The crazy moment John Wayne threatened to kill Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper had many controversies throughout his life due to his crazy lifestyle and eccentricities. Known as “Hollywood's Original Hell-Raiser,” Hopper indulged in all manner of activities such as soliciting cocaine as payment for Apocalypse Now, almost completely destroying a small Peruvian town, and snoring the ashes of a dead woman, among other uncanny occurrences.

Thanks to his unique penchant for off-screen destruction and his charismatic presence on it, Hopper had many fans. However, there were others who despised his existence, including Hollywood legend John Wayne. As a global icon who was a testament to Hollywood's universal influence, Wayne could not tolerate the fact that artists like Hopper were active threats to the illusions spread by the industry.

They clashed on the set of Henry Hathaway Katie's sons elder, which resulted in a famous exchange. Although Hopper previously worked with Hathaway on From Hell to Texas, he was banned from Hollywood after having a major falling out with Hathaway. Hopper later claimed that John Wayne saved his career by giving him a chance.

Recalling the offer, Hopper said: “Eight years later, Henry called and said Duke (John Wayne) and I have discussed this and you've married a nice Irish woman, Margaret Sullivan's daughter, and we understand you have a daughter so we're going to give you a job here because you are a wonderful actor.”

However, Hathaway warned Hopper that Wayne was not a fan of strategy at all. According to the actor, Hathaway was very receptive to Hopper's work Katie's sons Elder and he even claimed that Hopper had become a smarter actor, but Wayne was not a fan of Hopper's work or his personality.

Alex Cox, who had worked as Hopper's henchman, wrote, “Perhaps because of his ironic tendencies, Wayne and Hathaway thought Dennis was some kind of communist.” Dennis told me Wayne was coming looking for him with a gun to kill him. This was because Stokely Carmichael, the black radical, had used the F-word in a speech at UCLA, where Wayne's daughter attended school. Wayne taught Dennis in the 1960s.”

As a very vocal conservative, Wayne truly believed that Hopper represented everything that was wrong with the 1960s, and his anger was reflected in his behavior on set. Frustrated by the fact that his daughters had listened to a speech by a civil rights leader, Wayne held Hopper responsible.

He called Hopper his own “house agent” and threatened to kill him: “I want the red devil.” Where is this commune hiding?” According to reports from the set, Hopper spent the afternoon hiding in a closet. Although their collaboration on Katie's sons Elder was volatile, Hopper worked with Wayne again on True Grit, and this time, perhaps due to age and the softening of their values, they seemed to enjoy each other's company the most. Hopper would escape Easy Rider — the ultimate thumb in the nose of American conservatism — just a few months later True Grit and undoubtedly put himself back on Wayne's charts.

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