itdo
September 10th, 2003, 02:15 AM
Books On Duke And His Movies
Please feel free to post in the discussion of books about Duke HERE (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=466).
Books About Duke
JOHN WAYNE FILMOGRAPHY- Fred Landesman
One of the best ever written. Hardback and DVD
536 Pages Hardcover Dimension (in inches) 1.18 x 10.12 x 7.22 ISBN:078641779X
This comprehensive volume covers his expansive film career, from 1926 to 1976
Listed in alphbetical order are such entries on films as Angel and the Badman and Noah's Ark that exemplify the more thabn 170 films that the actor worked on. Each entry includes the films date, tun time, cast and crew credits, reviwes and a synopsise. Also under each entry is a special sectiopn devoted to rare information and interesting details.
JOHN WAYNE – AMERICAN by Randy Roberts & James Olson
Hefty biography that covers a lot of ground
Personally, I think this is the best around
and takes some beating for facts and information. ethanedwards
DUKE – THE LIFE AND IMAGE OF JOHN WAYNE by Ronald Davis
Solid bio, and a great book for facts and information.
THE OFFICIAL JOHN WAYNE REFERENCE BOOK by Charles Kiesalt
An amount of information of trivia only a fan can assemble.
THE COMPLETE FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE, by Zmiewsky and Ricci
First edition done in 1970, when the True Grit Oscar brought a new interest to JW’s career, next edition (as “The COMPLETE Films of…”) came after his death. Probably the first time somebody took the time to count the films and assemble stills to each and every one of them. Still considered to be the definite list – although in the meantime many silent films in which JW participated, sometimes as a crowd extra – aren’t mentioned here.
THE JOHN WAYNE SCRAPBOOK, by Lee Pfeiffer
A fan lists the films he considers the best, as well as the JW “turkeys”. Good info on the side about memorabilia.
ON BOARD WITH THE DUKE- by Minshall & Sharon
The skipper of the Wild Goose and other mates decided – years after Wayne’s passing – to publish the pictures they took back then and write the story of Wayne’s yacht. While the pictures are certainly very private – and you’ll look at them with the guilty pleasure that the Wayne family probably didn’t expect to find them in a book – the text is somewhat not up to the importance of the pictures. You’ll find out that one of the mates made Duke a drink of protein and Wayne found it gave him energy – those are bits of information you’ll soak up of course – but then they’re not that important – are they? The book’s a companion piece with the VHS documentary with the same title, and home movies made by the same mates (and again, the same guilty pleasure you might experience watching private things like that)
SHOOTING STAR, by Maurice Zolotow
Published in 1970, Zolotow was the first biographer to sit down and talk at length with JW – an advantage pretty much no biographer had afterwards
JOHN WAYNE – MY LIFE WITH THE DUKE by Pilar Wayne
The memories of JW’s widow. Lots of insights of course in the private man John Wayne. Always interesting that the people that are the closest to stars and write books often mix up the facts about the films. Probably we notice because the fans are the real scholars – and to his next of kin he’s not a movie star on which you can have a trivia contest but, well – their next of kin. Interesting for example that Pilar writes about the infamous incident when Robert Mitchum behaved so badly – they say he threw somebody in the sea – he had to leave the picture Blood Alley and Wayne had to put in to save Batjac’s interests. So many years later she seems to be still angry at Mitchum (Wayne had to cut short his honeymoon to do Mitchum’s part) when it was long since cleared that Mitchum wasn’t to blame at all.
JOHN WAYNE – MY FATHER, by Aissa Wayne
An interesting look through the eyes of the daughter.
DUKE – A LOVE STORY, by Pat Stacy
Written by someone who seemed to really have loved the man, not the legend.
JOHN WAYNE… THERE RODE A LEGEND
Hefty! Great! The only book in which the late Michael Wayne participated. It’s not cheap, but, hell it’s worth every dollar. You knock out a buffalo with that one.
THE YOUNG DUKE:- THE EARLY LIFE OF JOHN WAYNE by Chis Enss, Howard Kazanjian.
(Hardcover) 208 Pages
Published with the help of the Wayne Family,
includes unpublished, family photographs,
and personal memories.
DUKE – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN WAYNE, by Shepherd, Slatzer and Dave Grayson
Maybe the first bio in which somebody participated who actually KNEW Wayne first-hand, his long-time make-up-man Grayson
THE DUKE – A LIFE IN PICTURES, by Wagner
Large-scale picture book, don’t bother to read the inaccurate text.
JOHN WAYNE’S AMERICA – THE POLITICS OF CELEBRITY by Garry Wills
Maybe the book JW-fans love to burn. True, Wills set out to look behind the image. And he did some research solid as a rock. Sometimes we would love to print the legend. But then you always get the feeling he did it in the first place to hurt the icon, not just to bring out the truth.
THE JOHN WAYNE MOVIES TRIVIA BOOK Leonard Brideau
Harmless fun. Not photos, but pencil drawings.
THE ULTIMATE JOHN WAYNE TRIVIA BOOK - Alvin H.Marill
Citadel Press 1996
A must for all Duke fans.
DUKE – WE’RE GLAD WE KNEW YOU by Herb Fagen
A collection of direct interviews with his co-workers. Actually, the concept looks very familiar to the books Tim Lilley did years before this one, but always in limited number and available just to the fans:
JOHN WAYNE – A TRIBUTE by Norm Goldstein
Just what the title says – a Tribute. Nice Book about career and private life with Foreword by Jimmy Stewart.
JOHN WAYNE – A GIANT SHADOW by C. McGivern.
Notable perhaps because it’s probably the first book about JW written by a woman. Only a few pictures. Short foreword by Steven Spielberg (who wanted JW to play the General in “1941”, a part eventually played by Robert Stack)
JOHN WAYNE – THE ACTOR, THE MAN, by George Bishop
Another bio.
DUKE – THE JOHN WAYNE ALBUM, by Boswell & David
Handsome publication, great print, maybe the nicest of the “tribute” books that came to market in 79, mainly to cash in after JW’s death (I mean, why didn’t they honor him in 1978?)
THE JOHN WAYNE STORY, by George Carpozi
One of the first bios, written when JW was still alive, but by some guy who didn’t like him too much, and, as he claimed, he had reason to. Oh hell. Duke just shook him up a little at some time. Do you have to go and write a book about it? Published first in 72, and then in an extended version after his death. Yes – to cash in!
DUKE, THE STORY OF JOHN WAYNE, by Mike Tomkies
Bio published in 1971
JOHN WAYNE – IN THE CAMERA EYE, by Sam Shaw
If you want to see the private man JW, with his kids, with his wife, at his desk, between shots (lots of Alamo pictures here) AND if you’re interested in the art of photography: Sam Shaw captured it beautifully.
JOHN WAYNE,by Allan Eyles
One of the standard works about the importance and the meaning of his films.
JOHN WAYNE – AN AMERICAN LEGEND by Roger Crowley
A book done by a fan who also gives credit to the Wayne fans, memorabilia, conventions, locations.
