WAPAKONETA, OH (WLIO) - We've all heard of the actor John Wayne, but did you know one of his first movies was written by a Wapakoneta native?
For a donation of non-perishable food items to Wapakoneta Middle School's food drive, people could attend a double feature of films by Dudley Nichols, whose early 20th-century films featured big names like Bing Crosby and John Wayne.
Nichols had a highly successful career. He served in the Navy during World War I, became a journalist in New York, then went on to write dozens of films, helped create the Screenwriter's Guild, and was the first person ever to turn down an Oscar.
"He received the Academy Award for The Informer. At first, he refused it because he felt that the Hollywood film studios were treating screenwriters unfairly. And they mailed it to him, and he sent it back, and they mailed it to him, and he sent it back, and then finally there was a contract and he did accept it, and the Academy Award is still with his family in Lima," explained Rachel Barber, the director of the Auglaize County Historical Society.
The Auglaize County Historical Society will host many more educational events focusing on the arts through 2024. To learn more, visit their Facebook page.
