John Wayne

After the death of Marion Morrison, known as John Wayne, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter said that Wayne “was bigger than life. In an age of few heroes, he was the genuine article. But he was more than a hero; he was a symbol of many of the qualities that made America great.”
The first section of this study concentrates on Wayne’s style of work and sphere of action as an actor: The man who works for a living and is concerned with his audience and the constraints of his immediate environment. The second section examines the artist: the man who lives in his art, who disappears into his character as an archetype of human fears and desires. Analyses of films that have made Wayne a hero are presented in the third section. A comprehensive filmography and numerous photographs are included.

Richard D. McGhee lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

Richard D. McGhee
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 399
Bibliographic Info: 51 photos, filmography, index
Copyright Date: 1999 [1990]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-0752-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2824-0
Imprint: McFarland

“the research is commendable, and the writing style attractive…includes a first-rate filmography…recommend[ed]”—Classic Images; “Wayne’s crucial position within the canon of classical Hollywood is without question”—Choice; “a comprehensive filmography and numerous photographs…a welcome find…deserves high praise”—Film & History; “a deeply analytical and intelligent appraisal…extremely well-written and well researched…a must”—Film Monthly; “this long book is one of the best…a scholarly, absorbing study”—Film Review Annual; “comprehensive filmography”—Variety; “in-depth study…detailed”—American Cinematographer; “the rewards for the reader are many. Never has a book so boldly proclaimed the contribution made by John Wayne’s screen characters to our American heritage”—The Big Trail; “a scholarly study of a man described here as a symbol of the qualities that made America great”—Books of the Southwest; “scholarly”—PTO.