John Wayne: The Life and Legend (115 page)

And a very special thank-you to Robert Wagner, my literary collaborator—one of Hollywood’s great gentlemen, who can always be counted on to help out a friend. Thanks, RJ. Then there was unit publicist extraordinaire Rob Harris, who used his influence to enable one crucial interview.

Jeff Heise surpassed his own amazing efforts by serving as my researcher on the book, just as he has for twenty years. Every week, Jeff would find something I didn’t know existed. The commitment he’s demonstrated to the books we’ve worked on more than entitles him to this book’s dedication.

To all of the following who spoke to me about John Ford and John Wayne, together or separately, my gratitude:

Julie Adams, John Agar, Eddie Albert, Peter Bogdanovich, Adrian Booth, Yakima Canutt, Harry Carey Jr., Marilyn Fix Carey, Larry Cohen, Andrew Fenady, Joe de Franco, Andre de Toth, Angie Dickinson, Ed Faulkner, Rudi Fehr, Tom Fuentes, James Garner, Kristin Glover, Colin Grant, Coleen Gray, William Harbach, Dennis Hopper, Robert Horton, Ron Howard, Marsha Hunt, Tab Hunter, Anne Jeffries, Burt Kennedy, George Kennedy, Howard W. Koch, P. F. Kluge, Karen Steele Kramer, Syd Kronenthal, Dorothy Lamour, Betty Lasky, Janet Leigh, Stephen Longstreet, James Lydon, Andrew V. McLaglen, Lee Meriwether, Bert Minshall, Walter Mirisch, Hal Needham, Jean (Mrs. Frank) Nugent, Hugh O’Brian, Darcy O’Brien, Maureen O’Hara, Carolyn Roos Olsen, Robert Parrish, Stephanie Powers, Cecilia deMille Presley, Robert Relyea, Mickey Rooney, Ann Rutherford, Mark Rydell, William Self, Alan Shayne, Robert Shelton, Vincent Sherman, Barbara Sinatra, Dean Smith, Cass Warner Sperling, Robert Stack, Miles Hood Swarthout, Rod Taylor, Christopher Trumbo, Robert Walker Jr., Alicia Wayne McFarlane, Christopher Wayne, Gretchen Wayne, John Wayne, Michael Wayne, Patrick Wayne, William Wellman, William Wellman Jr., Haskell Wexler, Stuart Whitman.

At libraries, first and foremost comes Ned Comstock at the USC Cinema-Television Library, who always goes the extra mile—a true gentleman and a scholar. Also at USC Special Collections, thanks to Rachelle Smith.

Charles Silver at the Museum of Modern Art always has material that can’t be found anywhere else. Besides that, nobody loves John Ford more than Charles, which means we’re both members of the same band of brothers.

At the Margaret Herrick Library at the Motion Picture Academy: Marisa Duron. At Special Collections: Jenny Romero and Barbara Hall.

At the Warner Bros. Archive: Jonathan Auxier and Sandra Joy Lee Aguilar.

James V. D’Arc at Brigham Young has become a close friend, which makes my frequent appearances in the Special Collections department a pleasure for both of us. Among many other prizes, Jim has a huge collection relating to Republic Pictures, without which any understanding of Wayne’s early career is incomprehensible.

At Janklow & Nesbit, I am represented by the founder of the firm, the amazing Mort Janklow, backed up by Judythe Cohen.

I’ve had the signal honor of being published by Simon & Schuster for twenty years, where Bob Bender edits my manuscripts with wit and forbearance, enlivened by the occasional sigh of justified dismay. Johanna Li puts up with both of us. And then there’s Gypsy da Silva, associate director of the copyediting department, who has earned my devotion many times over. Once again I benefit from the gentle (sometimes) attentions of Fred Chase’s excellent copyediting. Bill Molesky’s amazing eyes and attention to detail kept the book trending toward the specific and the correct.

My wife, Lynn, is my advisor, my companion on our research travels, my best friend, my source of strength, my love.

January 2010–December 2013

West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Aspen, Venice, Athens, Istanbul, Kanab, Moab, Provo, Funchal, Tangier, Barcelona.

© PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG LOVETT

has written eleven books, including, with veteran actor Robert Wagner, the

bestseller

Among his other books are

winner of the 2011 Richard Wall Memorial Book Award;

(all Simon & Schuster); and

(Taschen). Eyman is pictured here with Clementine, the dog he adopted from Monument Valley. He, his wife, Lynn, and Clementine and other assorted animals live in West Palm Beach.

ALSO BY SCOTT EYMAN

WITH LOUIS GIANNETTI

WITH ROBERT WAGNER

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ABBREVIATIONS USED IN NOTES

AMPAS, Hal Wallis Collection. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, California.

AMPAS, John Wayne: Clipping files.

Batjac Productions: Burbank, California.

Brownlow archives: London, England.

Glendale Library, Special Collections, Glendale, California.