JOHN WAYNE – THE ALL-AMERICAN HERO, by Mario DeMarco
Written by a well-known author in western-circles, he’s especially interested in the B-movies.
JOHN WAYNE, by Alan G. Barbour
One of the first to analyze what the films meant in film history, often quoted. Published in 47. Good photos all the way.
DUKE – THE REAL STORY OF JOHN WAYNE ,by Jean Ramer
The biographers will soon run out of titles for their books.
JOHN WAYNE PROPHET OF THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE - Emanuel Levy
(Scarecrow Press 1988)
A heavyweight book dealing at length with all of Duke's films by genre.
John Wayne was one of the most popular and most durable stars in film history. But he was more than an actor or a movie star; he was a national legend, a folk hero, and a powerful symbol of the American Dream. This is a critical examination of John Wayne, the person, the actor, the film star, the political figure, and the mythic legend. It describes Wayne's film work in terms of his life, and his life in terms of movies. The text also views the cultural significance of "the phenomenon of John Wayne" by placing him and his movies in the broader contexts of the film industry and American society at large.The book evaluates Wayne's film oevre by comparing with other major stars of the generation, particularly those with similar screen images, such as Gary Cooper, Henry Ford, and James Stewart.
JOHN WAYNE ACTOR ARTIST AND HERO - Richard D McGhee
(McFarland and Co 1990)
Another interesting book going deeper into Duke's personna comparing him at the time with soldiers in the time of the Vietnam conflict.
Another kind of biography: this author tries to look at the Wayne image in terms of fable, tragic heroes, romantic heroes and the sort. Sometimes too analytic. But why not.
JOHN WAYNE A BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHY - Judith M.Riggin
(Greenwood Press 1992)
A strange book which lists nearly every book written about Duke up to that time and gives a complete version of the playboy interview
A TRIBUTE TO JOHN WAYNE - Editor Peter R.A.Fryd
One of many brochure published after Dukes death.
JOHN WAYNE THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH -Michael Nunn
Robson Books 2003
The latest book as far as I know, drawing on the authors conversation with Duke in London whilst making Brannigan and subsequent telephone and personal conversations with many of his co stars. It is this book that reveals the Communist plot to assasinate Duke in the 1950s and 60s. I have just finished it and it is quite a good read.
TALL IN THE SADDLE by Peggy Thompson & Saeko Usukawa
Its Published by Chronicle Books San Francisco
And it contains 118 pages of lines from Duke's and other Famous Westerns.
CAMPFIRE CONVERSATIONS, by Tim Lilley
Four beautiful books with first-hand-interviews with the Co-Workers, especially those stalwarts who are seldom talked about: the stuntmen. Published in limited numbers. You’ll still get some directly at the editor, Tim Lilley.
THE TRAIL BEYOND
An annual publication with which Tim Lilley will top his campfire series, 4 books so far, and the first one has sold out (can anybody get me one, please?)
DUKE STORIE'S
26 bar ranch scrapbook on DVD. 2000
JOHN WAYNE ADVENTURE ANNUAL 1958
JOHN WAYNE, ALL AMERICAN LEGEND
Dell Publishing purse book
JOHN WAYNE, AMERICA'S MOST LOVED DUKE
(Bonomo Publishing purse book)
JOHN WAYNE
This Japanese publication has to be one of the great JW books – even though most of us won’t be able to read it. A hefty book with great, clear, and sometimes rare photographs of his films.
This is mostly about the photographs, so who cares about the reading.
JOHN WAYNE by Berndt Schulz
A big scale German publication. Certainly worthwhile for the beautiful reproduction of the photos. But the text will get your ears red. One wonders why Schulz ever set out to do a book about the man when everything he writes is either inaccurate in historical fact or just meant to hurt the Wayne image. One of the guys that cashes in on account of Wayne’s numerous fans abroad – but at the same time tries to be smart in writing about this icon he doesn’t understand.
JOHN WAYNE, by Anton Giulio Mancino
Handsome German publication if you look just at the pictures but highly inaccurate if you go further and read the text.
JOHN WAYNE UND SEINE FILME by editor Joe Hembus
The German edition was even larger because this well-known author added more info.
JOHN WAYNE, by Ferrari
Small French tribute publication but “nice to have”
JOHN WAYNE – LE COW-BOY E LA MORT by Eric Leguèbe
French author rounds up a great number of famous people (and for a change, people who did not know JW personally, like James Cameron and Ridley Scott) who tell in which ways JW was of influence.
JOHN WAYNE,. by Dureau/Christophe L
Great French book on large canvas, just hundreds of photographs.
JOHN WAYNE – LE DERNIER DES GEANTS
French publication done in tribute right after his passing, good photos
JOHN WAYNE – LE DERNIER GEANT by Francois Pascal
Also a nice French tribute book.
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Books On Duke's Movies
STAGECOACH by Richard J. Anobile
Before everybody had a VCR this was the book to have – and it’s still wonderful: the whole film in photographs, every scene of it, along with the dialogue, and a text about the making of the classic.
STAGECOACH, by Edward Buscombe
Analyze this! A scene by scene analysis.
STAGECOACH
(Classic Film Scripts) Duke with John Ford
The complete film script with added information for film scholars.
JOHN FORD'S STAGECOACH - Edited by Barry Keith Grant
So far it's pretty interesting - the kind of stuff I think you'd enjoy reading. It consists mostly of critical essays written by various film scholars/historians. For example, "Stagecoach and Hollywood's A-Western Renaissance," "Powered by a Ford?: Dudley Nichols, Authorship, and Cultural Ethos in Stagecoach," "That Past, This Present: Historicizing John Ford, 1939," "A Little Bit Savage: Stagecoach and Racial Representation," "Be a Proud, Glorified Dreg: Class, Gender, and Frontier Democracy in Stagecoach," & "Stagecoach and the Quest for Selfhood." There are also three contemporary (i.e., 1939) reviews of the film.
STAGECOACH
(Film Classic Libraries) Illustrated Screenplay
STAGECOACH
BFI Film Classics
RED RIVER, by Suzanne Liandrat-Guigues
From the BFI Film classics series (each entry of a copy into the British Film Institut is accompanied by such a book), this is in interesting read. Written from the French standpoint of film critics, and from the Cahiers de Cinema as their center stone, the author looks at Red River with Hawks as an "auteur" in mind.
The BFI series is especially noteworthy because of their use of filmcells instead of still photographs. By using the actual film to illustrate you'll see pictures in these books you haven't seen before.
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE QUIET MAN by Des McHale
Amazingly and astoundingly in-depth. Includes the short story by Maurice Walsh that inspired the film, a complete cast list (including the names of stunt doubles, the names of all the horses, the names of extras, the names of everyone in any way [no matter how insignificant] connected with the film and their entire life story, it would seem), complete & detailed maps of locations in case anyone wants to do a pilgrimage, new photos of all the locations... it's mind-boggling. There are also some great photos taken behind the scenes and lots of behind the scenes anecdotes. Every scene and practically every shot and every word of dialogue is analyzed in depth - from perspectives varying from historical, to symbolic, to Irish folkloric, to technical... the guy makes a big deal about a stupid little fly landing on Maureen O'Hara's cheek, for cryin' out loud.
