John Wayne in ‘True Grit’ Movie
The iconic Eyepatch that John Wayne wore in 1969 movie True Grit, in which he played U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn will be sold at auction. Also included in the sale, will be the actor’s Golden Globe award he won for playing drunken U.S. Marshal in the movie, cowboy boots, hats, driver’s license, passport, American Express card and over 50 movie scripts, many with Wayne’s handwritten annotations. Billed as the first ever single-owner auction from John Wayne’s personal archive, the sale will take place in Los Angeles from Oct. 3-6.
Wayne’s son, Ethan, says after his father died they never went through his things until just recently: We thought, what’s the best use of these items? Ethan Wayne told Reuters in an interview. Museums already have special items like his artwork and memorabilia. And when my father died, we were allowed to pick a few items that were personal to us. The museums are covered and we’re covered. My family and I have a few personal items and a lot of memories, so turning the rest over to his fans is the right thing to do, he said.
Pre-sale estimates for individual items range from $100 to $50,000. Greg Rohan, president of Heritage Auctions, said the sale would likely attract everyone from serious collectors to movie fans and the simply curious. Some have the potential to cross over from memorabilia to American History, Ethan Wayne said, especially the personal correspondence between Wayne and several U.S. presidents including Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and Dwight Eisenhower.
John Wayne made more than 170 mostly Westerns and war movies before his death in June 1979 of stomach cancer at the age of 72.
And for die-hard fans? There is the actor’s 1929/1930 ID card bearing his previous name Duke Morrison, from his time working as a prop man’s assistant shortly after losing his football scholarship due to an injury. [Reuters]
John Wayne's Eyepatch from 'True Grit' Movie
