Tensions between John Wayne and John Huston ran so high during filming of period drama The Barbarian And The Geisha the star physically fought with his director. John Wayne was one of the biggest movie stars of all time, thanks to roles in classic movies like Stagecoach, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, and True Grit. He's most closely associated with the western genre, though he stepped down from the saddle occasionally for movies like The Quiet Man and McQ.
John Huston is also an iconic director and actor. As a filmmaker, Huston is best remembered for The Maltese Falcon, Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The African Queen, and Prizzi's Honor, starring Jack Nicholson and his daughter Anjelica Huston (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum). Huston was a prolific actor too, appearing in films as diverse as Chinatown, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, The Visitor and The Other Side Of The Wind, Orson Welles long-delayed final movie that finally premiered on Netflix in 2018.
Both Wayne and Huston were top of the food chain in 1950's Hollywood, and neither was known to back down from a confrontation. This may explain why they didn't gel on 1958's The Barbarian And The Geisha. The movie starred Wayne as real-life diplomat Townsend Harris, the first Consul General to Japan. The film shows Harris receives far from a warm welcome with the country's politicians having a mistrust of foreigners and outside influences on their culture. The film also depicts Harris' relationship with Okichi - Eiko Ando in her only acting role - a geisha who helps him understand Japanese traditions.
John Wayne is well-known for his manly, macho screen image, but The Barbarian And The Geisha is a very atypical role for the actor. Huston chose the star because of this, feeling the visual contrast alone of the bulky Wayne against his Japanese co-stars would represent the differences in culture. Playing a somewhat meek, reactive role wasn't to Wayne's liking and he complained about the movie and Huston's direction constantly while making it, and even considered quitting. Wayne reportedly punched out his director during one of their frequent arguments during filming.
The Barbarian And The Geisha was essentially disowned by Huston when it was released since he'd intended it to mirror the more patient style of a Japanese film. Instead, the studio hacked up his cut - reportedly at Wayne's behest - and little of his intent remained in the final cut. The film was also retitled from The Townsend Story to The Barbarian And The Geisha. The movie is surprisingly respectful and progressive in its depiction of Japan and its culture but it's still something of an oddity that doesn't quite work, while Wayne's clear discomfort actually adds to his performance. Needless to say, Huston and Wayne didn't work together again.