When the lights dimmed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on April 9, 1979, Hollywood held its breath.
Behind the curtain stood a man who had come to embody American heroism on screen — John Wayne.
Cancer diagnosis
The 1979 Oscars became a night etched in memory for many reasons. Acceptance speeches were brief and heartfelt, and Johnny Carson kept the evening moving with his trademark wit. The top honors went to two Vietnam War films, but the emotional center of the night belonged to a true icon — Wayne.
Continue reading in the next page…