Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne

The Life and Image of John Wayne

Biography & Memoir, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Cover of the book Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne by Ronald L. Davis, University of Oklahoma Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ronald L. Davis ISBN: 9780806186467
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press Publication: September 6, 2012
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press Language: English
Author: Ronald L. Davis
ISBN: 9780806186467
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Publication: September 6, 2012
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press
Language: English

Almost two decades after his death, John Wayne is still America’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 Wayne’s human side, portraying a complex personality defined by frailty and insecurity as well as by courage and strength.

Davis traces Wayne’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 Ford’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 man’s ideal more than a woman’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 frontier’s--and the nation’s--traditional values.

To depict the different facets of Wayne’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 actor’s costar Maureen O’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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Almost two decades after his death, John Wayne is still America’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 Wayne’s human side, portraying a complex personality defined by frailty and insecurity as well as by courage and strength.

Davis traces Wayne’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 Ford’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 man’s ideal more than a woman’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 frontier’s--and the nation’s--traditional values.

To depict the different facets of Wayne’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 actor’s costar Maureen O’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.

More books from University of Oklahoma Press

Cover of the book Free to Be Mohawk by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Dreams to Dust by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Terrible Justice by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Running With Bonnie and Clyde by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Forty-Seventh Star by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Serving the Nation by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Viewing the Ancestors by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Pathfinder by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book The Oatman Massacre: A Tale of Desert Captivity and Survival by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Soldiers in the Southwest Borderlands, 1848–1886 by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book From Boer War to World War by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book America's Best Female Sharpshooter by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book Indian Alliances and the Spanish in the Southwest, 750–1750 by Ronald L. Davis
Cover of the book The Senate Syndrome by Ronald L. Davis
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy