Soviet Assassination of John Wayne proceeds

If wikipedia is to be believed (mighty big "if" mind you), supposedly Stalin had ordered the assassination of John Wayne (despite reportedly being a big fan, again if wikipedia is to be believed) due to the actor's strong anti-communist politics.

In OTL, Stalin died before it could proceed and Khruschev called it off.

So, if this is true, what do you think would be the ramifications of the Ruskies, in the midst of the Cold War, killing the Duke?
 
If wikipedia is to be believed (mighty big "if" mind you), supposedly Stalin had ordered the assassination of John Wayne (despite reportedly being a big fan, again if wikipedia is to be believed) due to the actor's strong anti-communist politics.

In OTL, Stalin died before it could proceed and Khruschev called it off.

So, if this is true, what do you think would be the ramifications of the Ruskies, in the midst of the Cold War, killing the Duke?

Depends. Can it be proven that the Russians did it? If not, people mourn the loss of the Duke, and a lot of good movies don't happen.

If it is proven that the Russians did it, say, in 1952, well a lot of **** hits the fan. American troops are out fighting communists in Korea, and then those people go and kill the Duke. The American people will want blood. Perhaps, because of the pressure, Macarthur is given permission to invade China. When the bombs start flying, well, God help us all...

Unlikely, though. More likely you'll see a Hollywood that's more hardline Anti-Communist, with anti-communist films dominating the market until the mid-sixties. You may well see counterculture nipped in the bud. The childhood hero of the people who would have become 1960s anti-Vietnam protestors got shot by the Reds.
 
You are assuming they could get John Wayne. Don't forget, he regularly would shoot scores of marauding indians and never even have to reload his six-shooters.
 

The Vulture

Banned
America responds by killing Eduard Khil and Vasili Livanov. History continues as normal due to the utterly pointless nature of the killings.
 
KGK kill the DUKE during McCarthyism !?

that Joseph McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover and Robert M. Nixon
make a witch-hunt on ALL "Un-American Activities"

with assassination of John Wayne
the House Committee on Un-American Activities get absolute authority
the bird of a extrem right-winger U.S.A ? :eek:
 
Depends. Can it be proven that the Russians did it? If not, people mourn the loss of the Duke, and a lot of good movies don't happen.

Some movies, such as Donovan's Reef, might still have been made, but would different leading actors. I could see the role of Michael Donovan being played by someone like, say, Ronald Reagan.
 
Depends. Can it be proven that the Russians did it? If not, people mourn the loss of the Duke, and a lot of good movies don't happen.

If it is proven that the Russians did it, say, in 1952, well a lot of **** hits the fan. American troops are out fighting communists in Korea, and then those people go and kill the Duke. The American people will want blood. Perhaps, because of the pressure, Macarthur is given permission to invade China. When the bombs start flying, well, God help us all...

Unlikely, though. More likely you'll see a Hollywood that's more hardline Anti-Communist, with anti-communist films dominating the market until the mid-sixties. You may well see counterculture nipped in the bud. The childhood hero of the people who would have become 1960s anti-Vietnam protestors got shot by the Reds.

I think you're mostly correct. If it were proven (or even strongly suspected) that the Soviets killed John Wayne, the public would treat it pretty much the same as any proven attack on any American cultural icon. It would be little different from them blowing up the Statue of Liberty, or defacing Mount Rushmore. There would have been great pressure to get back at "the commies".

But at that point, I think things might go a little differently. Once MacArthur used tactical nukes against Red Chinese bases and supplies near the Yalu, I think the Red Chinese leadership would see the practical advantage to ending the Korean War and convincing the United States that though they shared a political philosophy with the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union and Red China were two different countries. I could see Mao picking a fight with Stalin and attacking Siberia just to ensure that American nuclear forces would be aimed at the Soviet Union, not Red China.

I also agree that the Politboro would take quick action to eliminate Stalin.
 
You are assuming they could get John Wayne. Don't forget, he regularly would shoot scores of marauding indians and never even have to reload his six-shooters.
Exactly. John Wayne was the Chuck Norris of his day; no assassination attempt against him would ever work. Also, as the last name indicates, he may have been related to Batman, so he might have had some Batman gadgets, and if the USSR did somehow manage to kill John Wayne there would have been hell to pay.

Seriously though, I expect that killing John Wayne would result in making the Cold War quite a bit nastier. It is also likely to push Hollywood politics significantly to the right compared to OTL; at the very least, it will be substantially more anti-communist than OTL. Assuming there is still a Vietnam War more-or-less as per OTL, expect the Hollywood establishment to be firmly supportive of it and cranking out a lot of World War II-esque propoganda films promoting the war.
 
'Robert' M Nixon?
KGK kill the DUKE during McCarthyism !?

that Joseph McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover and Robert M. Nixon
make a witch-hunt on ALL "Un-American Activities"

with assassination of John Wayne
the House Committee on Un-American Activities get absolute authority
the bird of a extrem right-winger U.S.A ? :eek:
 
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