John Wayne was in agony on Rio Lobo – Could not even get on his horse
The sight of The Duke thundering throughout The West on horseback stays considered one of cinema’s most indelible pictures.
Meanwhile, “Get off your horse and drink your milk” has regularly been attributed as considered one of John Wayne’s most well-known ‘quotes.’
Despite some claims that it got here from an advert he shot, it’s really virtually definitely an city fantasy, almost definitely began by comedians doing drawling impressions of the Hollywood Westerns legend.
Sadly, although, by the point the star got here to movie 1970’s Rio Lobo in the direction of the tip of his profession, he was in a lot ache struggled to get on and off his horse.
In reality, the film was surrounded by private tragedies for the actor.
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It was director Howard Hawks’ remaining movie and the third movie he made with John Wayne a couple of beleaguered sheriff standing towards outlaws.
In a 1971 interview Hawks mentioned of Rio Lobo: “The last picture we made, I called him up and said, ‘Duke, I’ve got a story.’ He said, ‘I can’t make it for a year, I’m all tied up.’ And I said, ‘Well, that’s all right, it’ll take me a year to get it finished.’
“He mentioned, ‘Good, I’ll be all prepared.’ And he got here down on location and he mentioned, ‘What’s this about?’ And I instructed him the story. He by no means even learn it, he didn’t know something about it.”
Famously, when Wayne realised it was a remake of Rio Bravo and El Dorado, he quipped: “Yes, he mentioned, ‘Do I get to play the drunk this time?”
Wayne came into Rio Lobo in considerable pain, out of shape from True Grit and still suffering from a torn shoulder.
Most of his fight scenes had to be filmed with stand-ins or carefully from restricted angles. Some fights even happened off-camera. And he struggled greatly getting on and off his horse.
He also suffered two devastatimg personal blow when his mother died during filming and then his younger brother Robert E. Morrison lost his battle with lung cancer the month after filming ended.
But there was one shining moment of happiness also.
Always a dedicated workhorse on set, no matter the physical injuries or personal pains, Wayne took a rare break from filming.
He had a very good reason, since it was to attend the 1970 Academy Awards. After exactly 40 years on screen, The Duke finally won the Best Actor Oscar for True Grit.
Touchingly, when he returned to the Rio Lobo set, he was greeted by the cast and crew all wearing eye patches like True Grit’s Rooster Cogburn.