John Wayne, Charlton Heston, and Jimmy Stewart were originally offered the role of Major General Stilwell in Spielberg’s comedy, 1941, with Wayne still considered for a cameo in the film.
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After reading the script, Wayne decided not to participate due to ill health, but he also urged Spielberg not to pursue the project, as both he and Heston felt that the film was unpatriotic.
Spielberg recalled, “Wayne was really curious and so I sent him the script. He called me the next day and said he felt it was a very un-American movie, and I shouldn’t waste my time making it.
He said, ‘You know, that was an important war, and you’re making fun of a war that cost thousands of lives at Pearl Harbor. Don’t joke about World War II’.”
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