The Duke leaves his stamp

Deepa Bharath

Fans of the Duke can now put the Orange County icon’s image on their

outgoing mail.

The U. S. Postal Service honored legendary actor John Wayne with a

commemorative postal stamp issued on Thursday in a ceremony held at

the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

For 15 years, the famous actor lived in a sprawling

7,105-square-foot, French waterfront chateau on Bayshore Drive, a

house he had built to recoup in after a 1964 cancer operation.

The home, which was demolished by its current owners in late 2002,

was one of the city’s prime tourist attractions. It had a spectacular

view of Newport Bay, a private screening room and such luxuries as a

kidney-shaped swimming pool.

Wayne had to live with tour boats motoring by his house on a

regular basis, as fans cruised in search of a glimpse of him. He

professed not to mind the attention, however, and lived in the home

until his death in 1979.

Wayne joins an illustrious league of Hollywood stars who have had

stamps released in their honor -- Marilyn Monroe, James Dean,

Humphrey Bogart, Alfred Hitchcock, James Cagney, Edward Robinson,

Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Elvis Presley and Audrey Hepburn. Cagney

also owned a home overlooking Newport Bay.

The actor’s 137-foot convertible yacht, Wild Goose, is still

docked at Mariner’s Mile.

The U.S. Postal Service released the stamp to provide “Wayne’s

many fans with the chance to share and remember his unique American

legacy,” said Richard Strasser, chief executive officer of the U.S.

Postal Service.

Artist Drew Struzan based his painting for the stamp on a

black-and-white publicity still of the actor taken during the filming

of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” postal officials said.

Joey Bishop, a Lido Isle resident and the only surviving member of

the Rat Pack, said he believes the stamp is a fitting tribute to “a

pretty nice guy.”

“He was a down-to-earth person, and I really liked that about

him,” he said. “When I heard new jokes, I’d call and tell him, and

he’d thank me.”

Wayne will be remembered for his straight-forward nature and his

integrity, Bishop said.

“The most important thing a person is remembered by is his

honesty,” he said. “And John Wayne is one of the most honest people

I’ve ever met.”