9 Facts About The Duke

1. The Duke kept it docked in Newport Beach Harbor, and it was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

2. The Duke declined, joking that he did not believe the public would seriously consider an actor in the White House.

3. The Duke lost the leading role of Jimmy Ringo in The Gunfighter to Gregory Peck due to his refusal to work for Columbia Pictures because its chief, Harry Cohn, had mistreated him years before when he was a young contract player.

4. The Duke made a number of appearances in dramatic roles, mainly recreations for radio of his own film roles, on programs like Screen Directors Playhouse and Lux Radio Theatre.

5. The Duke was mentored by stuntmen in riding and other Western skills.

6. The Duke appeared in the serial The Three Musketeers, an updated version of the Alexandre Dumas novel in which the protagonists were soldiers in the French Foreign Legion in then-contemporary North Africa.

7. The Duke played football for the 1924 league champion Glendale High School team.

8. The Duke was the president of the Latin Society and contributed to the school's newspaper sports column.

9. The Duke appeared with many important Hollywood stars of his era, and his last public appearance was at the Academy Awards ceremony on April 9, 1979.