In Search of . . . Patrick Wayne

Actor Patrick Wayne was born with good looks and a priceless surname, but the son of the “Duke”--the late and legendary John Wayne--has never been box-office gold. He’s made a “decent living” since debuting with his father in John Ford’s “Rio Grande” (1950), the actor says, but leading roles have been elusive, particularly with the demise of the traditional Western as a screen staple.

Wayne’s about to gain renewed visibility as the host of the third incarnation of “Tic Tac Dough,” a game show from Barry & Enright that re-appears in September (locally on KCOP Channel 13). The original ran on NBC in 1957 and 1958 and was syndicated from 1978 to 1986. The new “Tic Tac Dough” has so far been sold to 60 markets, says producer Chris Sohl.

Now 50, and with 40 years in the business, Wayne says he’s “walked a wire,” trying to preserve a private life and promote his career. “I haven’t made a complete success of either, to be honest with you--of avoiding (publicity) or being a success in the business,” he says, adding that his fear of living in a “fishbowl” may have kept him from aggressively pursuing more roles. “My father’s private life was virtually non-existent. I think that’s something that affects me on an absolutely subconscious level.”

Lately, Wayne has taken mostly small roles in features, television guest spots and commercials. This spring, he played a romantic role in six episodes of ABC’s daytime soap “All My Children.”

But his favorite genres are Westerns and action-adventures.

“It’s a very cyclic business,” Wayne says. “I just hope I’m around when they start making Westerns again.”