
John Wayne
The Life and Legend
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Narrated by:
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John McLain
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By:
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Scott Eyman
About this listen
John Wayne was one of Hollywood's most famous and most successful actors, but he was more than that. He became a symbol of America itself. He epitomized the Western film, which for many people epitomized America. He identified with conservative political causes from the early 1930s to his death in 1979, making him a hero to one generation of Americans and a villain to another. But unlike fellow actor Ronald Reagan, Wayne had no interest in politics as a career. Like many stars, he altered his life story, claiming to have become an actor almost by accident when in fact he had studied drama and aspired to act for most of his youth. He married three times, all to Latina women, and conducted a lengthy affair with Marlene Dietrich, as unlikely a romantic partner as one could imagine for the Duke. Wayne projected dignity, integrity, and strength in all his films, even when his characters were flawed, and whatever character he played was always prepared to confront injustice in his own way. More than 30 years after his death, he remains the standard by which male stars are judged and an actor whose morally unambiguous films continue to attract sizeable audiences.
Scott Eyman interviewed Wayne, as well as many family members, and he has drawn on previously unpublished reminiscences from friends and associates of the Duke in this biography, as well as documents from his production company that shed light on Wayne's business affairs. He traces Wayne from his childhood to his stardom in Stagecoach and dozens of films after that. Eyman perceptively analyzes Wayne's relationship with John Ford, the director with whom he's most associated and who made some of Wayne's greatest films.
Wayne was self-aware. He once said, "I’ve played the kind of man I’d like to have been." It's that man and the real John Wayne who are brilliantly profiled in Scott Eyman's insightful biography of a true American legend.
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The definitive biography of the deeply complex and widely misunderstood matinee idol of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Devastatingly handsome, broad-shouldered, and clean-cut, Rock Hudson was the ultimate movie star. The embodiment of romantic masculinity in American film throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, Hudson reigned supreme as the king of Hollywood. But in a more conservative era, Hudson’s wholesome, straight-arrow screen image was at odds with his closeted homosexuality.
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Almost all of book is filtered by his sexuality.
- By James M. Patton on 03-30-19
By: Mark Griffin
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Pictures at a Revolution
- Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
- By: Mark Harris
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Dolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde - and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood and America forever.
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Would It Be Too Much To Ask?
- By Casey Keller on 12-31-08
By: Mark Harris
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The Boys
- A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
- By: Ron Howard, Clint Howard
- Narrated by: Ron Howard, Clint Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben - these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the ’60s and ’70s. Join award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.
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The recording is awful, loud and then quiet
- By Sandy Williams on 10-16-21
By: Ron Howard, and others
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20th Century-Fox
- Darryl F. Zanuck and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio
- By: Scott Eyman
- Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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March 20, 2019 marked the end of an era - Disney took ownership of the movie empire that was Fox. For almost a century before that historic date, Twentieth Century-Fox was one of the preeminent producers of films, stars, and filmmakers. Its unique identity in the industry and place in movie history is unparalleled - and one of the greatest stories to come out of Hollywood.
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Our media world is unlike anything we’ve ever known
- By Amy Evans on 12-04-21
By: Scott Eyman
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Carson the Magnificent
- By: Bill Zehme, Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2002, Bill Zehme landed one of the most coveted assignments for a magazine writer: an interview with Johnny Carson—the only one he’d granted since retiring from hosting The Tonight Show a decade earlier. Zehme was tapped for the Esquire feature story thanks to his years of legendary celebrity profiles, and the resulting piece portrayed Carson as more human being than showbiz legend. Shortly after Carson’s death in 2005 and urged on by many of those closest to Carson, Zehme signed a contract to do an expansive biography.
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Meh
- By Pklinkne on 11-08-24
By: Bill Zehme, and others
What listeners say about John Wayne
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- Isaac Oden
- 05-08-15
The Duke Lives
Complex, eloquent and revelatory. One of the best Hollywood bios I have ever come across. Get it via Audible for a great performance of the book by John McLean.
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- Roger A Reid
- 08-07-18
A truly American Icon
America like it or not has historically had a reputation embodied by the likes of men in the mold of John Wayne and this biography tells us how he reached that pinnacle of American masculinity (if that’s toxic at least it’s not timid) and I believe we could use a little more old fashioned male testosterone and a little less ambiguity and wimpy presentation in real life much less in our movies. Hooray for John Wayne who blazed through life in and out of the silver screen.
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- T. McDaniel
- 08-06-18
An inside look at the real man and what a man!
I've always liked the character of John Wayne and admired him like pretty much the rest of the world, but I didn't really know much about him. This book really delves into all of his sides, not just the one that the rest of the world saw, but a real look at how he was. We get to hear from his family and friends and learn a lot more about him both is good side and his imperfections. I was astonished and warmed and so glad to finally find out about the real man behind the legend. He wasn't perfect, but he tried to always be his best and he led one heck of a life! We get to know not just the movie side, but also his personal and business sides too. I highly recommend this book and the narration is really fun.
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- Bill
- 04-20-15
The Duke was a legend in life and in death
what is left to say! An American Idol. ..at the very least.
My father in law knew John Wayne personally. In his home it resembled a shrine to the Duke. Pictures and memorabilia everywhere. He died this January at age 98. He often told me how he met the Duke. While on a salmon fishing trip in the San Juan Islands he noticed the Wild Goose and circled it to admire the boat. The Duke noticed him and this is quote "quit your gaukin' and come aboard and have a drink! " after that chance meeting he would meet the Duke several times over the years. I just wish that he could have listened to this audio book before he died.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Jody R. Nathan
- 07-14-18
good story, narrator needs help with pronunciatio
Story is good, since it's about John Wayne what else could it be? Narrator Is pretty good most of the time . That makes it more jarring when he stumbles over the pronuncecation of the word argosy and Claudette Colbert's name. The amount of money each movie made is relentlessly proclaimed.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Sam
- 10-11-19
Excellent
Finely detailed story of Duke. Includes just about every acting job along the way and good interviews with cohorts.
The only thing that bothered me was the author’s disdain for Duke’s conservatism. It’s clear the author thinks conservatives are undesirables. Fortunately, the book is focused on events so this bias is not glaring.
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2 people found this helpful
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- DJ McCarty
- 04-22-19
Outstanding
Best book I have read about the Duke. Lots of insights and personal history of a true American.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Wilbur C.
- 02-05-20
John Wayne unpeeled!
I very much enjoyed this bio by Scott Eyman. I grew up watching John Wayne and this caused me to view parts of my own life as the Duke was living the last years of his. I'm actually planning on watching everything he acted in over the years. I also liked John McLain's narration. He has a John Wayne like voice and at times he sounded like the man himself speaking. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested not only in John Wayne or John Ford but individuals interested in Hollywood history.
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- E. Campbell
- 10-17-23
Great biography of an American icon
This was such an interesting read with great behind the scenes stories fleshing out the man behind the legend.
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- Krackers1
- 10-24-14
My Hero!!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
great stories about John Wayne's life and the lives of those who he worked with.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Duke of course
Did John McLain do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
Yes, he did a nice job of trying to sound like the Duke.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Most chapters were pretty long but I did manage to do whole chapters at a time.
Any additional comments?
I had trouble with the audio which was frustrating and detracted from the total enjoyment of the book.
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7 people found this helpful