100th Birthday of The Most Enduring Film Star of All-Time to Be Saluted by

 Famed Contemporaries, Noted Film Festival and Home City of Newport Beach,

                                 California

    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2007 annual Harris

Poll of America's favorite film stars finds Hollywood legend John Wayne at

number three -- an incredible feat considering his last film was released

in 1976. Wayne has never been out of the top ten since the poll began in

1994 and has placed in the top three slots eight times, proving that he

remains as popular and enduring as ever (In fact, on average, his films are

shown 3-4 times daily on national broadcast/cable outlets).

    (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070306/LATU037 )

    May 26 marks the 100th anniversary of John Wayne's birth and in salute

to his life and impressive 50-year film career, the city of Newport Beach

(Wayne's longtime home town in Southern California) is commemorating "Ten

Decades of 'The Duke': The Official John Wayne Centennial Celebration"

(April 21 - 28). Produced in collaboration with the Wayne family and the

Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau, the celebration will be a

featured part of the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival (April 19 - 29) and

promises to be an unforgettable series of special moments recalling one of

the 20th century's most beloved personalities.

    The weeklong event will launch with the first-ever presentation of the

newly established John Wayne Courage Award, created specifically to honor

noted individuals who have blazed their own trails in the field of motion

pictures and the arts. The presentation of the award will occur during an

opening night gala at The Island Hotel Newport Beach on Saturday, April 21.

    The celebration will be highlighted by screenings of many of Wayne's

most memorable films. Each screening will be accompanied by rarely seen

footage, photos and personal appearances by notable co-stars, filmmakers

and contemporaries.

    The roster of films include Wayne's Academy Award-winning performance

in the hit film "True Grit" (1969) plus the Howard Hawks film "Rio Bravo"

(1959), considered one of the true classics of the western film genre.

Other films to be showcased include "Stagecoach" (1939), "The Sands of Iwo

Jima" (1949), "The Quiet Man" (1952), "The Searchers" (1956), "The Man Who

Shot Liberty Valance" (1962) and "The Shootist" (1976) among others.

    Other festivities include an art unveiling, original prop and costume

displays, a scholarly film symposium, etc. An elegantly casual fund raiser

in support of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation (http://www.jwcf.org) will close

the celebration on Saturday, April 28, at The Balboa Bay Club and Resort.

The evening, themed around the rousing Wayne film comedy "Donovan's Reef,"

will showcase Wayne's love of the movies, exotic film locales and good

    "Though my dad's movie projects took him to many different locations

around the world, he always loved returning home to his family and friends

in Newport Beach," said Ethan Wayne, Wayne's youngest son and president of

Wayne Enterprises. "We are thrilled to be celebrating his 100th birthday in

connection with this year's Newport Beach Film Festival. It is a fitting

and appropriate venue to honor and remember his legacy."

    In a remarkable career that spanned half-a-century, John Wayne appeared

in more than 175 films (including a record-breaking 142 leading roles),

garnering along the way the Best Actor Academy Award (1969), three Golden

Globe Awards, four People's Choice Awards and both the Congressional Gold

Medal (1979) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1980).

    "There has never been a bigger internationally recognized movie icon

than John Wayne and the fact that he called Newport Beach home for nearly

two decades is a cherished part of our city's history," said Gary C.

Sherwin, president and CEO, Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.

"It's appropriate that Newport Beach be the host city for this

extraordinary celebration -- this is where John Wayne came to relax,

recharge, enjoy good times, and not play a role other than friend, husband,

and father."

    Born in Winterset, Iowa, Wayne is considered among the "Top 100 Icons

of the Century" (Daily Variety, October 2005) and one of the "100 Greatest

Americans" of all time (Discovery Channel, April 2005). Add one more

distinction -- Wayne will enter cyber-space in March 2007 at

http://www.johnwayne.com (Wayne's first-ever official fan club and website).

    In addition to the John Wayne centennial, the 2007 Newport Beach Film

Festival will highlight more than 350 films, offering an ambitious and

international selection of features, shorts, documentaries, and animation

that will compete for both jury and audience awards. Now in its 8th year

and set just a few blocks away from spectacular coastline (and less than an

hour from Hollywood) the festival will host several premieres, galas, and

yacht parties, attracting an estimated 35,000+ film lovers from across the

country and around the globe.

    "We are truly proud to honor two things John Wayne loved: Cinematic

excellence and the community of Newport Beach," said Gregg Schwenk,

executive director, Newport Beach Film Festival. "The festival is excited

to host the many special screenings and events during the Centennial

Celebration. The 2007 Festival line-up will offer a unique view of classic

and contemporary filmmaking at its finest."

    For more information about the Official John Wayne Centennial

Celebration readers can contact http://www.visitnewportbeach.com,

http://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com or http://www.johnwayne.com.