How Wayne Became a Cowboy

From stunt man and former rodeo champion Yakima Canutt, John Wayne learned how to be a cowboy; how to ride, how to fight, how to hold a gun. Canutt was a terrible actor, but Wayne watched him on and off camera, and noticed how when he was confronted with real danger, Canutt didn't act scared; on some level he seemed amused. That half-humorous glint at the first sign of trouble found its way into Wayne’s arsenal. Thirty years later, when Patrick Wayne was starting out on his own acting career, the only note his father gave him was to learn to master a horse. James Caan and Chris Mitchum both recalled how Wayne made a point of demonstrating the right way to bear arms.