How tall was John Wayne - Page 7

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Average Guess (192 Votes)
6ft 3.36in (191.4cm)
adam said on 19/Sep/08
JW, you have any proof? He looked tall in all of his movies. The big question is if he wore lifts. You have proof?
Frank2 said on 19/Sep/08
JW, you need to get a life.
JW said on 19/Sep/08
John Wayne was described in a magazine article as being 6'4" and 280 pounds. I can believe the 280, but not the 6'4". I used to believe that he was 6'4" but after watching so many of his movies and TV appearances, it became obvious that he was a little over 6'. His peak height was about 6'1". By the time the Shootist was made he was only around 6'.
mike c said on 18/Sep/08
Patrick, you made my day. Well put!! Will write soon. Mike C
Frank2 said on 18/Sep/08
Never met Goldbloom.
adam said on 18/Sep/08
Take it easy, Luke. He was more than 250 in the late 60s. He began to eat a lot of peanuts, my friend!

He is arguably the biggest movie star of all time, but far too over-rated..
Luke Periard said on 18/Sep/08
Hi Adam.he must have been close to 250 lbs.His clothes probably had to be custom made for him.he was impressive on screen.He was the greatest movie star ever.I wonder if we will see the likes of him again.NEVER.I sure would like to contact his children and tell them what a great man their father was.
Patrick said on 18/Sep/08
Patrick, Henry Fonda was a great actor but a gentleman? You dont seem to know everything about the man, do you?
adam says on 8/Sep/08 Just imagine Wayne in Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Godfather
John Wayne and Charlton Heston are probably the most over-rated actors of their age.


Adam, about
Gonzalo said on 18/Sep/08
I saw Jeff Goldblum, back in 2005. I saw him in NYC outside a theatre where he acted in a play. He was very tall but less than I expected. I think I had ground advantage, or maybe he was slouching. I have always thought that he was 1`93-94 but he looked around 1`90 to me. But I guess he was taller than that and he was really 1`93 as he always looks in movies and pics.
adam said on 17/Sep/08
Luke, very interesting question. I`d like to get some answers for those things too. And how much did his weight vary during his career?
Luke Periard said on 17/Sep/08
How much did John wayne weight.I'd say 250.What are his shirt measurments,waist line,Jacket size.I know he was extra large.
Big King said on 16/Sep/08
Yes, Wayne was a bit over 6'4" but not a full 6'5". He was 6'4 1/2".
Frank2 said on 16/Sep/08
No. Probably 6'4". Maybe slightly taller. Like I said, John Williams was 5'10" and came up to Clint's nose.
adam said on 16/Sep/08
James, Clint was 6-4 peak. Not just 6ft3ish...

Wayne, Im not that sure about him if he was quite 6-4. He was enormous though, weighing around 300 lbs.
adam said on 15/Sep/08
Duke Wayne was a big man. By the time of True Grit he weighed over 300 pounds!
Frank2 said on 15/Sep/08
When I saw Clint back in the 1970's when he walked on the Universal scoring stage during the scoring of THE EIGER SANCTION, he towered over everyone. He stood right next to composer John Williams who's about 5'10" and Williams came up to his nose. So I'd say he was close to or 6'4".
Frank2 said on 14/Sep/08
Ed, looking back into my memory I'd have to say he was 5'10" so my mistake. I had such a great time with him I didn't notice his height that much since I always figured he was at least 5'10". But thinking about it, he seemed to be slightly shorter than me, perhaps by an inch. Borgnine was one of the nicer celebs I've met. His then wife was many years younger than him and he was doting over her.
Frank2 said on 13/Sep/08
Never met Sanders. I would have like to. He was a terrific actor. One of the greatest. And most likely was 6'3".

The nicest celeb I ever met was Jeffrey Hunter. But he was a close friend of my father so that might have had something to do with it. But I saw him treat others who didn't know him that well with equal respect that he showed me. I met Ray Milland and his wife in Hawaii. He was very nice, but I could tell he was suffering terribly. I later learned he had cancer. He died about six months later. Another actor who I met and got to spend some time with was Dean Jagger. I saw him with his wife in an airport cafeteria so I walked over, introduced myself and he asked me to join him and his wife. We sat there talking for almost an hour. He was charming, friendly and had wonderful stories to tell. He seemed very touched I had recognized him and wanted to shake his hand.
mike c said on 12/Sep/08
Adam, I agree 100% with your stats..it is a great picture! mike c
Mister Lennon said on 12/Sep/08
The duke was 6'3 at the very least. He looked that in all his movies and he was taller than almost everyone in his movies. The 6'1 or 6'2 things are too low.
adam said on 12/Sep/08
Frank, did you ever meet George Sanders? What was he like?

And just a little bit more of the "off-topic" conversation (if Rob allows): Which were the nicest celebs you met? What about the rudest ones? And about those older stars back in the glory days of Hollywood. Thanks, been a pleasure to listen to your comments, Frankie!
Frank2 said on 11/Sep/08
Adam, you're almost dead-on accurate with your estimates. I met Lee Marvin and he was at least 6'2". Clint Eastwood seemed to be 6'4" when I first saw him back the the 1970's. Rock Hudson was 6'5" peak and dropped to about 6'4" in his later years. He even said so in an interview. Wayne was 6'4" in his prime, but seemed very tall when I saw him in the 1970s. Fred McMurray was 6'3" in his prime and dropped down by several inches. Jimmy Stewart was still 6'3" when I met him and shook his hand and that's when he was already in his seventies. Michael Caine was 6'1". Now he's about 6' even. Ernest Borgnine was 5'10" prime. I spent an interesting evening with him and his then new bride in Las Vegas sometime in the early 1970s when he attended a charity even sponsored by the City of Hope. He was one of the nicest people I've ever met and spent time with. He later divorced and met and married Tova. I haven't seem him in many years, but have seen him interviewed on TV. He's amazing. In his nineties and sharp as a tack.

And James, Brando could look taller in some films, but he mostly looked shorter than other actors. In THE CHASE he's shorter than 5'10" Robert Redford.
Brunobrowne said on 11/Sep/08
James Caan wore lifts in the Godfather.
mike c said on 10/Sep/08
Hi Patrick, Hi Gonzalo! Patrick, you are right on with your observations. You use common sense when speaking and, yes, Wayne might not have been as great in today's spoiled society as he was in his days. People just don't see the character unless it's tied in to technology and computer softwear. The acting gets lost among the gadgets...Wayne? I've seen so many of his movies and he gets better each and every time. I saw In Harms' Way again last night and he makes it appear all sooo natural. Even Fonda, very natural, as was also Kirk. Believable actors and with an end that teaches us a lesson. Height? If you have the movie, pause it when Kirk, Wayne, and Kennedy are in the office....Wayne, getting on in years, face to face with George Kennedy (6'4")..there's no doubt. And, he towers over Douglas. I have to commend Gonzalo again for posting the now "infamous" picture of Wayne celebrating his years in the movies with such greats as Hudson, Marvin, Eastwood, McMurray, Borgnine, et al...if anyone looks at the picture, and I have a large color photo, and can't see that Wayne is a tad taller than 6'3" Stewart (he's bending to cut the cake!)then I would serciously question his/her motive. Everyone agrees that Stewart was 6'3"..compare Wayne to him in the picture. As my buddy Gonzalo stated, look at the background lines....Oh, I forgot, he had 6" lifts on...and in a suit no less. No, even better, he was standing on lumber and the floor has these special matts....boy, do I love this page!! Patrick, Gonzalo, I'll write soon. Thanks for making my day! You, too, Frank 2! Mike C
adam said on 10/Sep/08
My height opinions about that photo Gonzalo talks about:

Lee Marvin: 6-2
Clint Eastwood: 6-4
Rock Hudson: 6-5 at that time, 6-6 peak.
John Wayne: 6-3 at that time, 6-4 peak
Fred MacMurray: 6 feet at that time, 6-3 peak
Jimmy Stewart: 6-3
Michael Caine: 6-2 (though looking clearly more than an inch shorter than Stewart... hmmm..)
Ernest Borgnine: 5-10
musicman said on 10/Sep/08
I would like to suggest something on this page and that is I believe John Wayne was 6ft 4ins tall maybe 6ft 3ins at the end of his life.

To suggest using that famous picture of John Wayne and all the other guys at his birthday party as a way measuring his height is well to be frank, pathetic! The angle of the photo and the postioning of the actors could not testify and give an accurate judgement of any of their heights. Rock Hudson, Clint Eastwood etc are all very close to the camera which always give the impression of being bigger when in reality its just the angle of where the photo was taken, I have taken similar photographs where my brother and I and our respective height difference either looks huge or small from different angles and positions of the photo. You just cannot use that photo as any form of evidence, any sensible person can see that.

Frank2 also mentioned recently that he saw John Wayne just before his death and that he stated that the Duke by then was just over 6 foot but then on this page if you scroll down he mentions that towards the end of the dukes life that he was down to 6ft 3ins from 6ft 4ins. Once again I feel although I do not dispute Frank2 and his claims of all the stars he has met but there is some conradiction and also he could never be 100% certain of any celebrties height short of getting out a tape measure and measuring them.

Kind Regards,

musicman
Frank2 said on 10/Sep/08
James, Brando was 5'8-1/2". I know since I met him on at least two occasions. He was a lot shorter than me. I posted a photo on Brando's thread showing how short he was next to Karl Malden, but the link went dead. He was almost five inches shorter. He was shorter than 5'10" Lee J. Cobb in ON THE WATERFRONT. Brando was shorter than 5'10" James Cann in THE GODFATHER.
Gonzalo said on 10/Sep/08
That pic is from 1969, almost ten years before Wayne died. I don
Gonzalo said on 10/Sep/08
James, it is hard for me to understand how you see Wayne at 1`85-86 in the pic I posted. You can see he is taller (and bigger) than Michael Caine who is listed here 1`88. ANd you can see Wayne bending buy being close to people who are near or above 1`90 such as Stewart, Hudson or Eastwood.
adam said on 10/Sep/08
Rob, what about my previous post?

Gonzalo, Cape Fear (1991) isnt of course as good as the original one but De Niro`s performance is AWESOME. And Deer Hunter, Taxi Driver and especially perharps the greatest performance of all time, Raging Bull, they are all masterpieces. Wayne was far better actor than Peck... that is just BS. Of course beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but I cant buy that. Never. Is it that hard to admit that Wayne basically played the same character pretty much in all of his films. A laconic man`s man. Yep.

Talking about Fred MacMurray, I think he is very very under-rated.

Some height info to the end:

Peck: 6-3
MacMurray: 6-3
Wayne: 6-3
Gonzalo said on 10/Sep/08
Well, Adam, I wouldn`t call Gregory Peck or Fred McMurray magnificent actors. Remember Peck in Spellbound. He was terrible. He improved as he got older. Wayne was far better than them. When you are as big as Wayne is hard to play the role of a sensitive or sentimental man. Anyway, the character of Ethan Edwards has nothing to do with Tom Doniphon in Liberty Valance or with Frank Spig Wead in The wings of the eagles. De Niro is great when he is great. He`s done a bunch of horrible, histrionic and egocentric performances such as We are no angels or Cape Fear (what a b*******t). However he was great in Raging bull or The last tycoon.
adam said on 8/Sep/08
Patrick says on 8/Sep/08
Just imagine Robert de Niro as a cow boy and die of laughing!

Just imagine Wayne in Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Godfather or any other role than just playing a quiet man of action and you`d die in a shame. Wayne was good playing one role. He did that for about what, 150 times? Quiet Man, Rio Bravo, True Grit... maybe a bit different background in those characters but a similar performace; a quiet man who talks slow and not too much and never says die and so on and so on. What about his so called masterpiece, The Searchers?? Honestly, that`s just a little bit more aggressive performance but doesn`t make any real exception. Wayne was a great player in his own game. De Niro is a great player in his own game.. and other`s too!


John Wayne and Charlton Heston are probably the most over-rated actors of their age. There were a lot magnificent actors, like Patrick said: Stewart, Fonda, Mitchum, E.G Robinson, MacMurray, Grant, Peck... list goes on. Wayne just cant match with those names. He had one hell of an ego and people loved his attitude and films. I like them too, but there`s no way in hell that John Wayne can never match De Niro`s skills!

Patrick, Henry Fonda was a great actor but a gentleman? You dont seem to know everything about the man, do you?
Patrick said on 8/Sep/08
Hi MikeC, Gonzalo and Frank2! You steal words from my mouth! I
adam said on 8/Sep/08
MacMurray is the guy there between Hudson and Wayne??? He looks like a shrimp, which he wasn`t.
Gonzalo said on 8/Sep/08
As Frank2 says he shrank as he got older. You can see him here next to James Stewart, John Wayne and Rock Hudson and he looks clearly shorter. Great picture
Click Here
adam said on 8/Sep/08
He was listed that height but I if Frank met him, Frank might say something else.
Frank2 said on 7/Sep/08
That's correct, but as he got older he shrank. I saw him a few years before he died and he only looked to be a little over 6'. But he was stooped over pretty bad. Age can really rob people of things, height being one of them.
Big King said on 7/Sep/08
adam, Fred MacMurray was 6'3".
adam said on 7/Sep/08
Frank, how tall was Fred MacMurray?
Big King said on 6/Sep/08
6'4" or 6'4 1/2" sounds right for Johnny.
mike c said on 5/Sep/08
Gonzalo, great picture of Wayne and the Princess. Obviously, the writer is being facetious... he's/she's stating the opposite of the obvious to emphasize what he/she really means..cuidate, amigo. mike c
Frank2 said on 5/Sep/08
If Grant showed a lack of facial expressions, I'll eat my laptop! He was one of a kind. No emotion? Please!

Nowadays, an actor must chew up the scenery in order to get a response from the chiefly juvenile audience.

We've gone from a high level of sophistication to now where finesse is something most folks must look up in the dictionary in order to know what it means.
Frank2 said on 5/Sep/08


No, Grant was an extremely versatile actor. He could play just about any role and do it so effortlessly and with such finesse that I don't see Clooney coming close. Not today and not tomorrow. Not ever.
mike c said on 3/Sep/08
Hi Patrick! Hi Gonzalo! Guys, regarding the Scott, Stein, Wayne photo....you can't be serious. I know Labor Day is a holday, but please, don't drink and look at the photo....amazing what the human mind can come up with!!mike c.
adam said on 2/Sep/08
Clooney made some remarks about the late Chuck Heston.. you know what I mean?
Bob H. said on 1/Sep/08
Patrick and Frank2... I couild certainly be wrong about the footing level. Would not be my first mistake!! But honest mistake.... I really am a fan of both actors. But look at the diagonal lines at knee level. Lower on the right than the left. And Wayne's right foot is between Scott's. What happens if you tilt the picture on the right so that the diagonal lines are level across the picture? And if you take Waynes jacket and lay it over Scott... it seems like it would be a Zoot Suit jacket. To my eyes the photo looks schewed to make the two primary actors look equal in height. But, again, I could easily be reading too much into the photo. Click Here
Frank2 said on 1/Sep/08
There is no one like Grant and there'll never be anyone like him. No one comes close enough today to have served as his double. For those who don't know, a double is used on a set for lighting purposes. That frees up the star so he can rehearse his lines or go play golf. Sometimes, especially in the old days, lighting a set could take hours. They needed someone of the actor's height, weight and similar looks.
Gonzalo said on 1/Sep/08
Cloney is very very very far from Cary Grant. I could say a million things about Cary Grant but I will only talk about the way he moved on the screen. He seemed to float, like a dancer. Stealing the sentence from Jean Renoir about Jean Gabin I would say that God invented cinema in order to see Cary Grant acting.
adam said on 1/Sep/08
There seems to be easily over a foot difference. Just watches The Searches again (excellent film) and Wayne looked very big there. A close 6-4, yes.
Gonzalo said on 1/Sep/08
Shirley said

"I am reading a biography about Princess Margaret (UK) and after the premiere of 'The Alamo' she was presented with a Texan saddle by the equally DIMINUTIVE John Wayne. She was just over 5ft tall. This does not translate to 6' plus for him. Would be interested if anyone has any real info."

Here is a pic of tiny Wayne in the presentation of El
Anonymous said on 31/Aug/08
JW; found it; the first color photo from the bottom up on the left-hand side.
adam said on 31/Aug/08
Well alright. I
JW said on 30/Aug/08
Check this picture of John Wayne and Morgan Woodward:

Click Here

Morgan Woodward is supposed to be 6'3" and John Wayne is about 2 inches shorter. This picture was from an episode of the Lucy Show during the 1960s. I remember the episode. Wayne did not look anywhere near 6'4" and wasn't that much taller than Lucy.
Frank2 said on 30/Aug/08
Cary had a thick head of hair right up till he died. Lucky guy. One of the best looking leading men ever. We have no one like him today. No one with his talent or looks. And I doubt we ever will.
Tony G. said on 30/Aug/08
Adam... The Duke didn't wear lifts in his early movies in which it was very possible, and even probable, that he was 6'4".
(BTW, you did see the pics I posted of a barefoot John Wayne standing next to 5'9" Ron Howard and 5'9.5" Desi Arnaz (both wearing shoes)? Wayne is far taller then both of them... and more than 4-5".
Frank2 said on 29/Aug/08
Hairpiece yes, lifts no.

Tell me, did you ever meet him? Did you watch as they filmed a scene with him? I did. His boots looked normal to me. They had a two inch heel which most cowboy boots have.

Silly, silly, stupid argument trying to make out he was shorter. Why? I suggest getting a life.
Frank2 said on 28/Aug/08
A lot of famous male stars were bald or balding. Gary Cooper started losing his hair in the 1930s. But he kept his widow's peak so they added side pieces to fill it in. John Wayne started wearing rugs in the early 1950s and back then his hairpieces where excellent. But later on, in the 1970s they started looking like a carpet tacked to his head. Fonda would go from one film to another, wearing a hairpiece in one and skipping it with another. Not until he was quite elderly did he lose most of his hair. Richard Widmark wore a hairpiece. Alan Ladd started wearing rugs in the 1950's. Although never bald, his sharp widow's peak didn't look good for a leading man. Bogart always wore hairpieces going back to the 1930s. Jimmy Stewart lost hair by the mid-1940s. By the 1950s he was pretty much bald. Like Wayne, Stewart very realistic hairpieces in the 1950s, but later on they stated looking like a dead animal on top of his head. Tony Curtis started wearing a rug starting in the late 1970s. Recently he threw his away and thank God since his looked incredibly phony. Ray Milland had a thick head of hair that fell out almost all at once in the very early 1950s. He started wearing hairpieces and great ones until LOVE STORY. From then on, until he retired from movies and TV work, he went totally bald in front of the cameras.
Jay S. said on 27/Aug/08
It has been suggested the boot prints are not deep or there's an angle or that shrinkage of the concrete has occurred. The prints are clear and deep as is his inscription. If shrinkage had occurred the inscription would disappear and every foot and hand print at Grumman's Chinese theater would suffer the same fate. This is not the case. The photos others have submitted are not proof.
Frank2 said on 27/Aug/08
Show me where Fonda claimed Wayne wore lifts and a corset.

If we're going to go by actors badmouthing each other, we'll never get to the truth. I wonder how many leading men when they got to be middle age were forced to wear a corset to pull in their gut. Or women?!!! Just like Wayne, Fonda wore a rug. So did Jimmy Stewart. Does that mean they weren't as good up on the screen? Many actors when they got to be older wore false teeth. Gary Cooper and Clark Gable come to mind. Did that make them any less the great stars they were?
adam said on 27/Aug/08
One more time, fellows: Take a look at Jay S` gallery. Im very interested in early pics.
Gonzalo said on 27/Aug/08
Audrey Hepburn was 1`69 according to several reliable sources
Gonzalo said on 27/Aug/08
Fonda was around 1`87 or 6`1 1/2
Frank2 said on 26/Aug/08
Audrey Hepburn was a solid 5'7". No question.

Henry Fonda was 6'1" and pretty much didn't lose any height as he aged. I met him one day at Universal when he was buying ice cream in front of the studio commissary. He was acting in MIDWAY at the time and was two inches taller than me. Very nice man. A real gentleman. But extremely hard of hearing.

