John Wayne Slept Here: The Duke's Former Home for Sale

A Newport Beach, Calif., house once owned by actor John Wayne has come on the market for $2.263 million. To appreciate what a marketing boost it is to be able to claim that the Duke slept here, you need to know that Orange County, where Newport Beach is located, is the region that gave us Richard M. Nixon and where the GOP comes home to roost.

Among Orange Countians, John Wayne is a conservative god whom they named an airport after. The Texas Republican Party asked Wayne to run for national office more than once, an idea that Ronald Reagan was probably glad the Duke took a pass on.

While it's not known how much time Wayne spent at the house, books on the Hollywood icon recall him playing poker, bridge and backgammon, among other games, at the nearby Big Canyon Country Club.