But it's a lot of fun if you love this movie, and who doesn't love this movie?
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE QUIET MAN by Gerry McNee
That’s what you want to call a labour of love. A filmfan who goes and writes a book about everything to know about the making of this classic. You should read it before you visit Ireland – it’ll help you along a great deal. Great photos, sometimes provided by the towns-folk themselves.
THE QUIET MAN – MOVIES MADE IN IRELAND
Small book you might want to buy just as a souvenir when in Cong, Ireland.
THE QUIET MAN – QUIZ 1000, by Des Byrne
Kinda different trivia book which you’ll probably get only in Ireland: Questions you might be able to answer when you’ve seen the film about a 1000 times (and some of us are almost there, no?)
PICTURE THE QUIET MAN- An Illustrated Celebration- by Des McHale
THE SEARCHERS- by Arthur Eckstien and Peter Lehman
Essays and Reflections on John Ford's Classic Western
RIO BRAVO, by Robin Wood
(BFI classics)
Wood is one of the critics who fought his whole life to give Rio Bravo
the status as one of the best films of all times.
And if this critic is going to write a booklet on the film,
you're in for some analyzes you didn't think of before.
He expects his reader to know about the Hawks
ouvre and makes interesting cross-references to
Only Angels Have Wings and To Have and Have Not
with which Rio Bravo really forms a trilogy in the director's body of work
(Wood doesn't even mention the follow-ups El Dorado and Rio Lobo
which most consider to be the trilogy).
Good color pictures as well.
THE ALAMO
The souvenir book Batjac published in several versions (long, short, soft- and hardcover, and in variations overseas), with a personal word by JW and background stories.
Other hardcover souvenir books:
HATARI
THE LONGEST DAY
CIRCUS WORLD
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
A NEWS RELEASE: JOHN WAYNE’S THE ALAMO
The infamous News Release Russell Birdwell had sent to the press when the film was promoted. News Releases are generally just a couple of pages long, with poster art and articles to use by the press – but this one was so overblown it became a 186-page-BOOK (one page for every Alamo defender). It will sell at Ebay for more than 100 bucks – hard to find. If you’re thinking of buying one, do it now – prices are going through the roof.
JOHN WAYNE’S THE ALAMO by Clark & Andersen
The monumental task of researching every step of the making of the epic, as well as the restoration, along with many beautiful pictures.
ALAMO MOVIES by Frank Thompson
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Alamo films from the silents to the IMAX-presentation (for example: they used the same coat on Laurence Harvey’s Travis as in the later IMAX film). Very good research and real rare photos.
ALAMO – JOHN WAYNES FREIHEITSEPOS, by Andrea Rennschmid
German publication, uses German lobby-cards but not too much research here.
RIO BRAVO- by Robin Hood
BFI Film Classics
JOHN WAYNE: AMERICA, WHY I LOVE HER
The companion piece of JW’s famous record.
MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES,
Pays tribute to The Searchers
MOVIES OF THE SIXTIES, by Lloyd and Robinson
Pays tribute to JW status in the sixties
LIFE GOES TO THE MOVIES
The best pictures the LIFE-photographes took of JW. After this we know why the LIFE photographers were considered the best.
LA PRISONNIERE DU DESERT, by Jean-Louis Leutrat
Over-analytical French publication about the meaning of The Searches in metaphysical ways: the scalping of Scar compared to the beheading of the Medusa. Tough stuff.
THE TRANSCRIPT OF SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON/DER TEUFELSHAUPTMANN
by Gunter Narr Verlag Tübingen
If you want to analyze this film bit by bit, that book might help. It describes every single shot (551 single camera shots in this film, by the way) with Engl. dialogue and description of action and soundeffects - even gives the seconds per shot.
GREAT MOVIES THAT WENT AWAY
Orbis Pub. 1982
HOW TO MAKE A JEWISH MOVIE, by Melville Shavelson
The Director of the ill-fated Cast a Giant Shadow reveals what went wrong: Everything! This has to be the funniest book on filmmaking. The only one he doesn’t make fun of is Wayne who helped him produce this thing – and got burned again (Shavelson told him: “Duke, this is like the Alamo in Israel!” to get him interested). Kirk Douglas didn’t like Shavelson’s accounts (sure, he looks like the baddie!) – in his own biography he got some payback when he said a man more Jewish than Shavelson would have made a better picture.
LOST FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE- CaroynMcGivern
(The High and the Mighty and Island in the Sky)
PICTURE SHOW ANNUAL 1957 - Article on The Conqueror
PICTURE SHOW ANNUAL 1956 - articles on John Wayne and Stagecoach
FILM REVIEW (undated) - Maurice Speed - full colour picture John Wayne and Larraine Day -Tycoon
FILM REVIEW (undated) - Maurice Speed - full colour picture John Wayne Lauren Bacall - Blood Alley
BOYS CINEMA ANNUAL 1950 - Red River
THE FILM SHOW ANNUAL
was an annual publication in which "The Stars Tell their Own Stories" - or so they were sold. In the 1950 edition, we find a story of John Wayne, telling "in his own words" how he gets up in the morning, says hello to Chata, then drives to the Republic soundstage, where John Ford is already waiting for him to shoot the interior scenes of RIO GRANDE. While there are many details molded into the story that might make one believe Wayne himself delivered the article, it is of course so that clever marketing put out things like these (it becomes clear with his line "Oh-oh, I better hurry, it seems everybody's one set already" which we know didn't happen with JW!). What is of particular interest is that the Wayne story is illustrated by pictures of his upcoming "hit": JET PILOT! There's a story about (or told by, whatever you like) Janet Leigh as well, and there's a JET PILOT photo as well. So that means back in 1950 the PR machines were already oiled to give Jet Pilot a head-start - and then they held it back till 1957.
TRUE GRITS, by Lee Pfeiffer and Michael Lewis
All right. This is a cook-book, using the titles of Wayne-films for receipts. Like “Cahill’s United States Mushrooms”. Those are NOT receipts for menus Walter Brennan cooked up at the chuckwagon, they are in no way related to the films. Oh well. At least there are some pictures.
JOHN WAYNE PAPERDOLLS T Tierney
OK. There’s JW in his underwear and you cut out costumes from his films to dress him. Never figured that one out.
JOHN WAYNE – A NOVEL, by Dan Barden
Surprise! This is not a John Wayne bio, the story is a fictional one dealing with the private live of John Wayne, and, as controversial books go, sometimes with the private PARTS of JW.
COWBOY MOVIE POSTERS by Bruce Hershenson
Featuring hundreds of full-color movie posters from silent films to present-day westerns. Some of JW’s beautiful B-movie posters are in it. If you are into the art of movie-posters and especially westerns, that’s the one.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HOLLYWOOD - Jessee L. Lasky Jr.