Cruise is a personality. His acting abilities wouldn't have landed him an extra's job in the Golden Days of Hollywood. He's also a bit off his rocker and somewhat nasty to work with.
adam said on 26/Aug/08
Fonda was 6-1. Hudson said the man had small feet and wore lifts and a corset! I dont think that`s a lie. Not very much class, I agree but I believe it was the truth.
Patrick said on 26/Aug/08
Bob H: buy a good pair of glasses my friend! Not on the same level!
"YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER BUT YOU CANNOT MAKE HIM DRINK" MikeC!
nikki said on 26/Aug/08
frank2 I believe Ms. Hepburn was 5'6".
Scott B. said on 25/Aug/08
Again I agree with Frank2. I disregard anything Hudson said about Wayne. Does anyone know haw Tall Henry Fonda was? I saw a movie with Wayne and Fonda last night. Wayne looked 2 inches taller than Fonda.
Frank2 said on 25/Aug/08


I wouldn't go by what Hudson said. He claimed he was straight, but we all know he was as gay as an Ungaro spring frock. And Rock would badmouth people. He did this to both Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards after starring in DARLING LILI with Julie. The more Hudson drank, the nastier he got.

I saw Wayne when he was working on ROOSTER COGBURN. He didn't wear lifts in his cowboy boots. I saw him wearing moccasins and he towered over me as well as a friend who was with me when we both spoke to him and my friend is 6'. He came up to Wayne's eye level.

Bob, Wayne is on the same level as Scott. Give me a break!
Frank2 said on 25/Aug/08
He was a true original. Long after guys like Tom Cruise are gone, audiences will still consider Wayne to be a superstar. Can't say the same for Cruise.
Bob H. said on 24/Aug/08
Really nice picture of Wayne and Scott. But when you scrole down to their feet... they are NOT on the same level. Not sure how the photo was taken... with the camera angled or possibly the floor altered? But wayne's feet are well beneath Scott's. I have seen several Scott westerns which also starred 6'4" Forrest Tucker. And Scott was always about 2 inches shorter. And all the Wayne movies with Tucker had them close in height. Wayne and Scott were not the same height. Scott always looked 6'2" to maybe 6'2 1/2".
adam said on 24/Aug/08
Frank2, we`ve seen those suspicious photos (at least that Rock&Yves photo) about two million and seventy-six times. You can`t see their footwear. And what do you Frank say about Jay`s proof? And what do you say about the fact that Rock Hudson himself stated that The Duke wore lifts? You can keep putting those pics, we`ve seen them, and we know that he looks tall in most of them. He looks a solid 6-4 in 99% of them. But what about those pics that Jay has in his gallery? What about that old photo where Wayne is face to face with some guy (name?) and looks at least 2 inches shorter. There`s very little chance that the anonyme guy was a legit 6-6 or taller.
Frank2 said on 23/Aug/08
Wayne in the back row next to Rock Hudson who was at least 6'4" and probably 6'5" and 6'1" Yves Montand. When this photo was taken, Wayne was in his early sixties and by them most people have lost some height.

Click Here

Wayne with 5'10" Dean Martin who tended to wear lifts.

Click Here

Wayne with director Andy Fenady on the left and son Michael on the right.

Click Here

Both men were over 6'.

The Duke visiting US servicemen in Vietnam:

Click Here

Finally, check out this classic photo:

Click Here
mike c said on 23/Aug/08
Hi Jay S! I now believe you're trying to lead us on on. Your claims are so off the wall that any sane person would have suspect of your intent, let alone your abiltiy to see. I'm not trying to insult, but your claims are difficult for most of us to swallow. So, I think you're writing with "tongue in cheek". For now, humor me and let me know what you think of the Randolph Scott/Wayne photo. Just scroll down to my post a couple of weeks ago. While you're at it. explain to us how Wayne could possibly be shorter than Sammy Stein. How do you think the photographer was able to make Wayne appear taller than Scott (6'3") and Stein (6').(Click Here) ..I'm just curious as to how you think. Every single site I've visited on Scott has him at 6'3" or more. mike c
Frank2 said on 23/Aug/08
And for those who refuse to accept that Eddie Albert was 5'11", check out this clip from the old TV series SWITCH where he co-starred with Robert Wagner:

Click Here

They were the same height. Wagner was a solid 5'11" in his prime and back when the series was shot, Albert was in his seventies.
Scott B said on 23/Aug/08
Good pictures Frank2. Marvin was at least 6'1 and Wayne had him by at least 3 inches.
mike c said on 23/Aug/08
Great photo, Frank 2. Now, that's what I call research!
Anonymous said on 23/Aug/08
Jay S., it has been shown that some tall people can have relatively small feet and some small people can have relatively large feet. John Wayne's shoe size was an 11, certainly in the range of a 6'4" man.
And I will again mention the photos I posted of a barefoot John Wayne standing with 5'9.5" Desi Arnaz and 5'9" Ron Howard (both wearing shoes).
Frank2 said on 22/Aug/08
Wayne and Lee Marvin:

Click Here

I suppose Marvin was 5'7".

Lee Marvin and 5'11" Eddie Albert:

Click Here

And don't try to convince me Albert was shorter 'cause it won't fly. He was a good friend of my family and I saw him quite a bit. He and I were the same height.
clark said on 22/Aug/08
Prints in concrete shrink and constrict with time. There is no way in the world of science--that they would remain the same in an open enviroment.
Jay S. said on 22/Aug/08
No one has been able to disprove my claim that Wayne's boot print is too small for a man of his alleged height; moreover, no one has presented indisputable evidence to support a claim of Wayne being over 6 feet.
Tony G. said on 22/Aug/08
Mike C: Yeah, he's "up" to 5'10" now, I guess Jay will put him at 6' in a week or two!

Adam, the photo of a barefoot John Wayne I posted next to 5'9.5" Desi Arnaz (wearing shows) shows that Wayne was closer to 6'4" than to 6'3" or 6'2"
adam said on 22/Aug/08
Bruno, I do believe he was about 6-2 to 6-3, yes. And Jay has some good pics there that give you some proof that the man didn`t always look that tall. That 5-10 -thing on the other hand... I dont know what he is trying to do with that kind of claim. Wayne was over six feet. I just dont believe as tall as 6-4, that`s why Im here for. And there are only a couple of guys here who are against the 6-4 -claim and actually dont believe everything. I`d like to support them. (JW, Jay, Anonymous..)

And about his political thoughts. Well Bruno, if I have given such a picture of myself then Im sorry. That is true, I dont agree (who the hell does who has some brains!?) his political opinions but... Im really not that interested in political things. Not at all. And I DO like his films. A lot. I just dont buy his height, that`s all.
Frank2 said on 21/Aug/08
So have I and I think it's silly. Politics has nothing to do with how tall someone is.
mike c said on 21/Aug/08
Amen! Gonzalo, Patrick, Brunobrowne, Frank 2, Tony G. et. al. Boy, I just love this site. It makes my day! ...Ha!Ha!Ha! Now, Wayne's 5'10"? We're slowly creeping up! mike c
Brunobrowne said on 21/Aug/08
Adam I dont know what your buzz is. You by your own admission puts Wayne (peak) only an inch shorter than what he is listed at. Why are you trying to align yourself with Jay S who now has Wayne at 5'10'' a full 5 inches shorter.

I think your using this height discussion as a way to air your obvious disapproval of Wayne's political stance. I have seen this on a number of occasions.
Frank2 said on 20/Aug/08
JW, Leo Gordon was huge. I met him. At least 6'2", perhaps 6'3". A mountain!

Paul Fix was short. Don't go by how tall an actor appears in a movie. When Fix was appearing with John Wayne, they put him on a box. They use boards, boxes, camera trick all the time. Sometimes, they put an actor or actress on a box just to keep their face within the wide frame.

William Holden wasn't short. But when they filmed this scene in SABRINA, they made him walk on boards when he was alongside 5'7" Audrey Hepburn:

Click Here
Jay S. said on 20/Aug/08
The boot print is the only solid evidence.
adam said on 20/Aug/08
Tony, Frankie, Mike, Scotty, Patrick, my good friend Gonzalo and others: Take a good look at those pictures that Jay has in his gallery. Good work, Jay S!
And also JW has very good points too.

And football statistics.. Jesus Christ. I`ve played football too, and they had me there as 6-4. In reality Im just 6-2. And my friend was listed 6-1, when he was about 5-10 really. And yes, in university. So those football listings are BS.

I`d say: 6-4
Tony G. said on 20/Aug/08
Jay, you should upgrade Wayne's height to 6'4". Why? Check out my pics of him barefoot standing next to 5'9.5" Desi Arnaz. Are you seriously trying to say that he was only 1/2 inch taller than Desi? LOL!
lsualum said on 19/Aug/08
john wayne was listed as being 6'4.5"210lbs.when he played football for usc.i dont beleievd they lied back in those days.different people have different perception.i/ve had people estimate my height as tall as 6'6",and as short aS 5'11",im 6'3".DUKE WAYNE WAS 6'4".
Scott B. said on 19/Aug/08
I agree with Sharon. 6'4 Prime for Wayne and 6'2 at the end. We have to remember stocky people like Wayne look shorter than thin people. I recently read a Biography on Charles Lindbergh. He was tall and thin. He looked 6'3 to 6'4 easy. It turned out he was 6'2. Wayne was either 6'4 or 6'3 Prime Barefoot and NEVER Below 6'2. Adam Camera angles can only do so much. As for the below picture of Wayne and Stewart, Stewart was closer to the Camera. Also at that time Wayne Lost about an Inch. Frank2 met Wayne and said he was 6'4. I beleive
Frank2. Wayne was a Tall Man period.
Jay S. said on 19/Aug/08
I noticed Wayne wears a tapered heel, and I suspect this explains the remarkably short boot print at Grauman's Chinese Theater. I've upgraded Wayne's height to 5'10" and have added some new pictures from Neath Arizona Skies; enjoy! Click Here
JW said on 19/Aug/08
Frank2-On The Undefeated, John Wayne was only about 4 or 5 inches taller than Paul Fix. If Paul Fix was 5'8" as you suggest, that would make John Wayne 6' or 6'1". On The Rifleman, Paul Fix appeared to be almost a foot shorter than Chuck Connors. Even if Connors was 6'6", that still does not explain the height discrepancy. Yet we are supposed to believe that there was only a 1 or 2 inch height difference between John Wayne and Chuck Connors.

