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Ron Howard has been in the biz a long time. He's practically filmmaking royalty. He's also worked alongside Hollywood heavyweights over his decades-long career, including two in the same movie: James Stewart and John Wayne. For the latter in particular, 1976's The Shootist was his last film before he died in 1979.
Howard, who was in his early 20s at the time, was really at the dawn of his career (plum roles in Happy Days and The Andy Griffith Show aside), while Wayne was in his twilight. Recently, Howard appeared on the Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast with Turner Classic Movies host and journalist Ben Mankiewiczto discuss his versatile, prolific resume, including The Shootist.
The 50th anniversary of The Shootist is on July 21, so naturally, the conversation turned to his experience working with the late Wayne on the Don Siegel-directed Western. According to Howard, Siegel and Wayne butted heads during filming, and that sometimes, the two "were really, really at loggerheads":
"I also learned a lot in a rather uncomfortable way, because Wayne and Siegel were feuding. They did not get along. And I was getting along with both of them separately, just fine," Howard said before adding that Wayne complained about how Siegel was shooting the movie.
The filmmaker also revealed that Siegel gave him advice. Howard was a student at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he was studying to become a director. At one point during production, The Shootist director told him that "if you're the director and it's you or the star, you're gone." Siegel remarked that he liked the script and the movie despite the issues with Wayne, noting that he planned to "ride it out."
"And I think, you know...John Wayne felt the same way, but I also felt like Siegel didn't do a great job of bridging the gaps. And it was pretty intense, but I remember saying, 'There's a better way to deal with even superstars than this," Howard recalled. His experience on The Shootist taught him how to handle on-set disputes.
In addition to Howard, Wayne, and Stewart, The Shootist starred Lauren Bacall, Richard Boone, John Carradine, Scatman Crothers, Rick Lenz, Harry Morgan, Sheree North, and Hugh O'Brian. Siegel directed from a screenplay by Miles Hood Swarthout and Scott Hale, which was based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout.
You can stream The Shootist on Paramount+. Head over to HBO Max to watch the full episode of Talking Pictures with Howard.
