Widmark and Duke had a violent confrontation and Duke threw the smaller man against a wall
Actor John Wayne stepped behind the camera for his first official directing credit for The Alamo. It was a passion project of his for years, but it took quite some time for his dreams to become realized. However, that would ultimately only be the beginning of his hardships involving the production. Wayne had a “violent confrontation” with The Alamo actor Richard Widmark after their personalities clashed on the set.
Wayne directed, produced, and starred in The Alamo as Col. Davy Crockett. However, his issues with the production started from inception all the way through shooting on location. Wayne’s mentor, John Ford, showed up at the set, but it wasn’t simply for a visit. Ford micromanaged Wayne, which resulted in him having to find ways to keep him busy while he completed his work.
According to Pilar Wayne and Alex Thorleifson’s book, John Wayne: My Life With the Duke, the actor didn’t get along with Widmark on The Alamo, who played Col. Jim Bowie. Pilar called him “a difficult man” with a “scratchy” personality. She wrote that he began to challenge Wayne at every opportunity starting when he first arrived in Bracketville for filming. However, things would only escalate from there.
Wayne understood how the relationship between actors and directors could be volatile long before making The Alamo. He saw plenty of these actors in action over time and wasn’t sure how he would deal with that when the time came for him to deal with it as a director. Some filmmakers would shout out their difficult talent, but others tried to be understanding.
“Duke tried patience and understanding first because he respected Widmark’s talent,” Pilar wrote. “But Widmark seemed to interpret Duke’s patience as a sign of weakness. He kept on arguing with Duke in front of the rest of the cast and crew.”
However, Wayne wouldn’t be able to hold onto his patience for much longer, as Widmark considered his understanding as a sign of weakness. The situation ultimately came to a head, which resulted in a “violent confrontation.”
“He kept on arguing with Duke in front of the rest of the cast and crew,” Pillar recalled. “Predictably, the day came when Duke’s patience ran out … Widmark and Duke had a violent confrontation and Duke threw the smaller man against a wall.”
by Jeff Nelson
PROC. BY MOVIES
