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.
The 4,448-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bathroom home (see photos below) has a two-story living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, a mirrored bar and parquet floors. There is a marble fireplace and a newly remodeled kitchen with a center island, double ovens and a butler's pantry. The formal dining room opens to the garden and has a custom console that was designed by Wayne. The home overlooks the Big Canyon Golf Course and sits off the fourth tee.
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The house has had two owners since Wayne, who died in 1979 of stomach cancer.
Now should you be among those miscreants afraid to buy a house in this market, remember what the Duke had to say: "Courage is being scared to death ... and saddling up anyway."
Linda Stearns-Plotkin of the Coldwell Banker Corona Del Mar office is the listing agent.
Check out more luxury homes for sale in Newport Beach, Calif. at AOL Real Estate.
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