Take a Sneak Peek at John Wayne Special Collector's Edition, Volume 42--Gallery of Greatness

Posted by Tony Romando on

Duke took great care to preserve the personal items that represented the many different aspects of his life. In The Official John Wayne Collector’s Edition, Volume 42 you’ll find a gallery-like presentation of everything from wardrobe pieces to personal letters to merchandise items. Whether they’re of sentimental significance or an iconic part of cinematic history, each of these items offers an intimate look at the life of a legend.

 

Duke traditionally celebrated the wrap of a production by giving the cast and crew members custom ceramic mugs as gifts to commemorate their time together.

1. A mug given to the cast and crew of Rio Bravo (1959). The Howard Hawks-helmed Western boasts a perfect 100 percent critic score on RottenTomatoes.com.

2. A commemorative mug crafted to celebrate the completion of Rooster Cogburn (1975), the follow-up film to True Grit (1969) co-starring Duke’s friend and fellow Hollywood icon Katharine Hepburn.

3. A mug given to the cast and crew of John Wayne’s film The Green Berets (1968). Location work for the film was shot at Fort Benning, Georgia.

4. A commemorative mug celebrating the completion of production on Big Jake (1971). The film features Duke’s youngest son Ethan in his first starring role as the titular character’s grandson, Little Jake.

5. A mug given to the cast and crew of Hellfighters (1968). The film shot on locations in Casper and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Midland, Baytown and Houston, Texas.

6.  Donovan’s Reef (1963) mug featuring John Ford on set in the director’s chair, made to commemorate the final time Duke and Ford worked together on a film. 

7. A mug given to the cast and crew of John Wayne’s passion project The Alamo (1960), which featured a massive set constructed at 75 percent to scale spread over 400 acres of land.

8. A mug commemorating the completion of Duke’s 1955 film Blood Alley. The film, which takes place in China, was shot on location at China Camp State Park in San Rafael, California.

9. A mug given to the cast and crew of 1972’s The Cowboys. The film co-stars prolific actor Bruce Dern, who also appeared with Duke in the 1967 Western The War Wagon.

10. A commemorative mug crafted for the cast and crew of John Wayne’s 1975 film Brannigan. While the opening scene was shot in Chicago, the rest of the film was shot in London under the working title Joe Battle.

11. A mug celebrating the wrap of production on Duke’s 1967 Western The War Wagon. The film’s production was paused for several days to allow John Wayne to film commercials endorsing Ronald Reagan for Governor of California.

12. A mug celebrating The Wings of Eagles (1957) featuring the film’s famous quote “I’m gonna move that toe,” uttered by Duke’s Frank “Spig” Wead, the film’s subject and real-life friend of director John Ford.

13. A mug given to the cast and crew of The Conqueror (1956) which shot in the Escalante Desert in southern Utah.

14. A mug made for the cast and crew of McLintock! (1963), which included Duke’s sons, Michael and Patrick, working as a producer and as an actor, respectively.

15. A mug commemorating The Searchers (1956), one of the first 25 films designated as a “national treasure” by the Film Preservation Act.

Read these stories and so many more in John Wayne: The Official Collector's Edition Volume 42.