Did You Know This Western Wonder Was a Believer?
By Movieguide® Contributor
Bodie Thoene, a writer and researcher at John Wayne’s Batjac Productions, recently shared how the famous actor, whose friends called him Duke, followed Christ.
“So many people ask me if John Wayne was a confessing believer in Jesus Christ” or “Will Duke be in heaven?” Thoene wrote on Sept. 5.
Thoene shared that the answer is yes.
“Part of my privilege when I worked at Batjac Productions, was to read through copies of Duke’s letters of encouragement to fans who were going through cancer. In every case he spoke of his own strong faith as helping him get through cancer,” she said.
“On another occasion, I had the opportunity to interview a lifetime dear friend named Lowry McCaslin who knew Duke as a fraternity brother from his USC days. Lowry was the son of a Methodist preacher,” Thoene explained. “Together as young men they visited a revival service where Lowry said Duke committed his life to Christ. From then on they had weekly Bible study in the attic of the frat house.”
Thoene says Wayne would frequently improvise in his movies and incorporate some of his Christian testimony in dialogues.
“He was a wonderful, deeply caring Christian man in his personal life; he cared for orphans in Mexico and for those in need everywhere he met them. I knew many of those who were blessed by him,” Thoene wrote. “He was not perfect but I can tell you he truly lived his faith. There are too many stories to tell here, but his family is now proudly promoting his legacy.”
She shared, “I am providing this link to what amounts to John Wayne’s public testimony:”
“Listen to the end and share if the question comes up,” she provided on her Facebook page. “Yes. We’ll be seeing Duke in heaven. He’s there holding the horses for us.”
In the video with Wayne and Dean Martin, Wayne said about his baby daughter, “The first thing my daughter’s learning from me is the Lord’s prayer. Some of the Psalms. And I really don’t care if she ever memorizes the Gettysburg address, just so long as she understands. And since little girls are so seldom called upon to defend their country, she may not have to raise her hand for that oath, but I’m certain that we want her to respect all those who do.”
Thoene and her husband Brock are authors and screenwriters. Bodie has sold over 35 million books, including “The Zion Chronicles.” She co-wrote and co-executive produced I’M NOT ASHAMED alongside her husband.
In a Movieguide® article, Thoene shared:
Millions of people have come to know Jesus through the death of Rachel Joy Scott after the Columbine shooting. The last words Rachel spoke revealed the spiritual depth and profound conviction of her heart….
Somehow Rachel had a feeling that she was going to die young. She had told her friends that she would never have a chance to marry and would not live beyond 20. Less than a year before the shooting, Rachel had written in her diary, “This is my last year, Lord. I have gotten what I can. Thank you…”
And through her writings she has inspired us to create a movie which will truly touch the lives of millions of young and old for eternity!
