John Wayne and Raquel Welch may never have starred in a movie together, but Duke joined the actress, who died at 82 on Wednesday, in his hit TV special Raquel. The 1970 CBS broadcast was a multimillion-dollar song-and-dance extravaganza filmed around the world from Paris to Mexico with stars like Tom Jones, Bob Hope, and even Duke himself. She met the Hollywood legend just south of the US border, where she filmed many of his westerns and hilariously poked fun at him in the opening skit.
The John Wayne estate posted a photo of Duke in a cowboy hat with Raquel on horseback, along with images of them doing charity work in Mexico.
The posts read: “Rest in peace Raquel Welch, you will be sorely missed. John Wayne and Raquel Welch in Mexico on the set of Raquel (1970), a television special that showcased her talents as a singer, dancer, and comedian. While in Mexico, Duke and Raquel visited an orphanage and met over 600 orphans… John Wayne and Raquel Welch visit the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage in Acolman de Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, in a segment of Raquel Welch’s television special, Raquel! (1970). Rest in peace Raquel Welch, you will be greatly missed.”
The accompanying footage began with the late sex symbol mocking Wayne for being a big softy behind his gruff on-screen persona.
After the orphanage shots, Wayne is filmed as a cowboy with Raquel thanking him from a horse on top, before he “heyed!” her away on her steed. Although the two actors never filmed a movie together, she did star in 1968’s Bandolero! along with James Stewart and Dean Martin.
As it turns out, this western was filmed in Alamo Village, which was the setting originally created for The Alamo in the 1960s. This was Duke’s directorial debut, in which he also played Davy Crockett and produced the epic with a ton of his own money.
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