Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne shared a special bond throughout their careers, characterized by a deep friendship and remarkable on-screen chemistry. This unique connection was vividly displayed in “The Quiet Man,” where their performances contributed to the film’s enduring legacy. Despite speculations, their relationship remained platonic.

Their friendship continued strong until 1979, when John Wayne, a lifelong smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer for the second time at the age of 71.

John Wayne’s battle with cancer culminated in 1979, and this time, he couldn’t “lick the Big C,” as he had previously referred to it. In April of that year, he made a frail appearance at the Oscars, heavily made up to the point that he remarked he didn’t want to look embalmed just yet.

Shortly after this appearance, he was admitted to UCLA Medical Center, his years of heavy smoking having finally caught up with him. Maureen O’Hara, a cancer survivor herself, visited him during this time. She was heartbroken by his skeletal appearance and cried upon seeing him.

“Maureen, why did you and I have such lousy luck?” Wayne reportedly asked, referring to their health struggles, failed marriages, and the tragic death of O’Hara’s husband, Charles Blair, in a plane crash. Despite the somber circumstances, they shared lighter moments, with O’Hara comparing their enduring strength to that of Rolls Royces.

O’Hara stayed with Wayne for three days, maintaining a cheerful demeanor to comfort him, though she was deeply worried. As she left, Wayne complimented her coat, his last words to her being, “That’s a gorgeous coat, it looks beautiful on you.”

John Wayne passed away on June 11, 1979, at the age of 72. His death marked the end of one of cinema’s great partnerships. Reflecting on his passing, O’Hara attributed his demise to his heavy smoking habit, lamenting that if they had known then what is known now about cancer, perhaps they could have done something to prevent it.