John Wayne battered with brutal two-word critique on set of iconic Western - but claimed abuse made him a star

John Wayne and John Ford collaborated on a number of classic Westerns, but the one that made Duke a star was 1939's Stagecoach , which marks its 85th anniversary this year.

The film, set in 1880, followed a group of strangers riding through dangerous Apache territory, and was admired by Orson Welles as textbook filmmaking. Welles watched it over 40 times to prepare for the creation of his iconic film, Citizen Kane, commonly referred to as "the greatest movie of all time".

In Stagecoach, Wayne - who was famously close with Irish movie star Maureen O'Hara - donned his signature hat, which he sported in many of his Westerns until the post-filming retirement of the hat two decades later after Rio Bravo due to it simply "falling apart".

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This 1939 film marked a pivotal moment in Duke's career when director Ford chose to cast him as Ringo Kid. Upon receiving the offer, Wayne felt as if he had been struck "hit in the belly with a baseball bat", fearing Ford would reconsider and instead select Lloyd Nolan.

However, despite Ford having to fight hard with producer Walter Wanger, who consistently rejected Wayne as a B-movie actor in favour of Gary Cooper, he kept his promise. Ford dismissed making the film at all unless Wayne got the part.

However, even getting the approval didn't shield Duke and his fellow actors from Ford's harsh treatment on set of what became his first sound Western.

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The director was infamous for his harsh treatment of actors, often in an attempt to extract better performances. During the filming of Stagecoach, he lashed out at actor Andy Devine, who played Buck, in a heated tirade, exclaiming: "You big tub of lard! I don't know why the hell I'm using you in this picture! " However, the star retorted: "Because Ward Bond can't drive six horses."

The filmmaker also targeted Doc Boone actor Thomas Mitchell, who responded with a sharp jibe about one of his recent failures: "Just remember: I saw Mary of Scotland! " But the worst of his behaviour was reserved for Wayne, whom he would refer to as "a big oaf" and "dumb -------."

He would incessantly critique Wayne's line delivery, his walk, and even the way he washed his face on camera. Dallas actress Claire Trevor alleges that at one point, the director grabbed Duke by his chin and shook him, asking: "Why are you moving your mouth so much? Don't you know you don't act with your mouth in pictures? You act with your eyes."

This appalling behaviour towards actors in pursuit of superior performances persisted throughout his career, leading some stars to walk off set. Despite this, Wayne endured it, largely because he recognised that Ford had made him a star with Stagecoach.