Why John Wayne still matters

Back in the last 1960’s there was a very famous ad campaign that asked, What Becomes a Legend Most?  In fact, the real answer to that question is not the fur coat that was advertised, but really, it’s for a real legend to have a good biographer.

John Wayne certainly fits the role of a legend.  Wayne's is a story filled with contradiction, misinformation and of course the conflating of fact and fiction.  Today, 35 years after his death, Wayne is still a bit of a mystery, even while still one of America's favorite movie stars.

What was it about Wayne, his image, his life and his movies, that interconnected so perfectly with his time and his country.

Scott Eyman, who previously has written about John Ford, turns his focus to Wayne in a new biography John Wayne: The Life and Legend

My conversation with Scott Eyman: