Ron Howard reveals tension behind John Wayne's last movie

Ron Howard reflected on the challenging production of John Wayne's final film, The Shootist, revealing that ongoing tensions between the Hollywood legend and director Don Siegel made the experience "pretty intense."

Howard recalls Wayne-Siegel feud

Speaking on Ben Mankiewicz's Talking Pictures podcast, Howard looked back on starring alongside Wayne in the 1976 Western, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month.

"It holds up well," Howard said of The Shootist. "It's paced slowly, deliberately, but it builds beautifully."

He praised Siegel, calling him "a very strong director" from whom he learned a great deal before admitting the set was far from harmonious.

"I also learned a lot in a rather uncomfortable way because Wayne and Siegel were feuding. They did not get along," Howard said.

The actor explained that he maintained a good relationship with both men separately despite their ongoing conflict.

Bonding with John Wayne

Howard, who was 22 and starring on Happy Days at the time, said he frequently asked Siegel directing questions while studying at USC Cinema School.

Wayne, meanwhile, appreciated Howard's professionalism.

"I also had the guts to say, 'Hey, do you want to run lines?' No one really would talk to him in between setups," Howard recalled.

The veteran actor agreed, and the pair regularly rehearsed together because they shared several dialogue-heavy scenes.

"It was very interesting to see him take a scene and shape it into a John Wayne performance in the most positive ways," Howard said.

Director and star at loggerheads

Howard said Wayne often voiced his frustrations about Siegel's directing style.

"I got an earful about his dissatisfaction with Don Siegel and the way he was shooting it," he said.

Siegel, however, explained his own position to Howard, telling him that replacing a director mid-production was far easier than replacing a leading star.

"After about two weeks, if you're the director and it's you or the star, you're gone," Howard recalled Siegel saying.

Howard believed both men wanted to make the best film possible but felt communication between them had broken down.

"I also felt like Siegel didn't do a great job of bridging the gaps," he said. "It was pretty intense, but I remember saying, 'There's a better way to deal with even superstars than this.'"

Experience shaped Howard's directing career

Howard said working on The Shootist taught him valuable lessons that later influenced his own directing style.

"The strategy that I've followed over the years is when there's a difference of opinion, go right into it," he explained.

"You don't have to make it a fight, but you're there to achieve something together and talk it through."

He added that allowing disagreements to linger can turn creative issues into personal conflicts.

Despite the behind-the-scenes tensions, Howard praised the finished film, saying Siegel ultimately made "a really good film."

The Shootist starred Wayne, Howard, Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Richard Boone, John Carradine and Scatman Crothers. Wayne died three years after the film's release in 1979 from complications of cancer at the age of 72.