Do You Remember These Classic John Wayne TV Commercials?

TRUE GRIT, John Wayne, 1969 — Everett Collection

Everett Collection

For celebrities, appearing in a TV ad is practically a rite of passage — but few stars made a mark with their ads the way John Wayne did. Throughout his career, the Duke appeared in a number of TV commercials, both for business and charitable causes, including the American Cancer Society, Great Western Savings Bank, Christmas Seals and his close friend Ronald Reagan campaign for governor.

Wayne even appeared in an ad after he passed away: in 1996, Coors Light controversially used archival footage of the actor, alongside newly shot footage of Full Metal Jacket star R. Lee Emery, in an ad for the beer.

Read on to learn about (or rediscover) some of Wayne’s most famous TV ads.

Camel Cigarettes (1952)

Like many stars of the ’50s, Wayne appeared in cigarette ads. He also appeared in print campaigns, like this “Why Did You Change to Camels?” magazine ad, which also featured Linda Darnell and Ruth Hussey. Though Wayne smoked before the dangers of tobacco were commonly known, he later quit and, after struggling with lung cancer, became a spokesman for the American Cancer Society.

Christmas Seals (1955)

In this ad, Wayne takes time off on a film set to let viewers know about Christmas Seals, which were used by the American Lung Foundation to raise money for those afflicted with tuberculosis. The director filming Wayne is referred to as “Mr. Wellman,” suggesting that he might be William Wellman, who directed Wayne in Blood Alley that same year. Wellman was a pioneering director of both sound and silent films; in addition to helming the original 1937 version of A Star is Born, he also directed 1927’s Wings, the first-ever film to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Ronald Reagan for Governor: “The Victory Squad” (1966)

Wayne and President Reagan had a friendship that went back to their mutual time in Hollywood; when Reagan pivoted to politics, Wayne, who was already an active in the state Republican party, deeply supported his friend’s ambitions. In that spirit, Wayne appeared alongside Reagan in this short film, produced by the Los Angeles County Republican Central Committee, which urged local Republicans to join the “Victory Squad,” a group dedicated to reminding their fellow Republicans to vote on Election Day.

In 1988, Reagan sat for an interview reflecting on their friendship, which they maintained to the end of Wayne’s life. Reagan remembered Wayne as a tireless supporter: “You could count on him.”

American Cancer Society (1970)

After suffering a bout of lung cancer, Wayne became a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, urging viewers to get checked out for the disease and donate to cause. It was unusual at the time for a celebrity to be so open about a serious illness; Wayne was one of the first stars to do so, and broke ground with his frankness and honesty about his own health.

He made multiple ads for the organization (one of which hilariously ends with him telling viewers that if they don’t donate to the charity, “I’m gonna kick you in the butt“); this one shows him in True Grit, recovered and healthy. The ad ends with Wayne on a horse, telling fans, “It’s great to be alive.”

That line was rendered bittersweet several years later, when Wayne developed stomach cancer; the disease would take his life in 1979, when he was 72.

Datril 500 (1978)

Wayne appeared in both print and TV ads for pain medication Datril in his later years — possibly as a nod to the fact that his fans, too, were growing older, and now likely needed a bit of help with their aches and pains.

Great Western Savings (1978)

Wayne recorded a number of ads for California’s Great Western Savings Bank throughout 1977 and 1978. In each one, Wayne chats a little bit about the state’s natural beauty, before moving on to, well, banking (it makes more sense when you watch). In 1984, the bank had a bronze statue of the actor erected in front of their L.A. headquarters.

Coors Light (1996)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Wayne “The Duke” (@johnwayneofficial)

In this ad, Emery, reprising his Full Metal Jacket drill sergeant character, demands to know which new recruit brought Coors Light into the barracks — of course, it is revealed that the Duke, in a clip repurposed from his 1966 film Cast a Giant Shadow, is the guilty party. Wayne obviously could not give his okay for this ad, as it was created 17 years after his death; but it did supposedly improve Coors Light sales, so at least there’s that.

Inside John Wayne's Lasting Friendship With Sammy Davis Jr.

Though it's not clear exactly how Davis and Wayne first met they were close friends up until Wayne's death.

Remind