(Funk and Wagnells New York 1975)
Deals a great length with the autors relationship with Cecil B DeMille but includes a chapter on the Making of Reap the Wild Wind and reveals that the squid scene was an afterthought virtually made up on the spur of the moment to appease DeMilles anger and provide an ending to the film.
THE MEN WHO MADE THE MOVIES, by Richard Schickel
contains interviews with Hitchcock, Capra, Minnelli, Cukor, Vidor, and,
of most interest to Wayne afficionados,
Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and William A. Wellman.
A great interview book. Finally, those giants got enough time to talk
about what they liked best and did best: direct motion pictures.
There are no questions printed, just answers, so those long interview
really sound like those directors would write their biography.
For instance, Hawks talks about how he would write dialogue
to make a point without the audience realizing that;
and how they invented that special camera to film the action in "Hatari".
Wellman tells how he found the story to "The High and the Mighty"
and how he got Wayne to buy it even before it was published
(I like the way he tells the story of how he was talked into doing
"The Story of G.I.Joe"; Ernie Pyle talked him into it).
And finally, with Walsh we hear in his own words about that special day he stopped on the Fox lot when he saw that tall young man sweating it out as a prop boy, offering him an actin job on the spot, and how tough it got on location of "The Big Trail".
All those greats have since then passed (the book was published in the mid seventies).
"Les 80 Grand Succès de...Western Films de Guerre Film d'Aventures"
In his series about the different genres, French author Pierre Tchernia selects 80 films from each the Western/adventure film/war movie. Published by casterman. Very nicely illustrated. In "Adventure Films", Wayne is present with "Hatari", in "War Films" with "Green Berets", "Alamo", "Longest Day" (there is a special section for Le Jour Le Plus Long, with color pictures I haven't seen elsewhere).
THEIR FIRST TIME IN THE MOVIES (Les Krantz)
(includes DVD and VHS tape. JW not on these only in book) 2001
GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS, by Harry and Michael Medved
This book is meant to be fun: it gives awards for the worst films, worst performances in the history of films. One chapter is dedicated to John Wayne's - you guessed it - Ghenghis Khan. But no worries: others have to stick out their necks as well. Cooper gets it for the worst romantic line in "Northwest Mounted Police"
SHOOT LOW BOYS. In search of True Grit- Lewis Grizzard
SOME LIKE IT HOT- Bill Brooks
FILM STAR PORTRAITS OF THE FIFTIES, by John Kobal
this is a selection of the finest studio publicity stills from the Fifties.
Not text, just pictures. In JW's case, two examples,
both by photographer Ernest Bachrach for RKO.
The interesting thing is, the one made in 1957 was made for publitiy of Jet Pilot - which could indicate that Wayne (by appearence definitely in 57) had to come back for a sitting for that film.
Picture Show Annual 1956
Picturegoer 1957-58 Article on John Wayne titled 'The Star That Never Waynes'
WHO THE DEVIL MADE IT? by Peter Bogdanovich
Bogdanovich, now of course almost as legendary as the legends whom he used to write about in his early days, does every filmloving pupil a favor: With this book for the first time he releases the interviews he did many years ago for magazines, now in full length. He chats with men like Hitchcock and Chuck Jones and Don Siegel. And the ones who made films with John Wayne: Otto Preminger, Raoul Walsh. The longest interview in the book is the one with Howard Hawks. Even after the interview-book "Hawks on Hawks", this lenghty interview is like having Howard Hawks talk to you, the reader, 25 years after his death, and revealing many of his ways of filmmaking. They talk about Red River (and the finding of Monty Clift), Rio Bravo (and how Hawks got the singers), Hatari (and how they improvised the hunting stuff) and Rio Lobo (and how the leading lady didn't live up to expectations). Men like Howard Hawks were never given credit in the US for their body of work in American Film until Bogdanovich and others in his time started writing about him.
All in all, it's a good dozen interviews in one hell of a hefty book.
Outside France, Bogdanovich, in the times of the Nouvelle Vague, was pretty much the only one who held a torch for directors who had yet to become legends - through these writings. It'll be thrilling to read the soon to be published "Who the Devil Was in it?", holding interviews with JW and Jimmy Stewart.
WHO THE DEVIL WAS IN IT? by Peter Bogdanovich
Now released, the companion piece to Bogdanovich's interview book with famous directors, Who the Devil Made It?
Bogdanovich remembers and re-prints his interviews with icons such as Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. The Wayne interview is of special interest to us, not only because Waye reveals some secrets, but also because the interview took place in 1975, and he wasn't very happy with his last films - The Shootist was just around the corner then. So Bogdanovich manages to capture the man in this time of his life. A hefty junk of book, but you'll eat it up.
VOICES FROM THE SET - The Film Heritage Interviews, by Macklin
Probably the most famous interview JW did in print is the Playboy interview. Yet he doesn't talk about his acting at all. He even leaves it at remarking "I don't have a technique". The one that really got him talking was Macklin, and the resulting interview runs for several pages is in this book. It's one of the very very few times JW talks about his acting and his roles, about his trade. He even stops once, saying that he normally doesn't talk about that, but the interviewer made him feel comfortable. So we learn what he thinks about Ethan, even dreaming up a sequel "Ethan Rides Again", in which he just improvises a plot, how Ethan could have gone on after that famous door closed. He talks about how he had to "find a role for himself" in the ensemble piece "Liberty Valance". He talks about how he stopped shooting a Republic quickie one day at midnight and the next morning was on the set of "Long Voyage Home", and having to learn that Swedish accent. The interview was done in 1975, and after all those years Wayne can recite the dialogue of several of his movies, 30 years and more in the past, without a flaw. He talks about how he helped Hawks on Red River, not taking a chance in the script for "Academy Award stuff", as Hawks suggested, but playing Dunson his way. A great interview. In addition, there's also an interview with Charlton Heston, a man who's especially proud of his profession. He studies his peers - and uses two pages in this book to talk not about himself but about John Wayne's acting technique. And Chuck has a deeper understanding about Wayne's acting than most of his critics ever did.
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Tie-Ins
Not original books, but written to help advertise the film.
THE ALAMO
BIG JAKE
CAHILL:U.S. MARSHAL
CAST A GIANT SHADOW
CHISUM
THE COMANCHEROS
HATARI
HONDO
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
THE LONGEST DAY (US and UK)
THE LONG VOYAGE HOME
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERY VALANCE
MCLINTOCK
MCQ
RED RIVER
ROOSTER COGBURN
THE SEARCHERS
THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS
THE SHOOTIST
THE SPOILERS
THE TRAIN ROBBERS
THE WAR WAGON
THEY WERE EXPENDABLE
TRUE GRIT
Most tie-ins were released in US and UK versions
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Edited and Updated by
ethanedwards
December 2009
Copyright-©dukewayne.com.2009.
I offer my sincere thanks to itdo, (I hope he doesn't mind me re-vamping his post!)
and to the members who have contributed new titles
Please feel free to post in the discussion of books about Duke HERE (http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=466).
Books About Duke
JOHN WAYNE FILMOGRAPHY- Fred Landesman
One of the best ever written. Hardback and DVD
536 Pages Hardcover Dimension (in inches) 1.18 x 10.12 x 7.22 ISBN:078641779X
This comprehensive volume covers his expansive film career, from 1926 to 1976
Listed in alphbetical order are such entries on films as Angel and the Badman and Noah's Ark that exemplify the more thabn 170 films that the actor worked on. Each entry includes the films date, tun time, cast and crew credits, reviwes and a synopsise. Also under each entry is a special sectiopn devoted to rare information and interesting details.
JOHN WAYNE – AMERICAN by Randy Roberts & James Olson
Hefty biography that covers a lot of ground
Personally, I think this is the best around
and takes some beating for facts and information. ethanedwards
DUKE – THE LIFE AND IMAGE OF JOHN WAYNE by Ronald Davis
Solid bio, and a great book for facts and information.
THE OFFICIAL JOHN WAYNE REFERENCE BOOK by Charles Kiesalt
An amount of information of trivia only a fan can assemble.
THE COMPLETE FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE, by Zmiewsky and Ricci
First edition done in 1970, when the True Grit Oscar brought a new interest to JW’s career, next edition (as “The COMPLETE Films of…”) came after his death. Probably the first time somebody took the time to count the films and assemble stills to each and every one of them. Still considered to be the definite list – although in the meantime many silent films in which JW participated, sometimes as a crowd extra – aren’t mentioned here.
THE JOHN WAYNE SCRAPBOOK, by Lee Pfeiffer
A fan lists the films he considers the best, as well as the JW “turkeys”. Good info on the side about memorabilia.
ON BOARD WITH THE DUKE- by Minshall & Sharon
The skipper of the Wild Goose and other mates decided – years after Wayne’s passing – to publish the pictures they took back then and write the story of Wayne’s yacht. While the pictures are certainly very private – and you’ll look at them with the guilty pleasure that the Wayne family probably didn’t expect to find them in a book – the text is somewhat not up to the importance of the pictures. You’ll find out that one of the mates made Duke a drink of protein and Wayne found it gave him energy – those are bits of information you’ll soak up of course – but then they’re not that important – are they? The book’s a companion piece with the VHS documentary with the same title, and home movies made by the same mates (and again, the same guilty pleasure you might experience watching private things like that)
SHOOTING STAR, by Maurice Zolotow
Published in 1970, Zolotow was the first biographer to sit down and talk at length with JW – an advantage pretty much no biographer had afterwards
JOHN WAYNE – MY LIFE WITH THE DUKE by Pilar Wayne
The memories of JW’s widow. Lots of insights of course in the private man John Wayne. Always interesting that the people that are the closest to stars and write books often mix up the facts about the films. Probably we notice because the fans are the real scholars – and to his next of kin he’s not a movie star on which you can have a trivia contest but, well – their next of kin. Interesting for example that Pilar writes about the infamous incident when Robert Mitchum behaved so badly – they say he threw somebody in the sea – he had to leave the picture Blood Alley and Wayne had to put in to save Batjac’s interests. So many years later she seems to be still angry at Mitchum (Wayne had to cut short his honeymoon to do Mitchum’s part) when it was long since cleared that Mitchum wasn’t to blame at all.
JOHN WAYNE – MY FATHER, by Aissa Wayne
An interesting look through the eyes of the daughter.
DUKE – A LOVE STORY, by Pat Stacy
Written by someone who seemed to really have loved the man, not the legend.
JOHN WAYNE… THERE RODE A LEGEND
Hefty! Great! The only book in which the late Michael Wayne participated. It’s not cheap, but, hell it’s worth every dollar. You knock out a buffalo with that one.
THE YOUNG DUKE:- THE EARLY LIFE OF JOHN WAYNE by Chis Enss, Howard Kazanjian.
(Hardcover) 208 Pages
Published with the help of the Wayne Family,
includes unpublished, family photographs,
and personal memories.
DUKE – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN WAYNE, by Shepherd, Slatzer and Dave Grayson
Maybe the first bio in which somebody participated who actually KNEW Wayne first-hand, his long-time make-up-man Grayson
THE DUKE – A LIFE IN PICTURES, by Wagner
Large-scale picture book, don’t bother to read the inaccurate text.
JOHN WAYNE’S AMERICA – THE POLITICS OF CELEBRITY by Garry Wills
Maybe the book JW-fans love to burn. True, Wills set out to look behind the image. And he did some research solid as a rock. Sometimes we would love to print the legend. But then you always get the feeling he did it in the first place to hurt the icon, not just to bring out the truth.
THE JOHN WAYNE MOVIES TRIVIA BOOK Leonard Brideau
Harmless fun. Not photos, but pencil drawings.
THE ULTIMATE JOHN WAYNE TRIVIA BOOK - Alvin H.Marill
Citadel Press 1996
A must for all Duke fans.
DUKE – WE’RE GLAD WE KNEW YOU by Herb Fagen
A collection of direct interviews with his co-workers. Actually, the concept looks very familiar to the books Tim Lilley did years before this one, but always in limited number and available just to the fans:
JOHN WAYNE – A TRIBUTE by Norm Goldstein
Just what the title says – a Tribute. Nice Book about career and private life with Foreword by Jimmy Stewart.
JOHN WAYNE – A GIANT SHADOW by C. McGivern.
Notable perhaps because it’s probably the first book about JW written by a woman. Only a few pictures. Short foreword by Steven Spielberg (who wanted JW to play the General in “1941”, a part eventually played by Robert Stack)
JOHN WAYNE – THE ACTOR, THE MAN, by George Bishop
Another bio.
DUKE – THE JOHN WAYNE ALBUM, by Boswell & David
Handsome publication, great print, maybe the nicest of the “tribute” books that came to market in 79, mainly to cash in after JW’s death (I mean, why didn’t they honor him in 1978?)
THE JOHN WAYNE STORY, by George Carpozi
One of the first bios, written when JW was still alive, but by some guy who didn’t like him too much, and, as he claimed, he had reason to. Oh hell. Duke just shook him up a little at some time. Do you have to go and write a book about it? Published first in 72, and then in an extended version after his death. Yes – to cash in!
DUKE, THE STORY OF JOHN WAYNE, by Mike Tomkies
Bio published in 1971
JOHN WAYNE – IN THE CAMERA EYE, by Sam Shaw
If you want to see the private man JW, with his kids, with his wife, at his desk, between shots (lots of Alamo pictures here) AND if you’re interested in the art of photography: Sam Shaw captured it beautifully.
JOHN WAYNE,by Allan Eyles
One of the standard works about the importance and the meaning of his films.
JOHN WAYNE – AN AMERICAN LEGEND by Roger Crowley
A book done by a fan who also gives credit to the Wayne fans, memorabilia, conventions, locations.
