John Wayne’s Rio Bravo remake El Dorado had him co-starring opposite Robert Mitchum, with whom Duke became firm friends on the 1966 movie.

When the director of both films Howard Hawks wanted to make the film about a sheriff defending his office from outlaws for the third time, he hoped he could convince his starring pair to return.

And when the filmmaker first approached Duke about 1970’s Rio Lobo, the Hollywood star replied: “Do I get to play the drunk this time?”

Hawks also wanted…