Kane manuscript: Untitled Tom Kane memoir, Dan Ford Collection.

Maltin archives: Toluca Lake, California.

MOMA: Museum of Modern Art, New York.

MOMA, John Wayne: Clipping files.

USC, Batjac Collection: University of Southern California.

USC, Constance McCormick Collection.

USC, Jack L. Warner Collection.

USC, Special Collections, Warga.

USC, Warner Bros. Collection.

EPIGRAPH

“That guy you see on the screen”

:

, March 1957.

PROLOGUE

“On every picture”

: All the Ford quotes in the Prologue derive from AMPAS, John Wayne, “John Ford: Man Alive,” unsourced, undated story but 1950.

“I’ve seen him”

: Eyman,

, p. 199.

“He was talented”

: Maureen O’Hara to SE.

“He was not a social person”

: Andre de Toth to SE.

“Doing those B westerns”

: Bakewell to Leonard Maltin, Maltin archives.

“The reason Ford”

: Dan Ford to SE.

“He was

American”

: Roberts and Olson, p. viii.

“Wayne made westerns”

: MOMA, John Wayne, Charles Silver, “Lest We Forget, John Wayne Remembered,”

, May 1997.

“He worked hard”

: Eyman,

, p. 199.

“What was different”

: Michael Wayne to SE.

“He was an expert”

: Ibid., p. 198.

CHAPTER ONE

This is the world

: Most of the detail about Winterset derives from a letter from Father Paul Barrus to David Trask, 6-15-88, in the collection of the John Wayne Birthplace.

“Morrison did well”

: Wills, p. 38.

“only had four bits”

: Roberts and Olson, p. 13.

“Molly Morrison was”

: Ibid., p. 14.

“Just about all I remember”

: AMPAS, John Wayne as told to Maurice Zolotow, “It Happened Like This,”

, 11-7-54.

“barren, deserted country”

: AMPAS, John Wayne as told to Maurice Zolotow, “It Happened Like This,”

, 11-7-54.

That same year

: USC, Batjac Collection, “Duke, American Royalty,” 12-17-72, box 12, folder 57.

In later years

: Munn, 11.

“I learned you can’t always judge”

: MOMA, John Wayne, Robert Osborne, “John Wayne,”

, 2-77.

“Mostly we ate”

: Ibid.

“Never expect”

: USC, Constance McCormick Collection, “Big Business Is His Hobby,”

, 7-47.

Wayne’s daughter

: Aissa Wayne, p. 17.

“I used to dream”

: Stacy, p. 34.

“Shooting those snakes”

: AMPAS, Wayne, Bill Kelly, “John Wayne,”

, 7-81.

“We had five acres”

: Roberts and Olson, p. 27.

“there was no industry”

: Batjac Productions, Fred Stofft interview, undated but 1980.

“very good”

: Graham, p. 285.

Duke’s neighborhood hangouts

: Glendale Library, Special Collections, Robert Waste, “Wayne Grew with Glendale,”

, 6-12-79.

“a very beautiful red head”

: Batjac Productions, Fred Stofft interview.

He also joined

: Roberts and Olson, p. 40.

It was raining

: Glendale Library, Special Collections,

, 11-20-98.

The year before

: Glendale Library, Special Collections,

, 3-1-20.

“He was well-dressed”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections, Esther DeBar query letter, undated.

His teacher

: Lorraine Gauguin, “With Duke Down Mexico Way,”

, Dec. 1972.

“Me and a bunch”

: MOMA, “John Wayne,”

, 1978.

“I admired his dueling”

: AMPAS, Wayne, John Wayne as told to Maurice Zolotow, “It Happened Like This,”

, 11-7-54.

a “swagger”

: Wills, p. 115.

“I ruined a beautiful”

: AMPAS, Wayne, John Wayne as told to Maurice Zolotow, “It Happened Like This,”

, 11-7-54.

“To C. L. Morrison”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections,

, 1-31-23.

Early in 1923

: Ibid.

“The whole line played well”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections, Neal P. Sooy, “Glendale High Beats San Berdoo 15–10,” 11-26-23.

“Morrison was supposed”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections,

, 12-10-23.

“Duke was the tallest”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections, Jeannette Mazurki, “Wayne Still Stands Tall,”

, 10-22-68.

The address was 313 Garfield Avenue

: Glendale Public Library, Special Collections,

, 3-10-20.

“I was very envious”

: AMPAS,

, 1-28-75.

Eugene Clarke

: USC, John Wayne, “USC Friends Remember Duke,”

, August/September 1979.

“I don’t think it’s possible”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections, Jay Dean, “Wayne Memory Remains Alive,”

, 6-13-79.

“My girlfriend and I”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections,

, 6-13-79.

“He was very bashful”

: Glendale Library, Special Collections, Jay Dean, “Wayne Memory Remains Alive,”