JOHN WAYNE – THE ALL-AMERICAN HERO, by Mario DeMarco
Written by a well-known author in western-circles, he’s especially interested in the B-movies.
JOHN WAYNE, by Alan G. Barbour
One of the first to analyze what the films meant in film history, often quoted. Published in 47. Good photos all the way.
DUKE – THE REAL STORY OF JOHN WAYNE ,by Jean Ramer
The biographers will soon run out of titles for their books.
JOHN WAYNE PROPHET OF THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE - Emanuel Levy
(Scarecrow Press 1988)
A heavyweight book dealing at length with all of Duke's films by genre.
John Wayne was one of the most popular and most durable stars in film history. But he was more than an actor or a movie star; he was a national legend, a folk hero, and a powerful symbol of the American Dream. This is a critical examination of John Wayne, the person, the actor, the film star, the political figure, and the mythic legend. It describes Wayne's film work in terms of his life, and his life in terms of movies. The text also views the cultural significance of "the phenomenon of John Wayne" by placing him and his movies in the broader contexts of the film industry and American society at large.The book evaluates Wayne's film oevre by comparing with other major stars of the generation, particularly those with similar screen images, such as Gary Cooper, Henry Ford, and James Stewart.
JOHN WAYNE ACTOR ARTIST AND HERO - Richard D McGhee
(McFarland and Co 1990)
Another interesting book going deeper into Duke's personna comparing him at the time with soldiers in the time of the Vietnam conflict.
Another kind of biography: this author tries to look at the Wayne image in terms of fable, tragic heroes, romantic heroes and the sort. Sometimes too analytic. But why not.
JOHN WAYNE A BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHY - Judith M.Riggin
(Greenwood Press 1992)
A strange book which lists nearly every book written about Duke up to that time and gives a complete version of the playboy interview
A TRIBUTE TO JOHN WAYNE - Editor Peter R.A.Fryd
One of many brochure published after Dukes death.
JOHN WAYNE THE MAN BEHIND THE MYTH -Michael Nunn
Robson Books 2003
The latest book as far as I know, drawing on the authors conversation with Duke in London whilst making Brannigan and subsequent telephone and personal conversations with many of his co stars. It is this book that reveals the Communist plot to assasinate Duke in the 1950s and 60s. I have just finished it and it is quite a good read.
TALL IN THE SADDLE by Peggy Thompson & Saeko Usukawa
Its Published by Chronicle Books San Francisco
And it contains 118 pages of lines from Duke's and other Famous Westerns.
CAMPFIRE CONVERSATIONS, by Tim Lilley
Four beautiful books with first-hand-interviews with the Co-Workers, especially those stalwarts who are seldom talked about: the stuntmen. Published in limited numbers. You’ll still get some directly at the editor, Tim Lilley.
THE TRAIL BEYOND
An annual publication with which Tim Lilley will top his campfire series, 4 books so far, and the first one has sold out (can anybody get me one, please?)
DUKE STORIE'S
26 bar ranch scrapbook on DVD. 2000
JOHN WAYNE ADVENTURE ANNUAL 1958
JOHN WAYNE, ALL AMERICAN LEGEND
Dell Publishing purse book
JOHN WAYNE, AMERICA'S MOST LOVED DUKE
(Bonomo Publishing purse book)
JOHN WAYNE
This Japanese publication has to be one of the great JW books – even though most of us won’t be able to read it. A hefty book with great, clear, and sometimes rare photographs of his films.
This is mostly about the photographs, so who cares about the reading.
JOHN WAYNE by Berndt Schulz
A big scale German publication. Certainly worthwhile for the beautiful reproduction of the photos. But the text will get your ears red. One wonders why Schulz ever set out to do a book about the man when everything he writes is either inaccurate in historical fact or just meant to hurt the Wayne image. One of the guys that cashes in on account of Wayne’s numerous fans abroad – but at the same time tries to be smart in writing about this icon he doesn’t understand.
JOHN WAYNE, by Anton Giulio Mancino
Handsome German publication if you look just at the pictures but highly inaccurate if you go further and read the text.
JOHN WAYNE UND SEINE FILME by editor Joe Hembus
The German edition was even larger because this well-known author added more info.
JOHN WAYNE, by Ferrari
Small French tribute publication but “nice to have”
JOHN WAYNE – LE COW-BOY E LA MORT by Eric Leguèbe
French author rounds up a great number of famous people (and for a change, people who did not know JW personally, like James Cameron and Ridley Scott) who tell in which ways JW was of influence.
JOHN WAYNE,. by Dureau/Christophe L
Great French book on large canvas, just hundreds of photographs.
JOHN WAYNE – LE DERNIER DES GEANTS
French publication done in tribute right after his passing, good photos
JOHN WAYNE – LE DERNIER GEANT by Francois Pascal
Also a nice French tribute book.
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Books On Duke's Movies
STAGECOACH by Richard J. Anobile
Before everybody had a VCR this was the book to have – and it’s still wonderful: the whole film in photographs, every scene of it, along with the dialogue, and a text about the making of the classic.
STAGECOACH, by Edward Buscombe
Analyze this! A scene by scene analysis.
STAGECOACH
(Classic Film Scripts) Duke with John Ford
The complete film script with added information for film scholars.
JOHN FORD'S STAGECOACH - Edited by Barry Keith Grant
So far it's pretty interesting - the kind of stuff I think you'd enjoy reading. It consists mostly of critical essays written by various film scholars/historians. For example, "Stagecoach and Hollywood's A-Western Renaissance," "Powered by a Ford?: Dudley Nichols, Authorship, and Cultural Ethos in Stagecoach," "That Past, This Present: Historicizing John Ford, 1939," "A Little Bit Savage: Stagecoach and Racial Representation," "Be a Proud, Glorified Dreg: Class, Gender, and Frontier Democracy in Stagecoach," & "Stagecoach and the Quest for Selfhood." There are also three contemporary (i.e., 1939) reviews of the film.
STAGECOACH
(Film Classic Libraries) Illustrated Screenplay
STAGECOACH
BFI Film Classics
RED RIVER, by Suzanne Liandrat-Guigues
From the BFI Film classics series (each entry of a copy into the British Film Institut is accompanied by such a book), this is in interesting read. Written from the French standpoint of film critics, and from the Cahiers de Cinema as their center stone, the author looks at Red River with Hawks as an "auteur" in mind.
The BFI series is especially noteworthy because of their use of filmcells instead of still photographs. By using the actual film to illustrate you'll see pictures in these books you haven't seen before.
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE QUIET MAN by Des McHale
Amazingly and astoundingly in-depth. Includes the short story by Maurice Walsh that inspired the film, a complete cast list (including the names of stunt doubles, the names of all the horses, the names of extras, the names of everyone in any way [no matter how insignificant] connected with the film and their entire life story, it would seem), complete & detailed maps of locations in case anyone wants to do a pilgrimage, new photos of all the locations... it's mind-boggling. There are also some great photos taken behind the scenes and lots of behind the scenes anecdotes. Every scene and practically every shot and every word of dialogue is analyzed in depth - from perspectives varying from historical, to symbolic, to Irish folkloric, to technical... the guy makes a big deal about a stupid little fly landing on Maureen O'Hara's cheek, for cryin' out loud.
