John Wayne’s house in the San Fernando Valley was located in Encino, California, a 5 and a half acre property set on a large hill. He spent 1951 to 1965 full time here, then shifted to his beachfront property. The main house was a classic ranch-style home, with tall block walls covering the property, with only one electronic gate providing privacy and security.
The pool house built in the 1950s became the heart of the property, situated in the lower side of the hill. The pool house featured the kitchen, bar area, and ample place for gatherings. He hosted lots of parties in this property. Behind the pool house, the grounds unfolded into a flat parcel where a glistening pool surrounded by lawns and horse racing track invited recreation and leisure.
Newport Beach: Seaside Serenity – The Duke House
One of John Wayne’s iconic residences is the waterfront property located in Newport Beach, California. The actor nearly spent the final 14 years of his life from 1965 to 1979 in this sprawling French chateau-style waterfront property which overlooked Balboa Island.
This property offered a breathtaking view of the bay and access to the private dock for Wayne’s owned yacht the “Wild Goose”.Wayne once said “I’m glad I came down here to live 14 years ago, I’m sure as hell couldn’t afford it now” describing the unexpected rise in real estate prices in Orange County.
The villa looked very simplistic from the outside view but had a very sophisticated interior. The study inside the villa is the largest room in the house, and it also acts as the sanctuary and museum exhibit of John Wayne’s movie props, Awards, arts, his treasures, and antiques collected through his worldwide travel. The dining room, anchored by a stunning Chandelier and mirrored wall, was his favourite spot to enjoy sunsets over the view through the bay.
The living room featured a stone fireplace, a bronze Buddha, and Western-themed sculptures. His master bedroom has a great view of the bay, which he described as not a spectacular view but a moving picture. This is the place he often found peace by the stunning views of the natural beauty of Newport Beach in the comfort of his home.
He spent most of his time in this home with his third wife and children, and his 4 dogs. They lived here most of his life while he battled through Stomach Cancer, which he called “Big C” and made known to the public and spread awareness about this disease instead of hiding his health issues from the outer world.
Pilar Palette moved out of this home in 1973, but John Wayne spent here till the end.
The Maricopa Ranch: A 4,000-Acre Legacy
Back in the late 50’s John Wayne bought 4000 acres just outside Maricopa, precisely between Maricopa and Stansfield. Originally a cotton farm, then later it transitioned into a ranch. He had this place till his death and spent a lot of time here. So to honour him after his death, the golf course in Rancho is named “the Duke”. This also shows his strong connection with Arizona.
Marion Robert Morrison: The Early Years
Marion Robert Morrison was born in Winterset, Iowa, on the 26th of May 1907. The famous American actor John Wayne, nicknamed “Duke,” became famous from the second he was born, as if he was born for the big screen. The local newspaper, Pinterest Madisonian, covered an article about baby John Wayne on page 4 in the edition of 30th May, 1907 because he weighed 13 lbs. (around 6kg) at birth.
In December 1912 his brother Robert Emmett Morrison was born. John Wayne claims that his middle name changed from Robert to Michael because his younger brother was also named Robert. However, no official legal records have been found regarding the name change. Maybe the record might have been lost, but according to the resources, till his time of death, the official name of John Wayne remained as Marion Robert Morrison.
In 1916. The Morrison family moved from Iowa to Glendale, California. Some stories suggest that the move was due to his father’s health ailment, some suggest business issues. But the nickname Duke was born after the move. Their dog was also named “Duke”. So people started calling him Big Duke in a friendly manner, which turned into Duke and stuck with him.
Marion grew up in Iowa when he was a child, his love for sports began at an early age, one of his favourite pastimes of his childhood was playing football with his father, quote plate College in football also. The early influence had an impact, as Maison grew up to become a football player in high school and university. Duke’s athletic achievements earned him a scholarship to attend the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California to pursue his academics as a Pre-law student. But his Football career ended due to an injury to his shoulder, after that, his career in the entertainment industry started, which led to him becoming a popular American Icon during Hollywood’s Golden Age, especially in western and War movies.
John Wayne’s Marriages: A Complex Personal History:
John Wayde had a roller coaster ride in his marital life with over 3 marriages over 50 years. His first wife, Josephine Saenz, married him in 1933 and had four children with him. They are Michael Wayne, Mary Antonia “Toni” Wayne, Patrick Wayne, and Melinda Wayne. At this time, John Wayne’s career is just starting.
His busy career kept him away from home, and his fame affected their family life. On top of that, his Affair with actress Marlene Dietrich from 1938 also had an impact, which led to Divorce in 1945.
His second marriage to Esperanza Baur in 1946 had a complicated relationship dynamics. She was a former actress from Mexico, who was very jealous and suspected him of having affairs with his co-star. One day John Wayde returned home late, due to some misunderstanding involved in a fight with guns, and trying to shoot him when she was drunk, when John walked into the house. Luckily no one was hurt, but this fight was the starting point which led to divorce in 1954.
Wayde’s third marriage with Pilar Palette in 1954 was a stable one. They had three children: Aissa Wayne, John Ethan Wayne, and Marisa Carmela Wayne. They remained married until his death. They separated in 1973, and lived separately, but they didn’t divorce.
John Wayne: A Cinematic Legend:
John Wayne started his career in 1927 at Fox Story Studios as a prop man. Then, slowly he took part in many films, but mostly as a minor character, and faced lots of hardships in low-budget films until a breakthrough in 1939 through “Stagecoach” movie.
His fame skyrocketed after the stagecoach movie, becoming a leading symbol of American heroism. He worked closely with director John Ford, their partnership led to 14 successful movies, shipping wins his career while he faced lots of personal challenges. He won an Academy Award for the movie “True Grit” and was also nominated for several others, cementing his status as one of the greatest actors.
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Sivasankari
I’m Sivasankari, a writer with a deep appreciation for architecture and design. With a background in marketing and merchandising, I explore how aesthetics, functionality, and innovation shape our built environment.