Actor John Wayne had a favorite expression that he always tried to incorporate into his lifestyle. It meant so much to him that he had it engraved onto a plaque that he placed on his California yacht. Wayne carried himself through life with the lessons that he learned from mentors and often shared his life wisdom with the world through expressions and quotes. This particular one explained a lot about his perception regarding judgments people make on one another.
Wayne once had a 76-foot yacht in California over the course of the 1950s and 60s called the Nor’wester. It was originally built in 1932 by Willis J. Reid, which was previously named YP-165 during World War II. It was only in commission for a matter of months. Wooden yacht enthusiasts pursued the vessel to get a look at the gorgeous construction in more modern times. However, it would ultimately face its demise in April 2021 when it sunk in the San Juan Islands.
The actor would further prove his love for the sea when he would invest in a WWII houseboat named Wild Goose. However, Wayne would once again prove that an expression means more than just words. He continued to utilize art and engravings to instill his personal touch into each of the vessels that he owned over the course of his life.
Pilar Wayne and Alex Thorleifson’s book titled John Wayne: My Life With the Duke confirmed his favorite expression. His third wife, Pilar, wrote about the quote and how it applied to the man in her eyes. Wayne kept the expression on the Nor’wester, where it was engraved on a plaque.
“Each of us is a mixture of some good and some not so good qualities,” Wayne’s favorite expression reads. “In considering one’s fellow man, it’s important to remember the good things, and to realize his faults only prove he’s a human being. We should refrain from making judgements–just because a fella’ happens to be a dirty, rotten son-of-a-b****.”
Pilar wrote that Wayne took his favorite expression to heart. She explained that he wasn’t a “son-of-a-b****” like in the quote, but she noted that he wasn’t perfect. Pilar mentioned that he often carried himself in a way that went back to his interactions with his mentor, John Ford. However, the filmmaker was often quite harsh toward Wayne and demeaned him on his movie sets.
The actor would normally see that as enough reason to start a fight, but it was different with Ford. Rather, Wayne clearly took the good and the “not so good qualities” when it came to his mentor and accepted that. They would get into arguments, but he would always forgive his mentor for the poor treatment.