DEBUNKING A HOLLYWOOD MYTH: Did John Wayne try to assault Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars? Debunking a Hollywood myth. “According to legend, Wayne, listening to Littlefeather from backstage, became so incensed that he had to be restrained by six security guards from storming the stage to either assault Littlefeather or drag her offstage. (The legend has also been invoked in reporting of Will Smith’s assault of Chris Rock onstage at this year’s Oscars, generally by people challenging descriptions of that attack as the “ugliest” moment of the Oscars—”What about John Wayne and Sacheen Littlefeather?” goes the typical rebuttal.)”

It never happened. Plus: “Wayne never criticized Littlefeather personally; his general comment when asked about Brando’s refusal is that the actor should have come out and done it in person.”

And: “Wayne was a dyed-in-the-wool political conservative, but according to his biographer, Scott Eyman, in real life he was a ‘well brought up Edwardian man’ who would never think of assaulting a woman. Nehme elicited that insight from Eyman directly, noting that he didn’t even mention the episode in his book about Wayne. ‘Nobody I talked to who knew Wayne,’ Eyman told her, ‘ever referred to or, apparently, believed that story.’ It would be justice to retire it forever.”

Delighted to see Michael Hiltzik, generally a reliable purveyor of lefty talking points, debunking this one.