The Duke

The latest in my series of biography reports, which as you will notice have lately largely been entertainment related.  I will be moving on from that in the future, but still have a few to cover.  This episode is based on John Wayne, His Life and Legend, by Scott Eyman.  A very well-written and thorough and fair biography of a film star who is often treated as a caricature and a trogoldyte by lefties, due to his politics, which were actually a blend of mainstream conservatism and libertarianism.   Wayne was far more intelligent than is typically portrayed–he read constantly, played chess extremely well and was capable of conversing on a variety of difficult topics.

He did not have an easy road to film stardom, beginning with part-time work doing odd jobs around film sets, eventually getting an opportunity to act in a few small parts, having a more significant role in a movie that turned into a major dud, returning to years of doing low-budget quickies, before finally getting the opportunity to have lead roles in major films.  He and director John Ford had a long collaboration and a difficult but intense relationship.  Ford was a mentor but also a tough critic.  Both men had troubled personal lives.  Wayne went through three marriages.  His personal life was affected by his incessant work ethic, which was partly driven by never quite achieving the level of wealth you might expect for such a successful star.

He also had difficulty breaking out of the western niche, which is a shame because he had the capability to be good in any genre.  The greatest tribute to Wayne is the constant stream of praise he received from fellow actors, who found him to be knowledgeable, helpful, a generous person.  It wasn’t until relatively late in his career that he got the Oscar recognition he was certainly due.  And if you think smoking and other bad health habits are consequence-free, the horrific ending to his life should be mandatory reading.  Westerns have largely become passe, although Clint Eastwood did his best to keep the genre going, but Wayne’s movies like Stagecoach, Red River, the Searchers and True Grit are worth seeing to understand a certain way of looking at life and how one conducts oneself in difficult circumstances.

I always thought John Wayne was a towering talent and the epitome of good manly virtues and the biography just reinforced that.