John Wayne (May 26, 1907 - June 11, 1979)

I personally can not comment as a fan of this actor because I've never seen one of his films. I have only seen him on a few of the guest appearances he did on television but he certainly belongs on this blog from everything I have read. It has been thirty years since he passed away and for generations of fans he epitomized rugged masculinity. I am sure to some extent he still represents that to his die hard fans even to this day. Any "I Love Lucy" fan knows who he is though and that is why I bring you this tribute. His first film was in 1926 in Brown of Harvard and his final film was fifty years later in 1976's The Shootist. In that fifty year period he made a total of 184 films. I was amazed to read the number of television guest appearances he made. His credits include "Wagon Train", "The Mike Douglas Show", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", "Maude", "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "I Love Lucy", "The Lucy Show", "The Dean Martin Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Dick Powell Show", "The Jack Benny Program", "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour", "What's My Line?" and "Toast of the Town." In 1955 he was the original choice to play Matt Dilion on "Gunsmoke" but he turned the part down. He did however appear in the opening of the first episode and introduce his good friend James Arness to the audience and encouraged them to watch the program. The show would go on to become one of the longest running prime time series of all time staying on the air for twenty years and producing more than six hundred episodes. Even though I have never seen a single one of his films I know he is a legend and a hero to many. That is why... In Memoriam Remembers: John Wayne

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