John Wayne and Dean Martin became close friends while filming The Sons of Katie Elder. They had already worked together on Rio Bravo and stayed friends for the rest of their lives. Wayne once said, “I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I love Dean. He’s been my friend for the best years of my life. He’s done for me what he’s done for millions of people all over the world. Like so many of you, I feel good every time I see him. I’m entertained by him, I laugh with him, and even laugh at him.”
While they were filming, Wayne had a health scare with cancer, and Dean said, “Someone else might have laid around feeling sorry for themselves for a year, but Duke just doesn’t know how to be sick. He’s recovering the tough way. As for me, when people see me, they sometimes say, ‘Oh, there goes Perry Como.’ But there’s only one John Wayne, and no one mistakes that.”