Young Duke: A Baby-Faced John Wayne in 1927

 

This was before a studio executive made him change his name to “John Wayne.” Thus, assuming the year is correct, this is the 19 or 20-year-old Duke Morrison. (American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
 

By Nicholas Stix

I didn't even recognize him, and I've seen pics of him at that age. There's nothing like six packs of “straights” a day and a pint or a fifth of 100 proof tequila or Wild Turkey (I've heard conflicting reports) for “setting” a man's face.

I don't think it's any accident that almost every previous commenter (on the section of the thread where I was commenting) was female. When you read about John Wayne's legacy, it's always about his effect on the way American men carried themselves, but he had just as much of an effect on American women. Wayne was a womanizer, but from what I've read, he was never a skirt-chaser--skirts chased him! Skirt-chasers believe that they know women, but he was the first to admit that women were a mystery to him.

Since this is Father's Day, I should note that John Wayne had seven children by his first and third wives combined. He and his crazy second wife, Chata, had no children. By Hollywood standards, he was a devoted dad. By any standards, he was very affectionate to his children. In that, he took after his father, Clyde.