Waynes gather to kick off movie series

On set, John Wayne may have been all business — and maybe even a bit short-tempered — but aboard his yacht, Wild Goose, he was always relaxed and pleasant, according to family lore.

Such was the mood Tuesday aboard the vessel, where four generations of Wayne family members gathered with city officials and representatives of the Newport Beach Film Festival to formally kick off Ten Decades of “The Duke”: The Official John Wayne Centennial Celebration, with events running April 21 through 28.

“When you honor a gentleman like John Wayne, you want to go to a place that is very special to him, and there is nowhere as iconic as this yacht,” said Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau President Gary Sherwin, who opened the event.

Newport Beach “is where he came to spend good times with his friends. This is where he lived his life. This is where he raised his family. This is where he became John Wayne the person, not John Wayne the celluloid star.”

The commemorative event will include 10 screenings of some of Wayne’s most notable films, a “John Wayne and the American Western Symposium” and a gala event at which the newly established John Wayne Courage Award will be presented to a trailblazer in the field of motion pictures and the arts.

Tuesday also marked the launch of the first official John Wayne website, www.johnwayne.com , where fans can join a John Wayne community forum and get news, trivia and other information about the Duke’s numerous films.

Hoping to further identify Newport as Wayne’s official home, city leaders are in talks to obtain a statue of the Duke by Wyoming artist Harry Jackson.

The 21-foot-high statue weighs six tons and depicts Wayne on a horse, said Gary Kishner, a spokesman for Washington Mutual bank, which owns the statue. It is now in front of a building on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

“We are still in the discussion stage with a number of entities, but we’re still very hopeful,” Sherwin said.

Speaking alongside John Wayne’s sons Ethan and Patrick, the Duke’s widow Pilar Wayne offered her gratitude to event organizers for remembering “the finest father that God ever put on earth.”

“I know you all loved him very, very much, but he will always be alive in my memory and your memory,” she said. “I think that a great man is being honored by people that really meant a lot to him.”

Sitting in a parlor where John Wayne once entertained friends and family for a game of bridge or backgammon, Bert Minshall — who worked on the yacht for 16 years and served as captain during the last three years of the Duke’s life — fondly recalled his former boss.

“He was a great man and he always made me feel like family,” said Minshall, who knew the Duke as “sir” and “Mr. Wayne” when on board.

Though the 73-year-old recalled a time when John Wayne snapped at him for allowing the children to horse around in a sea sled Minshall had crafted, the Duke apologized for his quick temper the very next day.

“He came to apologize, and I told him not to worry about it, but he said, ‘I do want to worry about it because I like you very much,’ ” Minshall said. “That meant a lot.”

JOHN WAYNE FILM SERIES SCHEDULE

APRIL 21

“John Wayne and the American Western Symposium,” hosted by actor Jim Beaver and featuring film historians, actors and authors as they discuss the Duke’s acting career and how it has influenced film, television and American culture. 2 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. Free.

“True Grit” — costar and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Glen Campbell and longtime film producer A.C. Lyles will be present for John Wayne’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Rooster Cogburn; audience members will receive a commemorative eye patch. 5 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $10.

The Opening Night Gala will commemorate John Wayne’s film career and look to the future of filmmaking through the presentation of the John Wayne Courage Award. 7 p.m. at the Palm Garden at the Island Hotel, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $100.

APRIL 22

“Stagecoach” 2:30 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $10.

“Rio Bravo” 5:30 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $10.

APRIL 23

“Sands of Iwo Jima”The screening will be hosted by film columnist Scott Holleran. 4:30 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $10.

April 24

“The Shootist” The screening will hosted by film columnist Scott Holleran. 3 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $10.

APRIL 25

“The Quiet Man”

Dan Ford, grandson and official biographer for famed Western director John Ford, and Andrew McLaglen, whose father, Victor McLaglen, was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar for the film, will be present. 7:30 p.m. at the Regency Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach. $20.

APRIL 26

“The Man who Shot Liberty Valance”

Dan Ford, grandson and official biographer for famed Western director John Ford, will be present, and the screening will be hosted by Scott Holleran. 4:30 p.m. at the Edwards Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. $10.

APRIL 28

“The Cowboys”Costar Robert Carradine will be present. Noon at the Regency Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach. $10.

“The Searchers” 3 p.m. at the Regency Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach. $10.

Duke at the Dunes — a classic John Wayne film for the whole family will be screened on the beach. 7 p.m. at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach. Free admission, fee for parking.

For tickets, go to www.newportbeachfilmfest.com or call (866) 623-3849.