But it's a lot of fun if you love this movie, and who doesn't love this movie?
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE QUIET MAN by Gerry McNee
That’s what you want to call a labour of love. A filmfan who goes and writes a book about everything to know about the making of this classic. You should read it before you visit Ireland – it’ll help you along a great deal. Great photos, sometimes provided by the towns-folk themselves.
THE QUIET MAN – MOVIES MADE IN IRELAND
Small book you might want to buy just as a souvenir when in Cong, Ireland.
THE QUIET MAN – QUIZ 1000, by Des Byrne
Kinda different trivia book which you’ll probably get only in Ireland: Questions you might be able to answer when you’ve seen the film about a 1000 times (and some of us are almost there, no?)
PICTURE THE QUIET MAN- An Illustrated Celebration- by Des McHale
THE SEARCHERS- by Arthur Eckstien and Peter Lehman
Essays and Reflections on John Ford's Classic Western
RIO BRAVO, by Robin Wood
(BFI classics)
Wood is one of the critics who fought his whole life to give Rio Bravo
the status as one of the best films of all times.
And if this critic is going to write a booklet on the film,
you're in for some analyzes you didn't think of before.
He expects his reader to know about the Hawks
ouvre and makes interesting cross-references to
Only Angels Have Wings and To Have and Have Not
with which Rio Bravo really forms a trilogy in the director's body of work
(Wood doesn't even mention the follow-ups El Dorado and Rio Lobo
which most consider to be the trilogy).
Good color pictures as well.
THE ALAMO
The souvenir book Batjac published in several versions (long, short, soft- and hardcover, and in variations overseas), with a personal word by JW and background stories.
Other hardcover souvenir books:
HATARI
THE LONGEST DAY
CIRCUS WORLD
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
A NEWS RELEASE: JOHN WAYNE’S THE ALAMO
The infamous News Release Russell Birdwell had sent to the press when the film was promoted. News Releases are generally just a couple of pages long, with poster art and articles to use by the press – but this one was so overblown it became a 186-page-BOOK (one page for every Alamo defender). It will sell at Ebay for more than 100 bucks – hard to find. If you’re thinking of buying one, do it now – prices are going through the roof.
JOHN WAYNE’S THE ALAMO by Clark & Andersen
The monumental task of researching every step of the making of the epic, as well as the restoration, along with many beautiful pictures.
ALAMO MOVIES by Frank Thompson
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Alamo films from the silents to the IMAX-presentation (for example: they used the same coat on Laurence Harvey’s Travis as in the later IMAX film). Very good research and real rare photos.
ALAMO – JOHN WAYNES FREIHEITSEPOS, by Andrea Rennschmid
German publication, uses German lobby-cards but not too much research here.
RIO BRAVO- by Robin Hood
BFI Film Classics
JOHN WAYNE: AMERICA, WHY I LOVE HER
The companion piece of JW’s famous record.
MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES,
Pays tribute to The Searchers
MOVIES OF THE SIXTIES, by Lloyd and Robinson
Pays tribute to JW status in the sixties
LIFE GOES TO THE MOVIES
The best pictures the LIFE-photographes took of JW. After this we know why the LIFE photographers were considered the best.
LA PRISONNIERE DU DESERT, by Jean-Louis Leutrat
Over-analytical French publication about the meaning of The Searches in metaphysical ways: the scalping of Scar compared to the beheading of the Medusa. Tough stuff.
THE TRANSCRIPT OF SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON/DER TEUFELSHAUPTMANN
by Gunter Narr Verlag Tübingen
If you want to analyze this film bit by bit, that book might help. It describes every single shot (551 single camera shots in this film, by the way) with Engl. dialogue and description of action and soundeffects - even gives the seconds per shot.
GREAT MOVIES THAT WENT AWAY
Orbis Pub. 1982
HOW TO MAKE A JEWISH MOVIE, by Melville Shavelson
The Director of the ill-fated Cast a Giant Shadow reveals what went wrong: Everything! This has to be the funniest book on filmmaking. The only one he doesn’t make fun of is Wayne who helped him produce this thing – and got burned again (Shavelson told him: “Duke, this is like the Alamo in Israel!” to get him interested). Kirk Douglas didn’t like Shavelson’s accounts (sure, he looks like the baddie!) – in his own biography he got some payback when he said a man more Jewish than Shavelson would have made a better picture.
LOST FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE- CaroynMcGivern
(The High and the Mighty and Island in the Sky)
PICTURE SHOW ANNUAL 1957 - Article on The Conqueror
PICTURE SHOW ANNUAL 1956 - articles on John Wayne and Stagecoach
FILM REVIEW (undated) - Maurice Speed - full colour picture John Wayne and Larraine Day -Tycoon
FILM REVIEW (undated) - Maurice Speed - full colour picture John Wayne Lauren Bacall - Blood Alley
BOYS CINEMA ANNUAL 1950 - Red River
THE FILM SHOW ANNUAL
was an annual publication in which "The Stars Tell their Own Stories" - or so they were sold. In the 1950 edition, we find a story of John Wayne, telling "in his own words" how he gets up in the morning, says hello to Chata, then drives to the Republic soundstage, where John Ford is already waiting for him to shoot the interior scenes of RIO GRANDE. While there are many details molded into the story that might make one believe Wayne himself delivered the article, it is of course so that clever marketing put out things like these (it becomes clear with his line "Oh-oh, I better hurry, it seems everybody's one set already" which we know didn't happen with JW!). What is of particular interest is that the Wayne story is illustrated by pictures of his upcoming "hit": JET PILOT! There's a story about (or told by, whatever you like) Janet Leigh as well, and there's a JET PILOT photo as well. So that means back in 1950 the PR machines were already oiled to give Jet Pilot a head-start - and then they held it back till 1957.
TRUE GRITS, by Lee Pfeiffer and Michael Lewis
All right. This is a cook-book, using the titles of Wayne-films for receipts. Like “Cahill’s United States Mushrooms”. Those are NOT receipts for menus Walter Brennan cooked up at the chuckwagon, they are in no way related to the films. Oh well. At least there are some pictures.
JOHN WAYNE PAPERDOLLS T Tierney
OK. There’s JW in his underwear and you cut out costumes from his films to dress him. Never figured that one out.
JOHN WAYNE – A NOVEL, by Dan Barden
Surprise! This is not a John Wayne bio, the story is a fictional one dealing with the private live of John Wayne, and, as controversial books go, sometimes with the private PARTS of JW.
COWBOY MOVIE POSTERS by Bruce Hershenson
Featuring hundreds of full-color movie posters from silent films to present-day westerns. Some of JW’s beautiful B-movie posters are in it. If you are into the art of movie-posters and especially westerns, that’s the one.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HOLLYWOOD - Jessee L. Lasky Jr.