On the movie Hondo, John Wayne is the same size as Leo Gordon who was supposed to be 6'2", but was probably only 6' or 6'1"--although definitely not 6'4". James Arness was also on Hondo but surprisingly did not appear that much taller than John Wayne. That makes the claims about James Arness being 6'7" seem suspect. According to an article about Bruce Boxleitner, James Arness was 6'7" with boots on. That would put his true height in the 6'5" to 6'6" range--about the same size as Chuck Connors.

On the movie Chisum, John Wayne looks about the same height as Ray Teal who was only 5'11". Steve Forrest (6'3") is at least two inches taller than John Wayne in The Longest Day. That would make John Wayne about 6'1" or a little less which is what he was.
Patrick said on 19/Aug/08
Frank2, as my dear pals Mike C and Gonzalo, you are a great guy!
Common sense, a lot of cultivation, an obvious cinema lover and, at least for me, a
Sharon C. said on 18/Aug/08
My dad met John Wayne back in the late 40's and the picture he took of the two of them showed them standing together and they appeared to be the same height. My dad was 6'4" at that time but near the end of his lifed he was only 6'2"-6'3"
Frank2 said on 18/Aug/08
If I thought it was worth arguing, I continue, but it's obvious some people wish to believe what they want to believe, not the truth. I met John Wayne. Saw him several times. I also met Stewart and shook his hand. Wayne was 6'4" prime and Stewart was 6'3" prime. Stewart never seemed to loose any height, at least when I saw him and at that time he was nearing 80.
adam said on 18/Aug/08
And about Wayne`s build, what would you say about his weight, Frank2? When you met him (towards the end of his life, yes?), how heavy he was? Please write a good comment about his whole physical presence, dear fellow!
adam said on 18/Aug/08
2 inches shorter than the 6-3 Jimmy Stewart. Photo is from The Shootist (1976). By then he was about 6-1. I`d stick with a 6-2
anonymous said on 17/Aug/08
I do believe he could have been 6`4 in his prime, but here he isn't looking it: Click Here
Clark said on 17/Aug/08
Somewhere there is a photo of Christopher Reeve and John Wayne.
adam said on 17/Aug/08
Yep, 6-1 peak for Wayne! Now Frank2, go to the Gregory Peck -page, I`ve got a question for you, old man.
mike c said on 17/Aug/08
Thanks, Tony G. Much better..great photos of the short Wayne. mike c
adam said on 17/Aug/08
Who`s that tall, slim man in there? He looks taller than Wayne.
Tony G. said on 16/Aug/08
Let me try the URL again. Click where you see 4 images of John Wayne in one "photo," should be on the left side.
Click Here
Frank2 said on 16/Aug/08
Adam, what does one's politics have to do with a man's height? I do not see the connection.

As for Wayne not being versatile, I tend to disagree. He just got better as he got older. He was superb in both THE QUIET MAN and THE SEARCHERS. those roles were as diverse as it gets. Wayne could do more with a just look than most modern day actor can achieve delivering tons of dialogue.
Frank2 said on 16/Aug/08
The fellow to the right of the Duke and immediately behind Maureen O'Hara is Chuck Roberson who did stuntwork for Wayne and Wayne liked. They became close friends. John Ford always used Roberson in Wayne films. He was in THE SEARCHERS with a speaking part. Roberson was a solid 6'3", perhaps even 6'4" back when he was young. I met him sometime back in the late 1960's and he appeared to be about four inches taller than me so maybe he had lost some height by then or he wasn't standing straight. Very nice man. Loved to talk about the glory days of Hollywood. And unlike so many actors who ended up doing westerns, Chuck was a real cowboy having grown up on a cattle ranch in Texas.
mike c said on 15/Aug/08
6'3" McLaglen, second from left with 5'8" Wayne
Click Here
Tony G. said on 15/Aug/08
Here are more photos of John Wayne. He was tall, no question about it!
Click Here
adam said on 15/Aug/08
Im a young man, mike. Sorry about my unpolite remarks if you didn`t feel good about my words. I didn`t mean to hurt your feelings with such language!

Now that it`s all clear, mike c, I`d like to ask you something... Where are you from? From the States, obviously but from which state and town? Im also interrested about your political views. I can see that you seem to be quite a Duke fan, aren`t you? I have a strong feeling that you are would we say "his kind of man" yes?

Now mike, I agree with you about certain things. I like his films too. I
Anonymous said on 14/Aug/08
How old are you adam?
Frank2 said on 14/Aug/08
Desi was 5'9" in his prime and wore lifts. I saw him several times as well as Lucy who was about 5'6" possibly 5'7". When Desi got to be older he lost an inch. I saw him at a TV Academy benefit shortly before he became ill and died and at that point he looked to be about 5'8". Rock was a mountain. He was in his prime around 6'5" which back then in Hollywood meant that unless you were Clint Walker or James Arness, Rock would be looking down at just about everyone.
adam said on 14/Aug/08
mike, I think that`s very disrespectful talking things like "your not capable of teaching and I`d question your IQ" That doesn`t sound too polite to me. You dont seem to have that great amount of class, do you? And I dont think Im that much younger than you, buddy. And your from The States, aren`t you? Well that explains a lot....

Well if Desi was 5-9 then I guess big Rock Hudson had to be at least 6-8, right?
Frank2 said on 13/Aug/08
Desi was 5'9" and wore huge lifts. Ron Howard is 5'9".
mike c said on 13/Aug/08
adam, I'm an elementary school principal with almost 40 years in the business. So, I don't think you're old enough to be my dad. And, I was a boy when I was your age. So, since that's out of the way, let's start all over again, shall we? If you're in education then maybe, just maybe, you took some courses on research and how to find out information from original sources. Please don't tell me that the Duke with Randolph and Sammy Stein picture is all done with camera angles as I would certainly have doubts about your prowless in the classroom, your ability to see, and your IQ. Also, the algebraic approach to approximating heights in photos is a proven way that museums and artisans who replicate antique furniture use..do some research on it..I won't tell you how because OBVIOUSLY you're in education and you know what to do..right? As to the old movies, I have seen many of the them and, when I compare the Duke's height with many of the actors around him...guess what? he's taller! Yakima Canutt? Do research on him.
I think you mean well, but your haven't provided a bit of evidence. Show me some pictures, give me some movies titles, and we'll go over the names, research the actors and find out about their stature. It certainly wouldn't hurt you to view the Quiet man in slow motion and dig up information on the monster of a man, McLaglen. While you're at it, view again The Shootist, especially the encounter between Wayne and Stewart in the office..put your remote on slow motion and go frame by frame as they face each other..and look at the boots.. Nice reading you! mike c. ps. please don't use the diminutive when referring to me because at 62 years of age it truly is disrespectful.
Anonymous said on 13/Aug/08
JW. Remember Desi wore Lifts.
Tony G. said on 13/Aug/08
JW: Oh, so now Ron Howard is "short!" Watch an episode of "Happy Days." Ron is taller than 5'8" Tom Bosley. There goes your 5'7" theory!
Anonymous said on 13/Aug/08
Clark Gable was 6'1.
Scott B. said on 13/Aug/08
Desi Arnaz was at least 5'9 and he wore 2 inch lifts putting him at 5'11.
There is NO way he was below 5'9. And Adam, You told me Wayne was 6'3 Peak.
There are to many Pictures of Wayne in normal footware for him to be less than what he was 6'4 or 6'3 peak and 6'2 at the end. And as for Rock Hudson??? I would not trust anything he said anyway. He lied and misled people for years.
Frank2 said on 13/Aug/08
If Wayne was only 6'2" peak, that means when I saw him he was still five inches taller than me so I must be only around 5'7". If so, Colin Farrell is 5'5". Bruce Willis is 5'7". Brad Pitt is 5'7". That also means my former assistant who was 5'10" must only be 5'6". My wife can't be 5'4", but instead must be barely over 5' tall. And back when I met Gloria Swanson, she had to have been about 4'8". By the way, she was a sweet lady. I met here at the counter of a health food store that had a small restaurant. She didn't want to discuss her career, only nutrition. I saw her there a couple of times and made a point of sitting next to her and striking up a conversation. No one there knew who she was nor cared. One thing is for sure. She really despised Bill Holden!
adam said on 13/Aug/08
JW, Anonymous: thank you, fellas. Wayne was a legit 6-2 peak, I`d say. Maybe a touch more but not 6-4. Mike c, you`re a teacher son? Well, I congratulate you for that. What are you teaching, boy? Im interested because Im doing some stuff like that myself!

Mikey, Frankie-boy: No doubts that he sure looked a solid 6-4 in MANY MANY MANY photos and films. But as well as you know and I know... show business isn`t always what it seems, right Frankie? Camera angles, lifts, postures, ground and other magic stuff will be a real difference maker in the game, yes?

Frankie, I believe you are a big fan of John Wayne. Just like many others. He is one your true heroes. I believe that you think that he was "an icon, who deserves to be a 6-foot-4-man"... But listen Frank, you haven`t seen all those celebs you really claim. I`ve seen you talkin` here and claiming things and getting a really high place here... I`ve seen you do it and I don`t like it! As far as Im concerned you are a smart man but on the other hand Jack, you
JW said on 13/Aug/08
Tony G.-I don't doubt that John Wayne was at least 5 inches taller than Desi Arnaz and Ron Howard. He was probably even more than that. However, their supposed heights of 5'9.5" and 5'9" are dubious. Rock Hudson was almost a foot taller than Desi Arnaz when he appeared on I Love Lucy. Ron Howard looked short on Return to Mayberry and Fire on the Mountain. Both of them seem more like 5'7" or even less.
Patrick said on 13/Aug/08
Those who see the Duke at 6' or even 6'1 have never, ever watched any of his films.
I can understand those who gauge him at 6
Ed T. said on 12/Aug/08
Mike C., if Marvin is 6'2", I'd say that your picture along with other "Donovan's Reef" pictures on this Site, would show Wayne at 6'5".
Frank2 said on 12/Aug/08
I've met Pat and he is 6'1". Maybe his old man was standing on a box.
mike c said on 12/Aug/08
6'1" son with 5'8" dad...Wayne sure is short!
Click Here
mike c said on 12/Aug/08
Yes, he's definitely shorter than 6'2" Lee Marvin..and his sneakers have lifts!!
Click Here
mike c said on 12/Aug/08
Now, Adam, don't attack Frank 2..just because you're getting frustrated. Follow your own advice and do the research...and, by the way, a little reading of bios. wouldn't hurt. You sound like one of my students, "because, just because!!" Other than that, I like you.
Brunobrowne said on 12/Aug/08
Check all websites and Ward Bond is put between 6'1'' to 6'3'' and taking the average this puts him at 6'2'', add aleast 2'' and this puts the duke at a solid 6'4''
Anonymous said on 12/Aug/08
I think Adam is on the money. Wayne was 6'3 Prime and 6'2 at the end.
Brad said on 12/Aug/08
I know somebody who dated his daughter and he came to the door when the doorbell was pushed. He was 6' 3". Anything less is laughable. I met Dennis 2 years before died at a Ray Courts show in Burbank, he was 6' 3" easy. I met the lady who doubled for Kitty at CBS (Radford) Studio City. She said 6' 7" for Arness. My aunt saw him a hundred times on the lot. "He's taller than you". (I was 6 feet 6 and a half then). He's really big but Clint Walker is a building.
Anonymous said on 11/Aug/08
Conners was 6'6 Arness was 6'7 and Wayne was 6'3 Weaver was 6'2
mike c said on 11/Aug/08
thanks, Frank.
Frank2 said on 11/Aug/08
As you can see, Dennis Weaver was about five inches shorter than Arness:

