Displayed is a 1940s charming John Wayne Type I photo that shows the iconic Hollywood "tough guy" not brawling in a Western bar or shooting at the enemy in a war movie, but instead, in a wonderful piece of juxtaposition, the 6'4" Wayne is gently holding a baby and smiling at the infant. Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison, in Winterset, Iowa, in 1907. He grew up in California and attended the University of Southern California on a football scholarship, which he lost when he injured himself in a body surfing accident. Wayne had appeared as a mostly uncredited football player in a number of movies while he was a USC student, and he started to work in films in very small parts. The Twentieth Century Fox studio decided to give him a screen name and went with John Wayne. The actor already had his "Duke" nickname from boyhood. 

Wayne's acting talent was often minimized because Wayne believed in reacting naturally in films instead of overacting, so his acting was often underappreciated because Wayne didn't show off when he performed. Wayne was in 179 films and television productions, with his first big role in the film The Big Trail (1930). His role in John Ford's movie Stagecoach (1939) made him a top star. Wayne is credited with changing the unwritten rules for movie fights in which the "good guy" always fights fair while the bad guy fights dirty. Wayne tried to make his fight scenes more realistic: "I threw chairs and lamps. I fought hard, and I fought dirty. I fought to win," said the perennial good guy. Wayne received an Oscar nomination for Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and an Oscar for True Grit (1969). He also won two Golden Globe Awards and a Grammy. He passed away in 1979.

The offered Type I photo measures 7.75x9.8". It shows some minor darkening from the passage of time, but it is in overall EXCELLENT condition. The photograph comes with a PSA/DNA LOA (Photograph Certification E52063).