John Wayne condemned Kirk Douglas’ Spartacus as ‘Marxist propaganda’ before set clash
John Wayne had a real issue with Kirk Douglas' Spartacus, which is on ITV4 today, and publically condemned the movie.
Stanley Kubrick’s Oscar-winning Roman epic was incredibly controversial upon its release in 1960.
Kirk Douglas allowed blacklisted communist screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten, to pen Spartacus without having to hide his name.
The scribe had previously been taking a clandestine approach to his work following his ostracisation from the film industry years earlier.
Nevertheless, he still managed to win two Academy Awards under other names for Roman Holiday and The Brave One.
As a result, John Wayne and the right-wing National Legion of Decency condemned the movie as “Marxist propaganda” and picketed the epic upon its release.
Blacklisted Communist screenwriter of Spartacus, Dalton Trumbo (Image: GETTY)
It was only when John F Kennedy went to see Spartacus and called it “good” did this blacklisting really end.
Despite this political loss, Wayne ended up working with Douglas on Cast a Giant Shadow and In Harm’s Way, before making 1967’s The War Wagon.
During the latter’s production, Douglas was late to set as he had been shooting a commercial to endorse Edmund G Brown, a Democrat, as Governor of California.
John Wayne and Kirk Douglas in The War Wagon (Image: GETTY)