Click Here

Add five inches to 6'3" and we get a staggering 6'8"! So putting a guy like Wayne at 6'4" next to Arness and naturally he'll look short.
adam said on 11/Aug/08
Arness was maximum 6-7. My old man saw him in the 50s and told me that he was at least 6-6 and could have been 6-7.. but no way in hell 6-8. Duke looked indeed over 4 inches shorter which would make him 6-2 to 6-3... and that`s exactly what Wayne was!

Bond looked the same height as Clark Gable who was an ecen six feet. Wayne looked about 2 inches taller which would make him 6-2 again

Also in those pics in Jay`s gallery he doesn`t look 6-4.

And Frankie boy... You seem to know a lot of thing but on the other hand, Jack: you are full of it!
Parker said on 11/Aug/08
Frank2 - A bit of common sense on the Wayne page. Debating 6'1 or shorter for him is absolute nonsense.
Frank2 said on 11/Aug/08
Chuck Conners was closer to 6'6". Perhaps 6'7". I know. I saw him repeatedly wandering around the mall in Century City. He was huge! And so was Arness. His claim of 6'7" is suspect, but not on the exaggeration side. In all seriousness, Arness could have been closer to 6'8". I always thought Dennis Weaver was short watching the original GUNSMOKE until I met him when I worked at Universal. Dennis was a solid 6'3" yet in GUNSMOKE Arness made him look short.

In BIG JIM MCLAIN, Wayne appears to be four inches shorter than Arness. So that tells me Arness was most likely 6'8", perhaps even 6'9". I met Arness many years ago when I worked nights in a gas station during my college years and he was incredibly tall. So tall that one evening when he asked if he could come into the office and use the phone, he had to duck under the doorway! I'm 5'11" and I barely came up to his chin! He was a head taller. Arness drove a Mustang and I couldn't for the life of me understand how his head didn't hit the roof, much less how he got in and out of it. He then explained he had the seat lowered and even then I couldn't figure it out. I worked with Michael Crichton on WESTWOLD and he's 6'9" and I believe he and Arness were very close to the same height. I also barely came up to his chin.

In his youth, Wayne was no doubt 6'4". He might have lost an inch when he got older.

Paul Fix was on the short side, around 5'8".

Desi Arnaz was 5'9" and always wore huge lifts that pumped him up to what a man 5'11" wearing regular shoes would look like.
Tony G. said on 11/Aug/08
JW... no way was John Wayne "6'0" and "6'1". Check again my photos of a barefoot Wayne standing next to 5'9" Ron Howard and 5'9.5" Desi Arnaz, both of whom are wearing shoes. Even barefoot, Wayne is at least 5" taller than Desi.
JW said on 10/Aug/08
5'8" for John Wayne is ridiculous, but the 6'4" listing doesn't have much credibility either. As others have pointed out, John Wayne did not appear to be very tall in his early movies. As one person mentioned, Wayne looked considerably shorter than James Arness in the movie Big Jim McLain. Why would someone 6'4" look so much smaller than someone 6'6" or 6'7" as James Arness is supposed to be?

Another thing to consider. Paul Fix was in some movies with John Wayne and was obviously smaller. However, Paul Fix looked tiny compared to Chuck Connors (6'5") on the Rifleman. By comparison, there is obviously a lot more than one inch difference between John Wayne and Chuck Connors. The 6'0" and 6'1" claims for John Wayne are probably closer to the truth.
Moon said on 10/Aug/08
Wayne DID wear lifts, according to that Patty whats-her-face that was girlfriend/secretary in his final years, but only because he was losing the stature he once had in his prime. In other words, when he was younger, he was 6 feet, 4 inches, but right around the early 60s, he began to compensate for height loss that was due to posture, obesity, and the extensive surgeries. No big deal, really.
Frank2 said on 10/Aug/08
This notion that Wayne wasn't as tall as he's listed is such nonsense. Don't you have better stuff to do?

I saw him up close. The last time was in the late 1970s when he was older and quite ill with cancer and he still looked to be at least 6'3".
adam said on 10/Aug/08
Bruno, give me some evidence, my dear fellow. And by the way, Bond looked at least 3 inches shorter than Robert Ryan who was 6-3 to 6-4. That would make him max. 6-1. Also in his other movies (which is a long long list) he doesn`t look 6-2. Usually maximum 6-1 and sometimes even shorter.

Jay S, keep doing your research!
Brunobrowne said on 10/Aug/08
And did he wear lifts in the 1929 movie Salute with 6'2'' Ward Bond where he is clearly 2 inches taller. He was not considered very important at the time as this was an uncredited role for him.

Face it Adam, Wayne was 6'4'' easy in his heyday or probably you are under the illusion that Bond was under 6 feet
adam said on 10/Aug/08
Duke was wearing his lifts in The Undefeated and Rock still looked clearly taller.

Also in Jay S` gallery there are couple of good pics about him. One is in a picture with Victor Mclaglen and others where he forgot his lifts and therefore didnt stand straight... you can easily imaginate him standing straight and looking shorter than Victor.

Also that`s an excellent pic there where he is face to face with some guy. Any idea who is this guy, Frank? "His name is F. Ake and he was about 6-7." Yes?
Moon said on 9/Aug/08
The reason Wayne walked that way had nothing to do with lifts. While it is true that Wayne did consciously develop that rolling gate as a part of his persona, genetics did play a part in his stride. If you look at his feet as he walks, they are always pointed straight ahead. With most men, their feet point outward by about ten degrees, where as the Duke's feet point straight ahead.
Now, I don't know how much of that walk is a put-on, but I do know that you can't fake the placement of your toes for more than a few steps--its exceedingly uncomfortable. I know this because I, too, have a very similar gate to Wayne. Why? Because my toes point straight ahead, creating a rolling gate with my knees and a pelvis that swivels a little more as a result. Hell, being just a little over an inch shorter than Wayne, I tend to hang my head and roll it side-to-side, too! The only difference, and this is the part I think Wayne faked, is that my arms kinda want to swing outward as opposed to the marching-in-place motion that Wayne used.
Now, I don't know about Wayne, but the reason my feet are like this is because when I was a toddler, I was pigeon-toed. Consequently, my parents put orthapedic shoes on me, which straightened out my feet. To be honest, I never even knew this until well into my twenties, and it was only then that I started paying attention to the placement of people's feet. Long story short, I suspect Wayne had a similar problem as a toddler, because I have never known anyone to have feet that NATURALLY pointed straight ahead.
Frank2 said on 8/Aug/08
Hunter was just shy of 6'. And in THE SEARCHERS, Wayne is a good four inches taller when he's wearing moccasins which he does in a couple of scenes. Hunter always wore shoes or boots with normal heels in that film.
Gonzalo said on 8/Aug/08
In the 10th pic of Jay S album you can see Wayne looking as tall as Dennis O
Brunobrowne said on 7/Aug/08
Jay S, I was watching the biography channel on sky about John Wayne. It states at 14 John Wayne stood over 6ft. By the time he reached adulthood he stood 6'4'' ideally suited to play american football but an injury put paid to that.

Also while watching this it showed a movie he was in with Ward Bond in 1929. The film was called 'Salute' and he had an uncredited part. There is a shot from this where both men are standing side by side and Wayne appears 2 inches taller approx. Ward Bond stood 6' 2''. Wayne was 22 and Bond 26.

Is this film early enough for you Adam.
mike c said on 7/Aug/08
Glad you're back, Frank 2...missed you!
Frank2 said on 7/Aug/08
FYI

John Wayne walked in his signature style in BIG JIM MCLAIN and in that film he wore normal street shoes.
Frank2 said on 7/Aug/08
FZYI

John Wayne walked in his signature style in BIG JIM MCLAIN and in that film he wore normal street shoes.
loretta a adams said on 7/Aug/08
I am a huge fan, that will never change. My husband is in Ca., he went to look at foot prints and he told me about " The Dukes " boot print. I just could not beleive.
Jay S. said on 6/Aug/08
I was watching Hondo last night and thinking about Wayne's signature walk. I'm pretty sure it was because of the lifts in his shoes that he moved the way he did. There was one seen when he had to help carry another actor from a wagon and his lifts were removed (obviously because he wouldn't be able to carry a man in high-heels as it were.) He was much shorter than in prior scenes compared to the other actors.
Scott B. said on 6/Aug/08
Patrick: My wife and I really liked you Entry. Good Job. You prove Wayne was a Big guy without a doubt.
Scott B. said on 6/Aug/08
Jay Bird. One thing I noticed over the years when making movies tall actors are often cast with tall actors and short actors are cast with short actors. Frank2 met him. Frank2 said he was 6'4 and I beleive him. mike c, Frank2,Patrick and Gonzalo. You guys are 100% correct. Wayne was 6'4 Prime and NEVER Below 6'2.You guys are Awesome!!!!Adam you have some good points and are a good guy. We need to make Jay Bird see the Light. Wayne could of lost height at the end. But never below 6'2.
mike c said on 6/Aug/08
Jay S/ Adam, in the fifth picture the man at the extreme left, holding a gun, is Yakima Canutt...he was Hollywood's most famous stuntman...at 6'3-4" tall he doubled for Wayne hundreds of times, especially in the most dangerous of stunts...read his bio...a true legend! mike c
Frank2 said on 6/Aug/08
Adam, did you ever meet him? I did. He was a solid 6'4" in his prime.
adam said on 6/Aug/08
Good pics, Jay! Would be interesting to know all the co-stars that are next to Wayne in those pics...
Tony G. said on 6/Aug/08
Adam, did you see the photos I posted of John Wayne without shoes standing next to 5'9" Ron Howard and 5'9.5" Desi Arnaz both who were wearing shoes?
adam said on 6/Aug/08
Well Frank, Hudson said the same thing.
Quote from Rock: "I did a movie with Duke Wayne and was very surprised to find out he had small feet, wore lifts, and a corset. Hollywood is seldom what it seems."

