John Wayne and Sammy Davis Jr. were really good friends, even though they were in different kinds of movies.


 John was famous for his Westerns, while Sammy wasn’t known for that kind of role. But in 1962, Sammy got a chance to ride a horse in the movie Sergeants 3, which was part of the Rat Pack films. He was excited when John Wayne gave him one of his old hats.


Sammy later shared, “When there was finally a role for a Black cowboy, John Wayne gave me the hat he wore in Stagecoach for luck. He said, ‘I didn’t let my kids touch this hat. It’s very special to me. But I think you’ll know how to take care of it.’ I’m so proud to have had his friendship.”


However, Sammy might have been wrong about which movie the hat was from. Movie historians believe it actually came from Rio Bravo, not Stagecoach. The hat from Stagecoach was different.


John Wayne showed his friendship again years later when Sammy was performing and getting heckled by a tough crowd. John had just arrived with his son Patrick and saw what was happening. He went up on stage, gave Sammy a hug, and the crowd went wild. After that, Sammy had a much better night.

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