John Wayne was in so much pain he couldn’t sleep on the set of the Ann-Margret movie | Movies | Entertainment

In the 1970s, John Wayne was nearing the end of his career as hollywood star.

In 1973, at the age of 65, he had been living with one lung for almost 10 years and had emphysema in the other.

That year, he released two westerns, which are not remembered as his best, but saw the aging icon carry on with great determination.

One of these films was The Train Robbers, co-starring Ann-Margret as a feisty widow who works alongside three cowboys recovering a golden cage.

Despite his health problems on the film, Wayne refused to delay filming and went ahead. Ann-Margret had fond memories of her co-star’s tenacity during this period.

Ann-Margret recalled: “Duke was still a strong man, tough and formidable, extraordinary and incredibly personal. He was a big teddy bear and we got along famously. Duke gave me the confidence I was missing.” The Viva Las Vegas star was grateful for this, as 1972 had been a very difficult time in her life, having been seriously injured while performing at her show in Lake Tahoe. As for the confidence boost she needed, the actress had to overcome her fear of horses, since her character rode a lot.

It was here that Wayne provided support and helped her overcome this obstacle. However, before filming even began, Duke had fractured two ribs, which hurt so much that he had trouble sleeping at night. As a result, Duke’s action scenes in The Train Robbers had to be reduced, and his co-star Rod Taylor recalled that Duke was “slightly” ill during filming. The Time Machine star said the Western legend had trouble keeping his balance and understandably needed afternoon naps.