MovieChat Forums > The Shootist (1976) Discussion > Hugh O'Brian had the great honor.......

Hugh O'Brian had the great honor.......

posted 17 years ago by rlljr
9 replies | jump to latest

of being the last man killed on screen by John Wayne.......

[–] Just_Call_Me_Nathan 16 years ago

I wonder who the first person John Wayne ever killed on screen was.

[–] porfle 16 years ago

His first starring role was in THE BIG TRAIL (1930). About midway through the film he kills some Indians during an attack on a wagon train. But his first one-on-one killing occurs at the end of the movie--(SPOILER AHEAD)--

--when he throws a knife into Tyrone Power, Sr.'s character, Flack.

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[–] hackraytex 13 years ago

Hugh O'Brian was great in The Shootist. I saw an interview where Hugh O'Brian considered it a high light of his career to work with John Wayne. I read in another post somewhere that he wanted to work with John Wayne so much that he did the part for nothing. I wish they could have beefed up the part more. You can see in the scene where John Wayne toasted him with his drink and Hugh O'Brian returned the toast with his coffee that the characters understood each other and respected each other. He said John Wayne invited him to screen the day's shots with him and that made his day. That was where the issue cam up that John Wayne was supposed to shoot the bartender in the back as he was running away after trying to shoot John Wayne. John Wayne, according to Hugh O'Brian, said he had made 200 movies and had never shot anyone in the back and told the writers to change it or he would take a walk. That is why it worked out that Ron Howard shot the bartender. I agree that I wish Ron Howard had kept his finger in acting while directing like Clint Eastwood does. Being the director, he could have done like Alfred Hitchcock and put himself in cameo parts. The viewers would have been delighted.

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 11 years ago

Mr. O'Brian met Mr. Wayne at a formal dinner while he was starring in the Wyatt Earp TV series. Mr. O'Brian was escorting gorgeous redheaded Rhonda Fleming, and at some point, when all the ladies went to the powder room, Duke came to O'Brian's table and complemented his portrayal of Wyatt Earp, saying, "I knew him, and you are terrific in the part", and some other nice things. Duke met Wyatt Earp when working as a prop boy for John Ford in the mid and late Twenties.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

[–] lwi101 10 years ago

Supposedly, during the hey day of TV westerns, Hugh OBrien had the reputation of being one of the fastest draws. Apparently they held "shoot outs" to determine it. There's a story that Hugh was pestering Audi Murphey for a show down, Murphey was considered by many to be the fasest of all.
Audi eventually got annoyed, and said he would do it with live ammo, which shut Hugh up. If any of that is true, it make O'Brien's role even better. If you do a search for fast draw you'll come up with some interesting stuff. It's on the internet, so it must be true!
L

[–] kelkyl 10 years ago

I've also read that Sammy Davis Jr, followed by Jerry Lewis(!) were the fastest draws in Hollywood.

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[–] ben-thayer 9 years ago

I read somewhere that in the early 60s a contest was held and Peter Brown took the prize as the fastest draw.

From the trivia section on the series Lawman (with John Russell):

In the early 1960s when TV-western mania reached its peak, an American magazine sponsored a contest for the actors who portrayed western heroes and villains. Since the climactic moment of so many shows was the classic quick-draw shoot-out, the actors had to acquire that skill to play their scenes. The magazine held a competition among some of the stars of the shows, firing blanks, aiming not at each other but downrange, and using an electronic timer. Quite a number of cowboy stars showed up to slap leather. Peter Brown beat them all and won the title of the fastest gun in Hollywood.

[–] gary_w_trott 9 years ago

So the deputy was the fastest. No wonder he got that job as a Texas Ranger down in Laredo.

[–] gary_w_trott 8 years ago

I don't know if it was intentional or not in regards to The Shootist but the real life Wyatt Earp had been a faro dealer at one point in his career.