He made just 7 known films with the studios, vowing never to return.
1931. MEN ARE LIKE THAT(Arizona) - (Columbia)
1931. THE DECEIVER- (Columbia)
1931. RANGE FEUD- (Columbia)
1931. MAKER OF MEN- (Columbia)
1932. TEXAS CYCLONE- (Columbia)
1932. THAT'S MY BOY- (Columbia)
1932. TWO FISTED LAW- (Columbia)
At the time Duke joining Columbia was considered a good career move,
however that was not to be, with Duke experiencing one
of the most depressing and torrid times of his life.
With each and next Columbia film he made,
he found himself reduced to humiliating roles,
relegated down the cast list, into bit parts!
Taken from Duke:- The Life and Image of John Wayne
The story to how this happened,
is that a prop man, told Harry Cohn,
that Duke was having an affair with a Columbia actress
a favourite of the studio head!
As a result Duke's bit parts at the studio
were drastically diminished, so much so ,
he was on Cohn's 'S*** list,
As a result, Duke was treated as something best swept in the gutter!
So much so in the movie The Deceiver he plays a CORPSE!!!.
as a stand-in for the body of Ian Keith, who is murdered in the film's plot.
By doing so, Cohn let the actor know where
he stood in Columbia's pecking order,
No lines, No movement- Just dead!!
It was major humiliation for a young actor,
who not long before was the star of The Big Trail!
In Maker of Men,
although Duke had started off in in the movie
in the starring role, he was now being gradually relegated.
If Cohn was scripting the film,
it would have been a humiliating farewell.
Duke played Dusty, a worthless college football player,
willing to sell out his team for a few pieces of silver.
During his career, in his mind,
he was to never play such an objectionable role again!
He was soon to fall out with, Harry Cohn, the Columbia boss,
who thought so badly of Duke.
It was the end of the line for Duke's Columbia career,
and It was not until, the Lone Star movies, was he able
to recover.