John Wayne's death at the age of 72 in 1979 sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond. ... the Duke was notorious for smoking up to five packs of cigarettes daily, ...

Smoking was believed to have had an impact on John's likelihood of developing cancer. ... John Wayne did have his stomach removed, however, it wasn't done during the actor's autopsy.

John Wayne said nothing happened when he tried weed and opium. ... “During football season, when we couldn’t smoke, we always used to chew,” Wayne recalled. “When I was a kid, ...

John Wayne suffered years of ill health during his final couple of decades. The heavy-drinking and smoking star had a lung and some ribs removed in 1964 due to a cancer diagnosis. During his last ...