John Wayne John Wayne Marion Mitchell Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed "The Duke", was an American actor and filmmaker. An Academy Award-winner for "True Grit" (1969), Wayne was among the top box office draws for three decades. Born in Winterset, Iowa, Wayne grew up in Southern California. He was president of Glendale High class of 1925. He found work at local film studios when he lost his football scholarship to the University of Southern California as a result of a bodysurfing accident. Initially working for the Fox Film
Hamlet (1948 film) Guntner, the style of the film owes much to German Expressionism and to "film noir": the cavernous sets featuring narrow winding stairwells correspond to the labyrinths of Hamlet's psyche. The 1948 "Hamlet" was the only film in which the leading actor had directed himself to an Oscar-winning performance, until 1998, when Roberto Benigni directed himself to an Oscar in "Life Is Beautiful". Olivier is also the only actor to win an Oscar for a Shakespearean role. "Hamlet" was the only film to have won both the Golden Lion and the Academy Award for Best Picture until "The Shape of Water"