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it"

    - John Wayne quote

    Two more roles that were offered to Duke, both in 1978:

    "10"


    Duke was sent the script for this 1979 Blake Edwards' comedy with Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews and was approached for the role of Bo Derek's father, a Beverly Hills dentist (played in the movie by James Noble). He sent back the script, saying it was "too dirty"

    "Battle Beyond The Stars"


    This was a Roger Corman/American International low budget ripoff of "Star Wars" (though more like the-then recently departed "Battlestar Galactica"). The Duke loved both "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" and whilst he had steered clear of anything with any hint of science fiction, no westerns were making this kind of money at the box office and this role was ready-made for him....a gunslinger.


    He thought his presence might help the production, add it some prestige and possibly some added backing, budget-wise, from one of the major studios who were all looking at putting into production some "Star Wars"-type pictures.


    I know "Beau John" was probably his highest priority at the time, but he was very keen to be in this movie (unbelievably, to many in the film community) and I'm pretty sure contracts may have been signed. Sadly, Duke's health took a downturn and he was out of the movie, with the role eventually being played by George Peppard.

    Also he was approached for a film in which Harrison Ford would have played his son--don't know the title but this was certainly mooted at the time.

    (** Also, going back even further in time, Duke was approached for the lead in both "High Noon" and "Gunsmoke"--he was the one who suggested James Arness as the perfect Matt Dillon)

    He was also apparently considered for the role of rancher Bick Benedict in "Giant" in 1955. The part went to his future co-star Rock Hudson.

    [INDENT]

    Duke never turned down the Film "Beau John" and the Company that Duke Started Batjak Still have the Rights To The Book and is one of the things that Wayne Enterprises is trying to get back from Batjak that is now controled by Mike Wayne's Widow Gretchen Wayne !
    :ohmy:
    The story below will tell you a little more about Duke's plans to Make The Film "Beau John" with Ron Howard, but Cancer Got Duke First !
    :cry2:


    http://www.ranch26bar.com/BEAU_JOHN.html
    Chilibill
    :cowboy:


    [/INDENT]

    Quite right William. If Duke's health had held out Beau John would have got made. I think Dirty Dozen and Patton with script changes would have been the most likely to have possibly been made with John Wayne included. He did show a interest in comedies so who knows what he would have done.

    I noticed watching Is Paris Burning that Kirk Douglas appeared playing an American General it was only in a later scene that I realised he was playing Patton!!!


    Mike

    I don't think he would have made a movie in 1979, because Duke's last movies were not very successful and he was too old to be the star of a film.

    I disagree Cole--he had "Battle Beyond The Stars" (which would have been much better, production wise, if he was in the movie) and he was certainly committed to getting "Beau John" made and him being the star of the movie--perhaps he was at that age and the fact that he was slightly haggard at the time he was out of that Boston hospital after he had the heart-valve operation that would have given some gravitas to the role (it was to have been a horse racing picture and a comedy) and certainly would have been a change of pace.

    Also he had signed a contact with ABC for a regular slate of tv specials well into the 1980s with himself as host--I am genuinely sorry this did not happen as it would have revitalised his career (not that it really needed any) -- also it was the cusp of the home video revolution and that in itself would have made him one of the most in-demand personalities in the world.

    I like to think of how he would have ended his career (if 'the big C' hadn't returned) in the 1980s and probably into the mid-90s--with the box office success of "On Golden Pond" in 1981 and into 1982, he would have certainly been reteamed with Maureen O'Hara in something similar (James Stewart was forever being offered 'Golden Pond'-like movies--he did one, "Right Of Way" with Bette Davis--but turned them down as most of the roles were curmudgeons and he wasn't one). Also in the era of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark", he certainly wouldn't have been out of place and may have made a Batjac production similar to "Plunder In The Sun". Also I think he would have returned to being a producer at Batjac, even a director.

    I think "Beau John" would probably still make a great movie, but who would you get to play the lead these days-- Kurt Russell, Jeff Bridges?

    Well I just meant that at 72 he would have been old to be the star of a film. Some of Eastwood later movies like True Crime and Blood Work were not successful, and Sean Connery's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a disaster. Those are the only two stars I can think of who were still playing the lead role in a movie in their seventies.

    I think realistically around mid sixties with good genes and generally taking care of yourself is the longest any star can stay in the leading actor role.

    After that it would be cameos or character roles.

    I think if Duke had his health & his finances had been in order he would have moved into direction like Eastwood with only the odd cameo performance.

    The way it played out for JW he went out on a high with The Shootist which is extremely rare for those in the acting community to achieve.

    Mike

    Yes I always felt The Shootist was where he had to finish. No other star except Clark Gable has gone out on such a high note.

    Quote from DukePilgrim


    The Frisco Kid


    According to Gene Wilder's autobiography, John Wayne was offered the part of Tommy Lillard. Wayne was willing to take the role but was not able to get the $$ he needed.
    Actor who got the part: Harrison Ford


    This one surprises me, only because of the fairly large age difference between Duke and Harrison Ford - 25 years.


    Mrs. C :angel1:

    I know I am new to the site, but I was wondering if any one knew about John Wayne being offerd Lee Marvin's part in The Dirty Dozen?

    Hi rossco3268

    Yes I think the role played by Lee Marvin was offered to John Wayne. He was not happy with the script as it was and because of other commitments did not do role.

    I think it would have been one of his more interesting films if it had been made to work.

    Here is a link to a thread discussing other roles John Wayne did not do some are speculative while others were possibilities:-


    http://www.dukewayne.com/thread3382.html


    Mike

    Hi Rossco,


    In answer to your question,
    this is taken from the book
    John Wayne: American


    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    He made a big mistake turning the film down. I believe The Dirty Dozen was filmed in 1966 so he could have made it and then The Green Berets the nex year. Although, at 59 Wayne would have been a bit old for Lee Marvin's role.

    Yes, Marvin was only 42 and perfectly cast. Really it's just as well Duke did turn it down otherwise it might not have been as good.