John Wayne, whose cowboy characters regularly killed Native Americans in his movies, was watching from the wings.
Speaking with The Guardian last year, Littlefeather recalled: “During my presentation, he was coming towards me to forcibly take me off the stage, and he had to be restrained by six security men to prevent him from doing so.”
In her documentary Sacheen, she further said: “I was escorted off of that stage by some armed guards. And luckily so, because John Wayne was waiting in the wings ready to go on to pull me off the stage, and he had to be held back by six security men because he was so outraged about what I had said.”
Despite the incident, the Western star who won the Best Actor Oscar for True Grit three years earlier was able to keep his awards.
After her speech, Littlefeather headed backstage and discovered to her dismay people doing stereotypical impressions of Native Americans, miming tomahawk chops and doing war cries.
The activist claims that after this, Hollywood blacklisted her, but nevertheless she’s proud to have drawn attention to Wounded Knee and its media blackout. Shortly after her speech, Clint Eastwood came out on stage to present the Best Picture Oscar, which also went to The Godfather.
Wayne’s fellow Western star and Hollywood conservative started by chiming: “I don’t know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in all the John Ford westerns over the years.”
Duke later said of Littlefeather’s speech: “If [Brando] had something to say, he should have appeared that night and stated his views instead of taking some little unknown girl and dressing her up in an Indian outfit.”
Brando himself said a few months later to Dick Cavett: “I was distressed that people should have booed and whistled and stomped, even though perhaps it was directed at myself. They should have at least had the courtesy to listen to her.”
On becoming friends with The Godfather star, Littlefeather said: “He was extremely intelligent, and always entertaining. He had a great sense of humour. He would put on tons of different voices. We used to have a great time, laughing till tears were coming out of our eyes.”
However, she denied that they were ever romantically linked saying: “No, no, he was far too old for me. He was my mother’s age, for God’s sake!”