John Wayne’s heart problems, pneumonia on Brannigan and acting advice to Blackadder star

Having starred in 1974’s McQ, John Wayne played another tough cop in 1975 action thriller, Brannigan, opposite Richard Attenborough. Set in London, the movie saw Duke’s Chicago detective Lieutenant Jim Brannigan organise the extradition of an American mobster, who is kidnapped and held to random. The 67-year-old star had been suffering from major health problems for years, having had a cancerous lung removed a decade prior.

Just before filming on Brannigan began, Wayne – who would have been 115 this past week – had struggled through a severe bout of pneumonia and had also been diagnosed with heart problems, making the production particularly difficult for him.

Interestingly, Christopher Trumbo, the son of blacklisted Communist screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, was one of the film’s scribes.

Even though Duke had been an enforcer of the Hollywood Black List and House Un-American Activities Committee, he wasn’t bothered to be working with the Western star.

Even so, during the July 1974 shoot, the actor continued to support President Richard Nixon through the Watergate scandal.

Part of the movie was shot inside The Garrick Club, which had a number of famous actors as members.

Traditionally filming wasn’t allowed inside, but an acceptance was made since Attenborough had been a member for a long time.

During the scene where he and Wayne’s police officers are at the bar, on the wall behind them can be seen portraits of Olivier and Sir John Gielgud, both wearing their club ties.