Bodie & Brock Thoene : TRUE GRIT

Bodie & Brock Thoene : TRUE GRIT

A casual liar was no better than a thief in Duke’s opinion. We heard stories about a certain arrogant movie executive who lied to Duke in the early 1940s, and then stole Duke’s idea for a film. The executive said, “John Wayne? He’s a has-been! His last good film was Stagecoach in 1939!”
The movie project John Wayne shared with this executive was stolen, made without him, and released as a mediocre B-Western version of The Alamo. The moment that corporate official showed Duke such immense disrespect, deception, and theft, a line was crossed. During the next thirty years Duke never made a film with that company. Duke remained as one of the top three box office draws for those same thirty years.
The executive attempted to lure him back, but Duke never again trusted or spoke to the man.
In his film The Shootist, Duke’s character speaks about those who would steal from him and lie about it. The scene amounts to “do unto others…” taught in beautiful Western lingo. He had experienced the sharp dagger of a cowardly, slanderous thrust, and he never trusted that man again.
Many years later (long after the movie mogul was forgotten) Duke said to Brock and me, “A man’s word is a sacred contract. If he breaks it and asks for forgiveness, then forgive him. If he makes excuses, steer clear, because he’ll lie to you again. If he shakes your hand, count your fingers.”

The same goes for everyone -- politicians, you, me... husbands and wives...

A former president of the US once said,
"A man who would lie to his wife would lie to me,
and a man who would break his marriage vows would break his oath of office."
~~Attibuted to Harry S Truman