Stalin plot to kill Wayne

The Sun ^ | 7/29/2003 | ALLAN HALL

[sjersey]

SOVIET tyrant Josef Stalin ordered hitmen to kill movie idol John Wayne, it was claimed yesterday.

The murderous dictator feared that famously anti-Communist superstar Wayne would thwart his plans for a global red revolution.

British historian Michael Mann said: “Stalin saw him as a gigantic propaganda symbol against the Soviets.

“He was much more subtle than the atomic bomb but Stalin saw him as no less deadly.”

He said that two exiled Ukrainians living in America were given a contract to shoot the movie gunslinger, nicknamed The Duke.

They broke into his changing room at Warner Brothers’ Hollywood studios in 1943 — but the FBI ambushed them.

The Ukrainian pair then revealed they were acting for Stalin.

Mr Mann, who has written a book on the plot due out in the autumn, claims Wayne wanted to send the men back to Moscow “in wooden boxes” — but the FBI would not let him.

He says the death sentence on Wayne ended when Stalin died in 1953.

When Nikita Kruschev took over he ordered the KGB to stop plotting against Wayne — his favourite actor.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Well, and Wayne probably wasn't even a big enough star in 1943 to attract Stalin's attention.

[headsonpikes]

As a student at UBC in the early '60s, I occasionally paid a quarter to watch U.S. Dept. of the Army(IIRC) pro-Soviet propaganda films from Lend Lease days. Lots of film of jeeps, bombers, and smiling Uncle Joe Stalin, America's bestest pal!

The left-wing NDP Club sponsored the lunchtime showings as a fund-raiser.

They were fairly amusing, in an ironic sort of way. ;^)

[Restorer]

They broke into his changing room at Warner Brothers’ Hollywood studios in 1943 — but the FBI ambushed them.

John did not make a single movie for WB between 1933 and 1951.

Stalin was killing every opponent in sight from the early thirties on.

Actually a lot earlier than that. I have no doubt he would be perfectly willing to kill anybody. He just had no reason to want to kill this particular American movie actor.

[Riley]

Ahem. In 1943, there was no such thing as an A-bomb. There were programs in the US working towards one (heavily infiltrated by Soviet spies), but nobody had any idea whether it would really work.

Indeed. Not sure why you posted this to me, but I am aware of it and I concur.

[Zeroisanumber]

This is horsepockey. While the Duke might have been a strong anti-Communist in 1943 he wasn't publicly crusading against it until years afterwards. Besides which, we were allied with the USSR against Hitler at the time, John Wayne was making pro-war/pro-alliance films until the war was over.

Stalin was nuts, but he had bigger problems than a Hollywood actor.

[Cold Heat]

In 1943 the only person who was verbally attacking Stalin was General Patton. He thought they were vermin and wanted to keep on taking land after germany. The official line was that we were friends and allies.

In retrospect he was right but he got his hands whacked more than once for his criticism.

Wayne was a hollywood footnote then and had not yet achieved the great audience that came later.

This story is poop.

[Restorer]

John became a major star in 1939, due to Stagecoach.

But he didn't become numero uno till the '50s.

[Riley]

Who was more likely to have been a German agent rather than a Soviet one. But then again, Old Uncle Joe was probably a few beets short of a borscht by 1943, so almost anything is possible.

The Germans running a Ukrainian network in the States?

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

His real name was MARION. LOL!!!

"FILL YOUR HAND, YOU SONUVABITCH!"

[Restorer]

Sorry. Should have posted my comment to the original poster.

[SevenofNine]

OH I knew that

John Wayne real name was Marion Morrison NOT SURE it was Hollywood agent represent him

If you were Joseph Stalin were you take on John Wayne PLEASEEE

[lowbridge]

Mr Mann, who has written a book on the plot due out in the autumn, claims Wayne wanted to send the men back to Moscow “in wooden boxes” — but the FBI would not let him.

Boy, those FBI agents can be real wet blankets sometimes.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

He became a star with Stagecoach, but it wasn't until 1948, with Red River and Fort Apache that he became a superstar.

Even as late as 1942, he only got third billing (behind Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott) in The Spoilers and Pittsburgh, and in 1943's A Lady Takes a Chance, he got second billing behind Jean Arthur.

Not exactly fodder for the paranoid delusions of a dictator.

[LiteKeeper]

Now that could rile a dude up!

[risk]

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them."

[Chad Fairbanks]

"OK, I won't send them back to moscow in Wooden Boxes... The HELL I won't..."

[LaMudBug]

The way I read this is that Stalin wanted to do a number on Wayne in the early 40's, not about what Wayne was doing.

Your interpertation seems inapprorpriate.

[DoctorMichael]

;-)

[OldCorps]

I did. I think Stalin and Lenin were the two most evil men who ever lived.

[PokeyJoe]

Hmmmm.... Saddam was a Stalinist. Could he be seeking support from Stalinist Communists in the former Soviet Union, ..... because Saddam is/was an enemy of the US?