That quote seems very truthful to me.
Scott B. said on 5/Aug/08
Frank2: You are correct. I read an article where Mitchum joked about Wayne
Wearing Lifts. Mitchum said Wayne was 6'4 in his Prime. He also said Kirk Douglas was short and wore HUGE Lifts. Face it Jay Bird. Wayne was tall.
Jay S. said on 5/Aug/08
I've added a few more photos where Wayne looks decidedly less than 6'4".
Click Here
Ronaldo said on 5/Aug/08
adam he was 6ft4. He is a tall guy
Frank2 said on 5/Aug/08
Wayne was 6'4". People who claim he wore lifts are going by an old joke Robert Mitchum spread. That was just like Mitchum.
Patrick said on 5/Aug/08
Jay S. with all due respect, I pity you and just hope and pray - you not to be a police officer, a physician or just a witness. I never read something coming from a seemingly sane man, perfectly able to write and reflect which ever reached such an amount of absurdities.
Johan Wayne is 5
adam said on 5/Aug/08
The man wore lifts and didn`t look 6-4 in his early films. Jay S, get some more pictures of early Wayne films.
Kris said on 4/Aug/08
I was a personal friend of john wayne and know FOR A FACT that he was nothing less than 6' 4''
Brunobrowne said on 3/Aug/08
Listen Jay S the only way your theory can be correct would be to down grade all actors who starred with the Duke by 8 inches, this means james Caan is only a tad over 5 feet.
Frank2 said on 3/Aug/08
Wayne was 6'4".
Gonzalo said on 2/Aug/08
HI,guys. I have been on holidays and haven
mike c said on 2/Aug/08
Jay S..nice try!! you need to compare the proportions of items in the same picture. Reread your algebra book and my post. Again, you make for interesting reading. mike c
mike c said on 2/Aug/08
Another interesting site: Click Here
Read what it says.
One actor Arness did not dwarf was 'The Duke', and he supported Wayne in four pictures, beginning with Edward Ludwig's "Big Jim McClain" (1952). When CBS approached Wayne about playing the Matt Dillon role, he suggested the 32-year-old Minnesotan. The rest is history.
adam said on 2/Aug/08
Well Jay... Let`s face it, he wasn`t 5-8. That`s pretty absurd.

But Jay, I like your opinions and I agree with you that he wasn`t 6-4.
mike c said on 1/Aug/08
Here's an interesting clip of John Wayne with Dean Martin (5'10.5") in tuxedos...I was wrong! John does look 5'8"....must be the camera..I think Dean is wearing at least 2" lifts to Wayne's 6" lifts...enjoy! mike c

Click Here
Jay S. said on 1/Aug/08
Scott B., you have no proof and I do. All new ideas are met first with ridicule, then outrage, and finally acceptance.
Scott B. said on 31/Jul/08
Face it Jay Bird. You are Wrong. The duke was 6'4 Prime and 6'2 at the end.
The very intelligent Mike C. and Mr. Barnes show in their entrees you don't know what your talking about. We have had Enough of your nonsense.
Jay S. said on 31/Jul/08
Using the proportion of my 11 inch foot (heel to toe) to my height of 5'10" and apply it to John Wayne's foot at 9.5 inches; we would have a John Wayne that stands approximately five-feet tall. (I'm smiling at that one) Assuming Wayne wore two or three-inch lifts, that would shorten his boot length, we can add another inch to his foot. With a 10.5 inch heel-to-toe foot and rounding up, Wayne would now stand around 5'8" barefoot.
JKHEIGHT said on 30/Jul/08
Wayne looked about 6'2 barefoot in The Shootist when standing next to Ron Howard.
Jay S. said on 30/Jul/08
Tightness of the boot has to do with the width not length. My sneakers are, from heel to toe, under a foot or 30 cm. Wayne's blunt-toed boots are about 9.5 inches or 24 cm. That's smaller than my actual foot at 5'10". As you can see by the shadow in the photograph, Wayne's heels are not any deeper in the cement than the balls of his feet. Click Here
mike c said on 30/Jul/08
For all the 5'8" John Wayners, this is what I wrote about 2 years ago on this site. It uses mathematics and, if you follow closely, it's quite simple in nature. Anyone can look at a photo and estimate very closely the actual measurement, be it height or width, of an object. All you need to know is the actual measurement of one item in the photo. This has been around for countless years. Of course, guys, you need the book. You can buy it on the internet or go to Barnes and Noble. My buddy Gonzalo has it also. He may want to comment.

mike c says on 20/Feb/06 :
Interesting what one can do with mathematics! Looking at a picture and knowing or intelligently guessing the measurements of some of the items in the picture can help one determine certain facts. For example, the approximate height of a figure in a photo... Take the picture of John Wayne against the background of a log cabin, dressed in skins, with flat deer skin (could be another animal, but let's say deer) shoes on...Using mathematical ratios (the ones used by many a carpenter or furniture historian to duplicate furniture from pictures) one can say that in the picture of John Wayne, page 16, of.. The Duke, A Life in Pictures... it is possible to mathematically approximate his height. It's not that difficult if you understand that there is a ratio ( a mathematical relationship) between what an object measures in a picture and its measurement in reality. Let's say that in that picture (you'll have to buy the book to appreciate this or get the picture from the internet), when you measure the belt he has on, the belt measures 3/16" wide. I guess that in reality the belt measured 1 and
mike c said on 30/Jul/08
I'm pretty sure I sent this in when the Duke turned 100..great article and it deserves repeatng, especially for all the 5'8" John Wayners.This is research, not just repeating what I think someone told someone. Enjoy. mike c

A few years ago, Albuquerque's Boyd Magers found himself in a bind while compiling an all-time list of top Western stars for Western Clippings, his magazine about cowboy movies and TV shows.
"I kept going back and forth between (singing cowboys) Gene Autry and Roy Rogers for Nos. 2 and 3," Magers said during a phone interview this week. "But there was no question about No. 1. That was John Wayne."
Magers said Wayne throws his tall shadow worldwide.
"You mention him in Japan and people know him instantly," he said. "It's hard to say why. It's an almost undefinable thing, a kind of chemistry on the screen.
"But to me, he epitomizes that manly let's-take-care-of-business attitude that doesn't seem to exist anymore. And the sense that's there's a right and a wrong and no in between."
Wayne - Oscar-winning actor, mythic hero, American icon and one tough hombre - was born Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, 100 years ago today.
He doesn't look his age. A Harris Poll done this year lists him as the third most popular movie star behind Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks.
Not bad for someone who died of stomach cancer in 1979. But legends are not good about lying still.
"John Wayne's image is more mythic than realistic," said Johnny D. Boggs, 45, of Santa Fe, a writer of Western fiction and nonfiction and vice president of the Western Writers of America. "The image he portrayed in the movies is this giant figure for truth, justice and the American way. I don't think you met too many characters like that in the (real) West."
Boggs said the characters in his own award-winning fiction (two Western Writers Spur Awards) are more likely to be influenced by Jimmy Stewart's roles in such movies as 1950's "Winchester
Barnes said on 28/Jul/08
Let me punch a few holes in your Hondo costume theory. Those are chaps, they fell well above the hem of his pants and back then they wore their pants shorter than we do now.
As far as the footprints go, putting those big sneakers next to the boot print isn't a good way to measure. Sneakers soles extend beyond a person's foot and a
CB boot fits tight. Also the heel of a CB boot slopes in and the height of a boot heel shortens a boot lenght as well. That could easily account for the small look of the boot print.
I am watching El Dorado. The Duke is a lot taller than anyone. As he is running next to James Caan he is bigger all over. James Caan is said to be 5'8" or more. It is obvious Wayne was a very big man. Either he was 6'4" or eveyone else in Hollywood were Munchkins.
mike c said on 26/Jul/08
Belated thank you's Scott B....it's amazing the crap we're reading about the Duke...I truly think they're making these ridiculous statements tongue in cheek just to get a rise....what's the old saying?: tell a lie enough times and you start to believe it...or something like that.....The Duke with Scott and Stein...now, that's a photo!!! Oh, I forgot...there are invisible mats under Wayne' flat shoes and the camera stretched his very short legs...boy do I love this site! Scott, glad you're on board! mike c
Parker said on 26/Jul/08
In the 3 years or so I've been visiting this site the most ludicrous claim I ever saw was some guy insisting Tom Cruise was 5'3...that was until I read this thread. 5'8 claim for Wayne is absurd. A solid 6'4 in his prime - didn't he say 6'4.5 in the Quiet Man?

When Judy Geeson's charachter met him at the airport in Brannigan, Wayne's charachter asked how she knew it was him. Easy, her boss told her to look for someone that looked like the Statue of Liberty.

