From Rivals to Friends: Frank Sinatra’s Surprising Tribute to John Wayne

John Wayne stood as an emblem of a fading America, embodying values rooted in tradition and conservatism. His presence in classic westerns cemented his status as a cultural icon, often portraying the archetypal hero who seemed to care for little beyond the interests of white Americans. Yet, beneath the surface, Wayne’s reputation was marred by deeply troubling attitudes. His notorious interview with Playboy saw him openly espousing white supremacist views, and his record of racist, sexist, and homophobic remarks is well documented. The fact that he wielded such influence in the industry speaks volumes about the prevailing attitudes of his era, when men of his ilk could act with near impunity.

Wayne’s self-regard was legendary. He rarely missed an opportunity to belittle his peers, convinced of his own superiority. According to his daughter Aissa in her book, John Wayne My Father, he reserved particular scorn for Gene Hackman, whom he described as “the worst actor in town.” She wrote, “He could never appear on-screen without my father skewering his performance.” Wayne’s disdain extended to Clint Eastwood, whose grittier approach to the western genre clashed with Wayne’s more nostalgic vision. Eastwood, representing a new direction for American cinema, was not someone Wayne admired in the slightest.

Clashes and Political Disputes

Frank Sinatra also found himself on the receiving end of Wayne’s disapproval, largely due to political differences. When Sinatra brought Albert Maltz on board to write The Execution of Private Slovik, Wayne remarked,

“I never thought Sinatra was a commie. But he hired a commie to write a screenplay the communists would have just loved.”

Their disagreements were not confined to professional circles. Wayne recounted a particularly tense encounter at a charity event, saying,

“The next time I saw Frank was at a charity benefit, and he’d been drinking heavily. He walked up to me, and he’s not exactly tall enough to see eye to eye with me, and he said, ‘You seem to disagree with me’. I told him, ‘Just take it easy, Frank. We can talk about this later’. And he said, ‘I want to talk about it right now’. It’s a good thing some of his friends pulled away because I’d sure hate to have flattened him.”

The two men, it seemed, were at odds on nearly every front.

Reconciliation and Unexpected Respect

Despite their long-standing animosity, the relationship between Wayne and Sinatra took an unexpected turn. Years after Wayne’s death, the sleeve of Duke: A Love Story featured a heartfelt message from Sinatra:

“A most warmly written book about a giant of our times. I cherish the memories of a good and decent man. There was—there is—no better friend.”

This was a striking contrast to Wayne’s earlier comment about not wanting to be “offered Sinatra’s rejections” in reference to Dirty Harry. Yet, by the end of Wayne’s life, the two had evidently found common ground. Sinatra not only attended Wayne’s funeral but also phoned him as he was dying to say goodbye. Their story, marked by conflict and eventual reconciliation, offers a glimpse into the complicated personal dynamics that shaped Hollywood’s golden age.