Synopses & Reviews
Almost two decades after his death, John Wayne is still Americaand#8217;s favorite movie star. More than an actor, Wayne is a cultural icon whose stature seems to grow with the passage of time. In this illuminating biography, Ronald L. Davis focuses on Wayneand#8217;s human side, portraying a complex personality defined by frailty and insecurity as well as by courage and strength.
Davis traces Wayneand#8217;s story from its beginnings in Winterset, Iowa, to his death in 1979. This is not a story of instant fame: only after a decade in budget westerns did Wayne receive serious consideration, for his performance in John Fordand#8217;s 1939 film Stagecoach. From that point on, his skills and popularity grew as he appeared in such classics as Fort Apache, Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Quiet Man, The Searches, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, and True Grit. A manand#8217;s ideal more than a womanand#8217;s, Wayne earned his popularity without becoming either a great actor or a sex symbol. In all his films, whatever the character, John Wayne portrayed John Wayne, a persona he created for himself: the tough, gritty loner whose mission was to uphold the frontierand#8217;s--and the nationand#8217;s--traditional values.
To depict the different facets of Wayneand#8217;s life and career, Davis draws on a range of primary and secondary sources, most notably exclusive interviews with the people who knew Wayne well, including the actorand#8217;s costar Maureen Oand#8217;Hara and his widow, Pilar Wayne. The result is a well-balanced, highly engaging portrait of a man whose private identity was eventually overshadowed by his screen persona--until he came to represent America itself.
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Review
"There is much to be said for the old adage about not judging a book by its cover. John Wayne's image on the front of this book is enough to entice any film buff or student of modern American culture to take a look; and the jacket promises an in-depth and lively examination of both Wayne's personal life and his films. Unfortunately, Ronald Davis fails to deliver in almost every respect. His insight into the nature of Wayne (who, it must be admitted, was a very coarse man) is unimpressive and crippled by the refusal of Wayne's family to grant access to the actor's papers. Nor does Davis shed much light on the importance of the Duke as a cultural icon. The author's prose is wooden; his narrative anecdotal and repetitive, being in the end little more than a summary of Wayne's films. The result is bland and unappealing." Reviewed by Andrew Witmer, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
About the Author
Ronald L. Davis is Professor of History at Southern Methodist University, where he is Director of both the Oral History Program on the Performing Arts and the De Golyer Institute for American Studies. He has written many books in the performing arts in America, including the best-seller Hollywood Anecdotes.