John Wayne, "The Duke", was born Marion Michael Morrison on May 26, 1907 in Winterset, Iowa. His acting career and on-screen image have become an enduring portrayal of the American cowboy. He became involved in acting through a summer job as a laboror for Fox Studios while attending the University of Southern California on a football scholarship. He befriended director John Ford who cast him as an extra in several films under the name Duke Morrison. His first lead role was in The Big Trail, but was dropped by the studio when the movie proved to be a box office failure. After a number of smaller parts and low-budget films he finally was offered the role of Ringo Kid in John Ford's Stagecoach in 1939. By the end of the 1940's he was a star of immense popularity. His box office magentism and tremendous career as both an actor and director, including a Best Actor Oscar for True Grit, continued until 1976. He played his final role in The Shootist as a gunslinger dying of cancer who must come to grips with his life. The film proved to be poignantly autobiographical as Wayne died three years later of cancer.
John Wayne was never investigated by the FBI. This relatively short file contains
cordial correspondance between The Duke and J. Edgar Hoover, and miscellaneous
material pertaining to anti-communist efforts Wayne was involved in during
his time in Hollywood.