 Both John Wayne (I) (qv) and Charlton Heston (qv) were offered  the role of General Stilwell. Wayne phoned director  Steven Spielberg (I) (qv), who had given him the script, and not  only turned it down due to ill health but tried to get Spielberg to  drop the project. Wayne felt it was unpatriotic and a slap in the  face to WWII vets. Heston is thought to have turned it down for the  same reasons.