“Duke agreed with the majority of the stuff he saw,” actor Hugh O’Brian said. “The only thing that startled him was the way Siegel had shot the scene with the guy played by Bill McKinney, the town braggart. Duke—or Duke’s double—shot him in the back as he’s trying to get out the door of the saloon. And when he saw that, Duke jumped up. ‘Wait a goddamn minute! I’ve never shot anybody in the back, and I’m not going to start now.’ ”❤️
Wayne believed that this scene in The Shootist would “violate his reputation” with moviegoers. Siegel thought it was “ridiculous and senseless,” but he ultimately caved and agreed to let the actor have the reshoots that he found necessary. They reshot it to where McKinney was shot in the chest rather than in the back..✍️