5'8? That's funny.
Jay S. said on 25/Jul/08
Scotty, It's not rumour, it's verifiable proof. Perhaps your coworker's friend's husband's second wife twice removed was mistaken and Princess Margaret got it right.
Scott B. said on 25/Jul/08
JAY BIRD. You NEVER met him. Therefore you really dont know what your talking about as usual. Dont you think my Coworker would of NOTICED him being 5'8 and having 7 inch feet? She said he was taller than her 6'2 late husband. Wayne was wearing tennis shoes. Did Wayne have 7 inch lifts in his tennis shoes? No need to get snippy Jay Bird. Get a grip or go Scratch. This is a Great web site with nice and intelligent people like Gonzalo, Mike C,Brunobrowne and Adam.
I enjoy debating Wayne Being anywhere from 6'4 to 6'2. Anything below 6'2 is False.
Jay S. said on 25/Jul/08
Repetition over the Internet isn't proof, whereas the concrete imprint of his size 7 boot is. Scotty, size 11? In a pig's eye.
adam said on 25/Jul/08
Well, Scotty... I think he was about 6-3 in his prime now. =)
mike c said on 24/Jul/08
adam, thank you! I always wanted to be a soomaka...if I'm not mistaken, so was the Duke! I'm in good company!
Scott B said on 24/Jul/08
Gonzalo, Mike C. and Brunobrowne make the most sense although adam has some valid points. Jay Bird is off in the Deep end. If you ever watch movies with short actors like Chuck Norris they are always surrounded by Short actors. As for camera angles, they only help so much. Wayne clearly towered over Desi in the I love Lucy episode. Adam you have to admit Wayne could of been 6'4 Prime and 6'2 at the end and Waynes foot size Jay Bird was size 11 NOT 7.
Brunobrowne said on 24/Jul/08
But Adam then you agree Wayne was 6'4'' in his younger days,"yes in that picture with Randolph Scott he wears flat shoes and DOES look 6-4".
Anonymous said on 24/Jul/08
Very interesting all of that stuff! What's the hell mean "soomaka"? Anyway, i'm sure Mike Cis not one of "them"!
The MikeC pic is fantastic! BTW the Duke hated wearing his wig and delayed for years the little lifting he got in about 1970. He hated cheating; i'm sure of that!
adam said on 24/Jul/08
Mike c, take it easy, amigo. Me and Gonzalo, we are good buddies but you seem to be quite a soomaka! First, yes in that picture with Randolph Scott he wears flat shoes and DOES look 6-4. But you seem to avoid that picture in Jay S` gallery. Well mikey, what do you say about that? Very uneven ground? The other anonyme guy wore lifts? No...
"childish crap" does that make you nervous? Take your medicine mister and try to to stay calm even though today`s society doesn`t allow that, does it?
mike c said on 23/Jul/08
adam, with all due respect....did you look at the photos I sent of Wayne with Sammy Stein and Primo Carnera?. Wayne is standing behind Randolph Scott (6'3"+). and is shoulder to shoulder with Carnera who everyone knows was just a tad over 5'8" tall. In the Stein photo, please tell us if you see lifts or if the cameraman is fooling us with invisible mats under the ring's floor. Where in Heaven's name do you see lifts? Do yourself a favor and start doing some real research. Perhaps reading a few biographies would be a good start. Also, buy the book The Duke, A Life in Pictures....after you do, tell us if Wayne was wearing lifts in his prime. No argument, he may have worn them at the end..as my buddy Patrick said: "To maintain his image." I respect him for that and for the no-nonsense stance he always took on America. He was honest with himself and especially to his fans. What you saw was what you got. And, while you're at it. try not to end your post with the childish crap..."so... yeah. =)" mike c
adam said on 23/Jul/08
Gonzalo, yes it sounds very absurd I know.

But mine (and Jay S` also) biggest evidence is the picture in Jay S` gallery where John Wayne is face-to-face with some guy who I dont know. Who is this man and who is that man who`s holding a gun in the background.

Gonzalo, you seem like a very reasonable man to me. Do you have any theory to this fact? Ground is uneven or those two guys were both at least 6-7?
Gonzalo said on 23/Jul/08
Adam, do you really believe John Wayne wore four-inch lifts? Do you what four inches are? 10 cms. That would be very high heels for a woman. It makes no sense. I agree totally with Scott B. There is nothing else I could add. It is such a sensible post
Jay S. said on 22/Jul/08
I admit the pictures are compelling, but they are not proof. Published in "Princess Margaret: A Life Unravelled," Princess Margaret states she met "the equally diminutive John Wayne." It's an interesting first-hand account. Thanks Shirley. F.Y.I. Wayne did in fact put his size 7 boots fully in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater and they were extraordinarily small.
Scott B. said on 22/Jul/08
Adam. Wayne was Either 6'4 or 6'3 in his Prime no less . He could of lost an inch later on due to health Problems. I heard when he was older he may have Worne 2 inch lifts. Wayne was NEVER Below 6'2. Wayne at 6'2 with 2 inch lifts and Hudson at 6'6 with his Boots on leaves a two inch difference between them.
adam said on 22/Jul/08
Scott B, ok. If he was 6-4 and he STILL wore 4-inch-lifts then two things:

1) Why the hell would he have done that?

And most importantly:

2) Did he look 6-8 to you? 6-7? 6-6? 6-5, ah finally. Yes, he sure looks close 6-5 in many photos but take only with 4-inch -lifts like Mitchum and Rock Hudson said.

Also in The Undefeated Mr. Wayne is obviously because of Hudson`s comment wearing lifts and he still is about 2 inches shorter than the 6-5 Rock so... yeah. =)
Gonzalo said on 22/Jul/08
Adam, it is true in the pic you mention Wayne doesn
Shirley said on 22/Jul/08
I am reading a biography about Princess Margaret (UK) and after the premiere of 'The Alamo' she was presented with a Texan saddle by the equally DIMINUTIVE John Wayne. She was just over 5ft tall. This does not translate to 6' plus for him. Would be interested if anyone has any real info.
Scott B said on 22/Jul/08
Adam: Robert Mitchum Did say Wayne wore lifs in later years, But he also said Wayne was 6'4 Barefoot and had no idea why he wore them.
Parker said on 20/Jul/08
Great Photo Mike C. Also looks about an inch taller than the 6'3.5ins Randolph Scott standing in front of him.
mike c said on 19/Jul/08
Guys, here's the Duke with 6' Sammy Stein..I would say Wayne is at least 6'4"..look at Sammy's shoes and the Duke's.mike c

Click Here
adam said on 19/Jul/08
Well we can forever keep talking about those pictures with his later career when he might have worn a special footwear. Yes we all know that there`s a great number of pics and on the other hand a great number of movies where he absolutely looks TALL. He looks 6-4 in 99% of the pictures and most of his movies. But people... just sometimes the remaining percent can be the difference-maker...
Scott B said on 19/Jul/08
I Agree with Mike C. Wayne only looked 2 inches shorter than Primo Carnera. Someone said below Wayne only looked 6'1 in the Shootest? He looked over 6'2 to me. 6'4 Prime and no less then 6'2 at the End. The I Love Lucy Episode should put to REST Wayne being anythig less then 6'2.
mike c said on 19/Jul/08
Anonymous, your July 16th post was refreshing to read. I still don't understand why people only see what they want to see or repeat what they've heard without going out on their own to find out the facts...he was most certainly 6'4.5" in prime....a blind man can see it. Just look at the pic. with the huge Primo Carnera and view the the countless movies where he towers over the rest..it's a joke to even suggest that he was never tall..let alone 5'8"......I wouldn't put my good boots deeply in cement either. mike c
Bob H. said on 18/Jul/08
I agree about shoe size and height. They should correspond... but do not always.
I'm 6'1" wearing a 13. My daughter's boyfriend is 5'7" wearing a 13. My dad was 6'4" and wore a 10 1/2 shoe. "Generally" taller men have bigger feet.... but absolutely not always.
Scott B. said on 18/Jul/08
Good Job Mike C and Terry. I noticed some people being really bad at judging Heights. I am 5'10 and a lady I work with thought I was 5'6. She was Way off.
It is clear that Wayne was a tall man. He towered over Desi Arnaz in an episode of I love Lucy. He looked at least 6 to 7 inches taller.
adam said on 18/Jul/08
And Terry Wayne was supposed to be 6`4
patrick said on 18/Jul/08
Adam said:
mike c said on 18/Jul/08
Thanks, Tony G...I remember the episode. I'm adding the pics to my album.
mike c
Terry said on 17/Jul/08
This stuff about foot size & height is wrong fellas! I am 5'11" & take a UK size 12 (US 13). By your theories, I should be 6'5" +. I used to work with a bloke who was 6'6" & he took a UK 12.5. We used to joke about him being half a foot taller but barely any bigger in the foot department.
mike c said on 17/Jul/08
Here's an interesting picture: 6'6" Primo Carnera, 6'1" Red Skelton, and 5'8" John Wayne. Wayne's in a suit and is wearing at 6" lifts in his dress shoes..
Click Here
beatlefan said on 17/Jul/08
I have seen the Shootist and he does look shorter in that film. Maybe he did lose height like Eastwood. Its the really tall ones that do shrink the most when they get older as they have spent their whole lives stooping to maintain eye contact with normal sized folk. One exception is John Cleese who has always had impeccable posture for such a tall guy.
Tony G. said on 17/Jul/08
John Wayne is shown in socks in an episode of "I Love Lucy." He is standing next to Desi Arnaz (wearing shoes) and he is still at least 5-6" taller than Desi.
In the same episode, there were also some good views of both actors fully dressed standing side by side in "Ricky's" apartment.
Click Here
mike c said on 17/Jul/08
adam, I wrote this in March...buy the movie.

"Just recieved Dark Command starring the Duke and Roy Rogers...1940. Roy is listed as between 5'10.5" and 5'11" in all the sites...in ALL scenes the Duke towers over him. In one scene the boots are clearly visible. Both have on at least 1.5" heels..the Duke is at minimum 6" taller..no doubt whatsoever." Mike C
Anonymous said on 16/Jul/08
Was as tall as (6'4")Robert Ryan in "Flying Tigers", taller than (6'2") Walter Pigeon in "Dark Command". Wayne was absolutely about 6'4" as a young man. Silly not to be able to see it in his films. But by his 60's I'm convinced he wore lifts. My 6'4" father lost height in his 60's as have I and every other male that I know. But Wayne continued to tower other male actors and I cannot believe he accomplished that without something stuffed in his shoes. By the time of "True Grit" he had to have lost height. He was way over weight, had a huge smoking and drinking habit and could not have NOT suffered some normal height loss. Look at Clint Eastwood and James Garner. They have both lost 2 or 3 inches. Neither 'towers' in todays films. But they did when young. Wayne could not have been more than 6'1" by the time of the "Shootist". More power to him for using lifts. I would not have wanted to see a shorter Wayne.
Scott B. said on 16/Jul/08
My coworker said she met him while he was filming True Grit and said he was BIG.
An inch taller than her 6'2 Husband. She said her nabor went sailing on John Waynes Boat a couple of times and he said Wayne was no less than 6'2. This was when he was in his 60's. He wore tennis shoes with NOOOOOOOOO Lifts. She also said his wife at the time was tall. She said 5'10. So Adam could be right Wayne being 6'3 Prime 6'2 at the end is possible. Anything below 6'2 is False. Kevin and Jay Bird are WRONG. Glenn: If you can meet up with Ron Howard it should solve this 5'8 NONESENSE.
Anonymous said on 16/Jul/08
Adam: I think Wayne was 6'3 Prime and 6'2 at the end.
adam said on 16/Jul/08
What Im now very interested is the picture in the gallery of Jay S. The early Wayne movie picture in which he is face to face with someone. Who is this man? Also in the background there are two guys who sure as hell look at least as tall as Wayne. So this is what I call a strong piece of evidence!