(Funk and Wagnells New York 1975)
Deals a great length with the autors relationship with Cecil B DeMille but includes a chapter on the Making of Reap the Wild Wind and reveals that the squid scene was an afterthought virtually made up on the spur of the moment to appease DeMilles anger and provide an ending to the film.
THE MEN WHO MADE THE MOVIES, by Richard Schickel
contains interviews with Hitchcock, Capra, Minnelli, Cukor, Vidor, and,
of most interest to Wayne afficionados,
Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and William A. Wellman.
A great interview book. Finally, those giants got enough time to talk
about what they liked best and did best: direct motion pictures.
There are no questions printed, just answers, so those long interview
really sound like those directors would write their biography.
For instance, Hawks talks about how he would write dialogue
to make a point without the audience realizing that;
and how they invented that special camera to film the action in "Hatari".
Wellman tells how he found the story to "The High and the Mighty"
and how he got Wayne to buy it even before it was published
(I like the way he tells the story of how he was talked into doing
"The Story of G.I.Joe"; Ernie Pyle talked him into it).
And finally, with Walsh we hear in his own words about that special day he stopped on the Fox lot when he saw that tall young man sweating it out as a prop boy, offering him an actin job on the spot, and how tough it got on location of "The Big Trail".
All those greats have since then passed (the book was published in the mid seventies).
"Les 80 Grand Succès de...Western Films de Guerre Film d'Aventures"
In his series about the different genres, French author Pierre Tchernia selects 80 films from each the Western/adventure film/war movie. Published by casterman. Very nicely illustrated. In "Adventure Films", Wayne is present with "Hatari", in "War Films" with "Green Berets", "Alamo", "Longest Day" (there is a special section for Le Jour Le Plus Long, with color pictures I haven't seen elsewhere).
THEIR FIRST TIME IN THE MOVIES (Les Krantz)
(includes DVD and VHS tape. JW not on these only in book) 2001
GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS, by Harry and Michael Medved
This book is meant to be fun: it gives awards for the worst films, worst performances in the history of films. One chapter is dedicated to John Wayne's - you guessed it - Ghenghis Khan. But no worries: others have to stick out their necks as well. Cooper gets it for the worst romantic line in "Northwest Mounted Police"
SHOOT LOW BOYS. In search of True Grit- Lewis Grizzard
SOME LIKE IT HOT- Bill Brooks
FILM STAR PORTRAITS OF THE FIFTIES, by John Kobal
this is a selection of the finest studio publicity stills from the Fifties.
Not text, just pictures. In JW's case, two examples,
both by photographer Ernest Bachrach for RKO.
The interesting thing is, the one made in 1957 was made for publitiy of Jet Pilot - which could indicate that Wayne (by appearence definitely in 57) had to come back for a sitting for that film.
Picture Show Annual 1956
Picturegoer 1957-58 Article on John Wayne titled 'The Star That Never Waynes'
WHO THE DEVIL MADE IT? by Peter Bogdanovich
Bogdanovich, now of course almost as legendary as the legends whom he used to write about in his early days, does every filmloving pupil a favor: With this book for the first time he releases the interviews he did many years ago for magazines, now in full length. He chats with men like Hitchcock and Chuck Jones and Don Siegel. And the ones who made films with John Wayne: Otto Preminger, Raoul Walsh. The longest interview in the book is the one with Howard Hawks. Even after the interview-book "Hawks on Hawks", this lenghty interview is like having Howard Hawks talk to you, the reader, 25 years after his death, and revealing many of his ways of filmmaking. They talk about Red River (and the finding of Monty Clift), Rio Bravo (and how Hawks got the singers), Hatari (and how they improvised the hunting stuff) and Rio Lobo (and how the leading lady didn't live up to expectations). Men like Howard Hawks were never given credit in the US for their body of work in American Film until Bogdanovich and others in his time started writing about him.
All in all, it's a good dozen interviews in one hell of a hefty book.
Outside France, Bogdanovich, in the times of the Nouvelle Vague, was pretty much the only one who held a torch for directors who had yet to become legends - through these writings. It'll be thrilling to read the soon to be published "Who the Devil Was in it?", holding interviews with JW and Jimmy Stewart.
WHO THE DEVIL WAS IN IT? by Peter Bogdanovich
Now released, the companion piece to Bogdanovich's interview book with famous directors, Who the Devil Made It?
Bogdanovich remembers and re-prints his interviews with icons such as Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. The Wayne interview is of special interest to us, not only because Waye reveals some secrets, but also because the interview took place in 1975, and he wasn't very happy with his last films - The Shootist was just around the corner then. So Bogdanovich manages to capture the man in this time of his life. A hefty junk of book, but you'll eat it up.
VOICES FROM THE SET - The Film Heritage Interviews, by Macklin
Probably the most famous interview JW did in print is the Playboy interview. Yet he doesn't talk about his acting at all. He even leaves it at remarking "I don't have a technique". The one that really got him talking was Macklin, and the resulting interview runs for several pages is in this book. It's one of the very very few times JW talks about his acting and his roles, about his trade. He even stops once, saying that he normally doesn't talk about that, but the interviewer made him feel comfortable. So we learn what he thinks about Ethan, even dreaming up a sequel "Ethan Rides Again", in which he just improvises a plot, how Ethan could have gone on after that famous door closed. He talks about how he had to "find a role for himself" in the ensemble piece "Liberty Valance". He talks about how he stopped shooting a Republic quickie one day at midnight and the next morning was on the set of "Long Voyage Home", and having to learn that Swedish accent. The interview was done in 1975, and after all those years Wayne can recite the dialogue of several of his movies, 30 years and more in the past, without a flaw. He talks about how he helped Hawks on Red River, not taking a chance in the script for "Academy Award stuff", as Hawks suggested, but playing Dunson his way. A great interview. In addition, there's also an interview with Charlton Heston, a man who's especially proud of his profession. He studies his peers - and uses two pages in this book to talk not about himself but about John Wayne's acting technique. And Chuck has a deeper understanding about Wayne's acting than most of his critics ever did.
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Tie-Ins
Not original books, but written to help advertise the film.
THE ALAMO
BIG JAKE
CAHILL:U.S. MARSHAL
CAST A GIANT SHADOW
CHISUM
THE COMANCHEROS
HATARI
HONDO
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
THE LONGEST DAY (US and UK)
THE LONG VOYAGE HOME
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERY VALANCE
MCLINTOCK
MCQ
RED RIVER
ROOSTER COGBURN
THE SEARCHERS
THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS
THE SHOOTIST
THE SPOILERS
THE TRAIN ROBBERS
THE WAR WAGON
THEY WERE EXPENDABLE
TRUE GRIT
Most tie-ins were released in US and UK versions
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Edited and Updated by
ethanedwards
December 2009
Copyright-©dukewayne.com.2009.
I offer my sincere thanks to itdo, (I hope he doesn't mind me re-vamping his post!)
and to the members who have contributed new titles