Duke

Davis traces John 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 Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and True Grit. 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 portrait of a man whose private identity was eventually overshadowed by his screen persona - until he came to represent America itself.

First sentence: On June 12, 1979, an elderly gentleman sat at a breakfast table in the Cafe de Paris in Monte Carlo reading an Italian newspaper with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Year

1998

Language

English

Publisher

University of Oklahoma Press

Editions

5

Pages

377

ISBN

9780806130156

Data source: Wikidata