Summa summarum: In that pic Wayne doesn`t look 6-4 or anything close to it. Or then maybe he was 6-4 and he`s just in a very unlucky scene with three men who are all over 6-6.... Right?
patrick said on 16/Jul/08
As long as such comments will keep taking the place of reasonable ones, I won
Tony G. said on 16/Jul/08
Aren't "shoe" and "boot" size the same? John Wayne was a size 11. You can't go by a boot print in wet cement because, as patrick said, some celebs would not put their entire boot in the cement.
Jay S. said on 14/Jul/08
Tony G, here's my evidence of Wayne's boot print being a size 7. Click Here
Tony G. said on 13/Jul/08
Adam, John Wayne's shoe/boot size was 11, not 7.
adam said on 12/Jul/08
Well I sure dont believe that 5-8 crap but these guys seem to have a good point: size 7 foot print. If he was 6-4 there`s no way in hell he would have had that small feet.
Scott B said on 11/Jul/08
Good job Gonzalo as always. Dean Martin was 5'11 and Wore Huge Lifts.
We need someone to ask Ron Howard how tall Wayne was. I think we can all agree except Kevin and Jay Bird that Wayne was never below 6'2 Barefoot.
Gonzalo said on 11/Jul/08
There was a very good brazilian player called S
Anonymous said on 10/Jul/08
Maureen O Hara was 5'10. Wayne was 6'3.
Catsman said on 10/Jul/08
I recently saw Rio Bravo, and in that Wayne was much taller than Dean Martin, but the old, stooping Walter Brennan, who gets listed at 5'11, didn't look much more than 3 inches shorter than Wayne. You see Martin and Brenan walking together at the end and it is clear that Martin is about 5-9. I say 6-3 for Wayne.
Kevin said on 10/Jul/08
It's a camera trick. The mat is lifted off the floor a couple of inches and Ron Howard stands slightly upstage of him, it puts the two actors on the same x-axis while at the same time making Wayne appear much larger. Seems no one wants to talk about the 800 pound gorilla in their living room; namely John Wayne's size 7 boot print.
Gonzalo said on 10/Jul/08
This is new: the mat. I guess Don Siegel put some lifts inside the mat. The next thing we will hear is that John Wayne had lifts inside his feet. This is getting ridiculous
Shawn Michaels said on 9/Jul/08
In the pic with Dean....Wayne looks at least 3 inches taller imo.
Scott B said on 8/Jul/08
I am watching the shootest now. The Mats on the floor are normal. Kevin Ron Howard was 22 years old when the Shootest was filmed. I think we can agree he was finished growing. Wayne looked no less than 6'2 BareFoot although I say 6'3. Howard is either 5'8 or 5'9. At least 5'10 in Boots. Wayne Towered over Howard. Kevin and Jay. How come you cannot EXPLAIN Wayne in Tennis Shoes being taller than my coworker's 6'2 Husband? 7 inch lifts in his tennis shoes? Adam. you and I are not that far off. Wayne 6'3 Prime 6'2 at the end. Although He still could of been 6'4 Prime and 6'3 at the end as well.
Jay S. said on 8/Jul/08
Thanks Adam. I'm not trying to score points against John Wayne fans of which I myself am included; perhaps now even more so. The proof of a size 7 boot print to support a claim of 5'8" is to encourage further discussion. It is my opinion, John Wayne is a personality created by (Marion) "Duke Morrison" a mere 5'8" prop man who reinvented himself as a Hollywood icon.
Brunobrowne said on 8/Jul/08
Oh Kevin you should do your research a bit better, Ron Howard was born March 1954 and the Shootist made in 1976. This puts Howard at 21 minimum. Oh yes look carefully, you see part of Howard's shoe on the mat.

I was looking at Rio Grande, Wayne appears at least 8 inches taller than Maureen O Hara.
Brunobrowne said on 8/Jul/08
Oh Kevin you should do your research a bit better, Ron Howard was born March 1954 and the Shootist made in 1976. This puts Howard at 21 minimum. Oh yea I see Wayne hoovering on the magic carpet.
Scott B. said on 8/Jul/08
I agree with Gonzalo. Kevin and Jay S are living in LA LA Land. I am no longer going to respond to them because Wayne being below 6'2 in False. Wayne being taller than my co worker's husband who was 6'2 proves it. Unless Wayne was wearing 7 inch lifts. Wayne was 6'3 Barefoot. Soon Kevin and Jay Bird will have Wayne being one of the munchkins in the Wizard of OZ. And Kevid you need to do better research. Ron Howard was 22 years old when he was in the movie the Shootest. Done growing at 22? I should hope so. I owne the DVD the Shootest. In the sceene with Wayne and Howard Wayne was not using Lifts under the mat he was standing on. You guys make no sence at all.
adam said on 8/Jul/08
Jay S, excellent pics. Early years of his career could prove the fact. The very first movies he was in... those days when he wasn`t a larger than life character, please watch those movies/photos if you can.

You have some great points there Jay S, keep up the good work!
Gonzalo said on 8/Jul/08
Jay S. we can accept Adam
Tony G. said on 7/Jul/08
Jay S., if Wayne was "approximately 5'8"," why is he so much taller (barefoot) when standing next to 5'9" Ron Howard?
Brunobrowne said on 7/Jul/08
The only photo I have seen of Wayne barefoot is with Ron Howard in the Shootist and Jay S you have to admit he towers over 5'9'' Ron who is not barefoot. You can see him from head to toe unlike the photos you have shown. I cant prove it but his feet look much bigger than a childs size 7.
Jay S. said on 7/Jul/08
Since this is a fan-based site and not a forensic investigative group, I understand why, despite indisputable evidence of his size 7 boot, most of you can't accept Wayne was under 6 feet tall. Again, never underestimate the power of denial. Kevin is right about Hollywood portraying actors taller than in real life. As such, I've added some pictures of Wayne's "Hondo" costume to prove my case for approximately 5'8". Click Here
Brunobrowne said on 6/Jul/08
I saw part of the fight scene with Victor Mclaglen, immediately before the go into the bar for a drink, he is clearly taller than Victor by 2 inches as they square up and has normal footwear on.

Its obvious my the length of his legs and torso that he is very tall, just the same that you know that Alan Ladd is very short no matter what camera angles you use.

I saw a second picture of barefoot Wayne with Howard. He towers over 5'9'' Howard and his feet do not look very small. If Jay S and Kevin are right and Wayne is only 5'8'' then they would have to downgrade every other actor who appeared with Wayne by 8 inches. Poor Barry Fitzgerald must have only being 4' 6'' by this reckoning
adam said on 6/Jul/08
Looks like we have some electricity in the air, interesting oh my brothers! Kevin and Jay S, I salute you! Welcome to this site and please keep posting. I agree with you guys on several things: 1) John Wayne wore lifts and got help from camera angles. 2) He had to have very small feet.

But yet again... he sure as hell wasn
Scott B said on 6/Jul/08
Kevin you are living in fantasy Land some where in the land of OZ. This site is not about Rock Hudson. Wayne being below 6'2 BAREFOOT is rubbish AKA NONESENSE. You never met him nor do know anyone who did. I talked to people who met him and they ALL say over 6'3.As I stated before, I have a friend who is 6'3 with size 11 Feet. This is a site for reasonable people. Wayne being below 6'2 is FALSE.
Kevin said on 5/Jul/08
John Wayne wasn't a super tall cowboy and Rock Hudson wasn't a super lady's man. They were both actors living their characters on and off the screen. Wayne wore lifts and Hudson had his agent set him up on dates with female movie starlets. Rock Hudson certainly wasn't 6'5" when he had AIDS; some of us still remember those pictures. Hollywood is an industry of make-believe. The bootprints are the proof.
adam said on 5/Jul/08
Well that pic proves nothing. Absolutely nothing. You cant see anything about their footwear and Wayne likely wore very big lifts. You`re right, Rock was a solid 6-5 and do you think that the all-mighty John Wayne would have wanted to look much shorter than mr. Hudson?

Is that you John Wayne... Is this me??
Scott B said on 5/Jul/08
I Agree with Brunobrowne. If Kevin and jay are correct wayne wore 8 inch lifts. Wayne was 6'3 at least in his prime and never less than 6'2 at the end. My coworker said when she met him he had on Normal Tennis shoes and he was taller than her 6'2 Husband. This was in the early 60's. They did not make tennis shoes with lifts back in the 60's. Wayne wearing Eight in lifts is a joke. I saw an interview with a guy who did not like Wayne. He did say Wayne was tall. Kevin: You say Selleck they lied out of professional courtesy? Thats funny because Lancaster and Mitchum joked all the time how short Kirt Douglas was.
Brunobrowne said on 5/Jul/08
Jay S and Kevin did you see the photo taken at Universal, with John Wayne and Rock Hudson standing side by side. They are almost identical in height in the picture. Rock is a confirmed 6'5'' and Wayne looks less than 1 inch lower. If what you are saying is true then Wayne must be wearing 8 inch lifts which is absolute rubbish or Hudson is only 5'9''.
Kevin said on 4/Jul/08
Hollywood movies are grossly misleading and notorious for this sort of stuff. Movie sets were made to look like the people in the films were giants. The windows, doors, etc are all built six inches lower than what you find in real-life situations. Why would other actors lie? Probably out of professional courtesy and because it was in their contract to appear smaller than John Wayne on screen. If they want to continue working in Hollywood, it's best not to bite the hand that feeds you. I'm with Jay S on this one. The evidence speaks for itself.

Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films.

Other vital statistics like weight or shoe size measurements have been sourced from newspapers, books, resumes or social media.

Celebrity Fan Photos and Agency Pictures of stars are © to their respective owners.