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Duke's Oscar Night Return After Cancer Surgery
The April 9 1979 Oscar telecast featured John Wayne who had undergone stomach cancer surgery three months earlier. Pat Stacy recounts the behind the scenes pain of his final performance and his insistence on facing the stage without special treatment. Duke spoke of being weathered but still here and announced the Best Picture winner amid a fraught day of radiation that morning and a grueling dress rehearsal.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Wayne
Duke
Pat Stacy
Wayne
Dorothy Chanwindler
Massachusetts General Hospital
Bob Hope
Oscar
Hollywood
Academy
Marisa
Hoag Hospital
Newport Beach
Calif
Los Angeles