Well Done “Duke”

This is a photo of two Hollywood legends…Sammy Davis Jr. and John Wayne a.k.a. The Duke.

You likely recognize both men and may even know something about each of them. But what you probably don’t know about is their, perhaps, unlikely friendship. There is a story that highlights that relationship and the good character of John Wayne, the man, not the cowboy he so regularly and successfully played on the silver screen. Here is that story that highlights their friendship:

“When there was finally a role calling for a
Negro cowboy, John Wayne gave me the hat
he’d worn in ‘Stagecoach’ for luck in playing
it. He said, ‘I didn’t let my kids touch this
Stetson. It’s very dear to me. But I guess
you’ll be able to find a home for it.’ I’m proud
to have had his friendship.
-Sammy Davis Jr.

Duke and Sammy had a long, lasting
friendship and often reached out and
extended a hand when the other needed it.
One such instance was when Sammy Davis
Jr. found himself being heckled on stage in
Canada.

Duke and his son, Patrick Wayne, were in
Detroit, Michigan as the Duke was on a
personal tour for the film Hatari! (1962).
Sammy was putting on a concert less than
an hour away in Windsor, Ontario and the
two wanted to go see him. When they
arrived through the back entrance, they
heard Sammy being heckled on stage and
the air getting thick with tension across the
auditorium. Without a second thought, Duke
marched up on stage and threw his arm
around his friend to show him support and
illicit support from the audience. To no
surprise, it worked. The uncomfortable
moment passed and Sammy put on an
amazing concert.
Recalling the moment, Patrick Wayne
remembered how swift his father was to
react to his friend’s distress. How that big
bear hug he gave Sammy Davis Jr. melted
away any tension, racial or otherwise, across
the whole room. It wasn’t about being
someone who simply talked a good game. It
was about someone who took action and
stood up for someone else in need. That’s
who John Wayne was.

In his starring roles in movies, John Wayne most often played the part of an individual with strong moral standing and high values. It is of note that John Wayne himself also had that, not just on the screen, but more importantly off the screen in his real life as evidenced in the way he stood up for his friend, Sammy Davis Jr. Loyalty and bravery are qualities we hear about these days far to rarely. John Wayne showed both on that stage that night in helping out his friend. He used his popularity and likeablity to help Sammy Davis out in a tough situation. The crowd could have turned on Wayne as well, but that was a risk he took and seemingly without hesitation.

There is a lesson in this story for us all. We need to use whatever influence or “cache” we might have to stand up for someone we care about when they are faced with difficulty. It might be defending a friend when we hear someone else make an unfair judgement or comment behind their back, or it might be someone expressing frustration or resentment towards someone we know deserves neither anger or frustration being launched against them, or it might just be an unkind joke being made a a friends expense. Whatever it is, we have the power to step in and say something to defuse the situation and support the friend or family member we love. That’s exactly what John Wayne did for Sammy Davis Jr. So today we say to him, “Well Done Duke… Well Done”!!!