Books: John Wayne: A Life by Scott Eyman

John Wayne is hands down my favorite movie star of all time. The swagger, the walk, the voice, the presence ... all combine into a mish-mash of screen glory. An odd result for someone who never set out to be a movie star. Born Marion Morrison, Wayne wanted to be a football star, but those dreams were sidelined by an injury early on. He found stunts fun in the movie business, and slowly graduated to bit parts and eventually starring roles in B-movies. Then B+ movies. Then he met director John Ford and his star took off like a rocket. It was only then he became John Wayne.

Author Eyman is in love with his subject, as so many biographers are, but it doesn’t prevent an honest look at Wayne’s life and career. Readers are taken through Wayne’s slow burn to superstardom; his several marriages (including his second to a Mexican prostitute), his affairs with many of his leading ladies, the facts of his failure to serve in WWII and a good look at his generous and larger than life personality. His years-long dalliance with Marlene Dietrich was a surprise. She saw him in a studio cafeteria one day and said to her agent, “Daddy, I want that!” She got it, and they did several movies together.

As with Elvis Presley, Wayne had so many financial commitments and kept so many people working, he was forced to take one job after the next to keep the enterprise rolling. Both celebrities were so busy chasing cheap, easy projects, they missed prospective gems. Especially galling was the failed project featuring Wayne as an aging rancher and Clint Eastwood as a young cowboy, fighting against an evil land baron. That would have been fun, but Wayne thought it too violent and the project faded away.

I saw The Spoilers recently, a 1942 gold rush story with Wayne, Randolph Scott and Dietrich as the love interest. The film was good and Wayne did a good job. However, he wasn’t yet John Wayne. Movie star Wayne was totally comfortable in his skin. This was an actor learning his craft. Although it was good to see Wayne throw back his head for a loud belly laugh, something the actor rarely did as a movie star.

Early in his career, John Wayne’s screen persona was everyone’s best friend. Then he became everyone’s older brother. Then everyone’s dad and finally everyone’s loveable grandpa. His star never tarnished and he is still a top favorite movie star all over the world. John Wayne: A Life fills in many knowledge gaps about the star’s rise and struggle to stay on top. I could have used a lot more anecdotes and “making of” stories of individual films, especially my favorite Wayne film, Big Jake (followed closely by North to Alaska and The Quiet Man), but perhaps that will be another volume. This book is about the man, and does an outstanding job showing that man, warts and all.

Rating: ****½ stars out of 5