John Wayne's huge D-Day movie fee was revenge for producer who publicly insulted him
John Wayne was 30 years too old to play Benjamin Vandervoort in The Longest Day, but that didn't stop him from receiving a huge fee
John Wayne, renowned for his rugged persona both on and off the silver screen, was best known for his roles as a cowboy and military man.
By the early 1960s, "The Duke" was in his fifties, grappling with health issues but still insisting on performing his own stunts and portraying characters - including historical figures - much younger than himself. This was particularly evident when he was cast in the 1962 D-Day epic The Longest Day, which boasted an impressive all-star cast including Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, and Richard Burton. However, Wayne's casting proved to be controversial.
Interestingly, former President Dwight D Eisenhower was almost cast to play himself, but makeup artists couldn't make him look as young as he did in 1944. Instead, a set decorator who bore a striking resemblance to the Supreme Allied Commander was cast, despite having no acting experience.
Ironically, the real Eisenhower walked out of The Longest Day after just a few minutes, frustrated with the film's inaccuracies. Despite Eisenhower being deemed too old to portray his younger self, this didn't prevent Wayne from being cast as 27-year-old Lt Col Benjamin Vandervoort, who was quite disappointed to learn that the overweight 54-year-old Duke would be playing him.
Veteran actor Charlton Heston had expressed strong interest in playing the role, but his aspirations were crushed when Wayne jumped at the opportunity to star in the epic war film. In doing so, Wayne slapped the producer with an enormous price tag.
Initially, Darryl F. Zanuck, the producer of The Longest Day, managed to secure appearances from the ensemble cast for a relatively modest $25,000 fee, considering many of them had brief roles. However, Wayne made the bold move of demanding a whopping $250,000 for his involvement, refusing to budge on this figure. Ultimately, his request was granted.
The substantial fee was, in part, an act of retribution by Wayne. He had taken issue with comments made by Zanuck, who had publicly referred to him as "poor John Wayne" in relation to the financial strain caused by his ambitious project, The Alamo, in 1960.
As it turned out, The Alamo, a film that Wayne not only starred in but also produced and largely funded himself, served as the catalyst for Zanuck's jibe. Zanuck had voiced disapproval of actors venturing into production, specifically citing Wayne's efforts.
Consequently, Wayne's hefty fee for The Longest Day was both a means of revenge and a strategic move to recover financially from the expenses incurred during The Alamo's production.
Furthermore, in addition to commanding a premium fee, Wayne, who was already noticeably older than the character he was portraying, had another significant stipulation embedded in his contract.
In light of the considerable amount he would receive, Wayne also insisted on separate billing from the rest of the cast. Nonetheless, the producers devised a way to accommodate this demand without giving Wayne top billing by instead listing the other stars followed by "and John Wayne" - a solution that technically honored the agreement while placing Wayne's name at the bottom of the credits.
Despite this, it was a contentious move at the time as the Hollywood star did not serve in World War II, a fact he attempted to compensate for throughout his career by starring in highly patriotic films.
