Did Sacheen Littlefeather share a true story about John Wayne trying to attack her?
Wayne may have been backstage while Littlefeather spoke because he was waiting to introduce the show’s finale after “The Godfather” was named best picture, Nehme said.
Nehme offers a number of reasons why “it never happened,” even as she acknowledges that Wayne did a lot to earn his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most notable reactionaries. First, she said there wouldn’t have been time for a scuffle to take place. Only one minute and 45 seconds elapsed from the time that Brando’s name was read for best actor to when Littlefeather left the stage.
Nehme said video clips show that Littlefeather was politely escorted off-stage by Roger Moore and Liv Ullman, who had presented the best actor Oscar. The minimalist set design for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion that night allowed for TV audiences to see actors move off stage. Wayne isn’t visible backstage, ready to charge, Nehme said.
Nehme said Wayne “looked pretty calm” for a man who supposedly “caused backstage mayhem moments ago.” More to the point, Wayne walked slowly as he descended stairs to the stage, Nehmee said. That shouldn’t be surprising, given that Wayne was 65 and had undergone lung cancer surgery in 1964. Wayne sometimes had difficulty breathing and simply wasn’t “in fighting shape,” according to Nehme.