When I was a sophomore at USC, I was a socialist, pretty much to the left. But not when I left the university. I quickly got wise. I'd read about what had happened to Russia in 1917 when the Communists took over.
All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be some place else.
Nobody should come to the movies unless he believes in heroes.
I suppose my best attribute, if you want to call it that, is sincerity. I can sell sincerity because that's the way I am.
I'd read up on the history of our country and I'd become fascinated with the story of the Alamo. To me it represented the fight for freedom, not just in America, but in all countries.
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
Everybody that I was in school with had an uncle or father in the law, and I started to realize that I was going to end up writing briefs for about ten years for these fellows who I thought I was smarter than. And I was kind of losing my feeling for that.
I was sure I'd set the world on fire, and it was hard for a young feller like me to realize the truth - that I hadn't set the world on fire, and I was totally unprepared to handle the consequences if 'The Big Trail' had been a success and launched me as a star.
Get off your butt and join the Marines!
Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid.
I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That's why I started in with the props.
Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.
I'm not the sort to back away from a fight. I don't believe in shrinking from anything. It's not my speed; I'm a guy who meets adversities head on.
Real art is basic emotion. If a scene is handled with simplicity - and I don't mean simple - it'll be good, and the public will know it.
All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. They didn't drink, they didn't smoke. When they knocked the bad guy down, they always stood with their fists up, waiting for the heavy to get back on his feet. I decided I was going to drag the bad guy to his feet and keep hitting him.
In westerns, you meet a hardy bunch of characters. There is no jealousy on such pictures.
I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.
I never have really become accustomed to the 'John.' Nobody ever really calls me John... I've always been Duke or Marion or John Wayne. It's a name that goes well together, and it's like one word - John Wayne.
My folks always let me go to the movies every Saturday. We were really motion-picture goers.
Nothing is so discouraging to an actor than to have to work for long hours upon hours in brightly lighted interior sets.
All I'm for is the liberty of the individual.
Women have the right to work wherever they want, as long as they have the dinner ready when you get home.
Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much.
Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.
I've loved reading all my life.
Get off your horse and drink your milk.
When you come to see a picture of mine, I want you to know that I'm not going to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. I want you to know that you won't be disappointed in me.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.
If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'
