John Wayne’s Estate Shares Rare Throwback Picture Wayne With Frank Sinatra

The Duke’s estate recently posted on its Instagram page a photo of John Wayne having a nice time with Hollywood icon Frank Sinatra. In the picture, the two legends are seen hanging out on Wayne’s property in Newport Beach, sitting next to a cowboy-inspired art piece sculpted by Harry Jackson while posing for the camera.

The caption showcased Sinatra’s fondness for the Duke. “For over half a century, Mr. Wayne has served honorably as America’s symbol to the world of the highest morals and prudent standard of our society,” it reads. “No man’s lifetime of work has better expressed the land of the free and the home of the brave. No man’s lifetime of work has given more proof to the world that our flag is still there. John Wayne is, in truth, a star-spangled man whom so proudly we hail.” ​​​​

John Wayne and Sinatra almost had a fallout because of their varying political beliefs

Despite becoming close friends in the 1970s, Wayne and Sinatra didn’t always agree. The legends’ political difference, which was always the focal point of their fight, came into the limelight in May 1960 when Sinatra publicly supported the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.  Also, Sinatra had worked several times with a filmmaker, Alfred Maltz, who was ostracized because of his communist ideologies and imprisoned.

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When a newsman asked for John Wayne’s take on Sinatra’s collaboration with Maltz, Wayne couldn’t help but deal a blow to Sinatra because of his political leanings. “Why don’t you ask Sinatra’s crony, who’s going to run our country for the next few years, what he thinks of it?” Wayne responded while attacking Sinatra’s support for the presidential candidate.

Following the incident with the reporter, Sinatra and Wayne were present at a Hollywood benefit event, and when Wayne took the microphone at the event, Sinatra apparently walked off the stage. “What the hell did you walk away from me for?” Wayne later asked Sinatra which he responded saying, “Well, you cried. You blasted off your mouth.” The exchange between the two icons later became escalated to the point that they almost engaged in a physical altercation and had to be separated.

John Wayne and Frank Sinatra resolved their differences

The two stars, however, buried the hatchet and maintained peace with each other. According to a report from The Saturday Evening Post, Sinatra claimed that both of them reconciled later in the evening before leaving the event. “Duke, we’re friends, and we’ll probably do pictures together,” Sinatra said. “Let’s forget the whole thing.”

The two stars later took pictures together and also later featured alongside each other in the 1966 movie, Cast a Giant Shadow, which was based on the true story of Colonel David “Mickey” Marcus, an American lawyer and military officer who established and trained the Israeli army during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.