Letter: John Wayne visits doctor, son on Kauai

Bob Sigall’s recent article had stories about outtakes from movies filmed in Hawaii (“Readers offer outtakes on movies filmed in Hawaii,” Star-Advertiser, Rearview Mirror, Sept. 21). Here’s mine.

My dad, Dr. Sam Wallis, practiced on Kauai, mainly as the doctor for Lihue Plantation. In December 1962 I arrived back to Kauai from college and my mom said I needed to get down to dad’s office right now — there was someone he wanted me to meet.

I walked into the office and there was John Wayne, on the island to film “Donovan’s Reef.”

Actors needed a physical before they went on the set, and my dad had done many for the stars who came to Kauai. Wayne said to my dad, “Is this the little guy who wanted to know if I was the man who shot Liberty Valance?” (“Liberty Valance” was a film Wayne made with Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin the year before.)

Imagine John Wayne, bigger than life, in my dad’s office.

Sam Wallis

Hilo

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