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Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much," advised The Duke when it came to acting. It certainly paid off for John Wayne as his legendary career attests! He was born Marion Michael Morrison and spent his youth ranching near the Mojave desert - often riding a horse to school! Like Indiana Jones he took his nickname from the family's pet dog - hence The Duke. After getting his first job in the movies as a prop man (in return for football tickets) it was a steady climb to a leading role in The Big Trail; though the films weren't that high profile. All that changed when John Ford cast him as the lead in Stagecoach. John Wayne - as he was known by then - was a star. Fort Apache, Rio Grande, Rio Bravo, The Alamo and True Grit are amongst his best known roles. He was always the tough guy on screen, but a big man enough to admit, off screen, that the image was mostly a gimmick which he adopted early - to hide his initial lack of experience! "If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."
