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Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero
John Ford and John Wayne were two titans of classic film and made some of the most enduring movies of all time. The genre they defined--the Western--still matters today.
For over twenty years John Ford and John Wayne were a blockbuster Hollywood team, turning out many of the finest Western films ever made. Ford, a son of Irish immigrants known for his black eye patch and for his hard-drinking, brawling masculinity, was renowned for both his craftsmanship and his brutality. John "Duke" Wayne was a mere stagehand and bit player in "B" Westerns, but he was strapping and incredibly handsome, and Ford saw his potential. In 1939 Ford made Wayne a star in Stagecoach, and from there the two men established a close, often turbulent relationship.
Their most productive years saw the release of one iconic film after another: Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. But by 1960, the bond of their friendship had frayed, and Wayne felt he could move beyond his mentor with his first solo project, The Alamo. Few of Wayne's following films would have the brilliance or the cachet of a John Ford Western but, taken collectively, the careers of these two men changed movie making in ways that endure to this day. Despite the decline of the Western in contemporary cinema, its cultural legacy, particularly the type of hero codified by Ford and Wayne--tough, self-reliant, and unafraid to fight but also honorable, trustworthy, and kind--resonates in everything from Star Wars to today's superhero franchises.
Drawing on previously untapped caches of letters and personal documents, Nancy Schoenberger dramatically narrates a complicated, poignant, and iconic friendship, and the lasting legacy of that friendship on American culture.
For over twenty years John Ford and John Wayne were a blockbuster Hollywood team, turning out many of the finest Western films ever made. Ford, a son of Irish immigrants known for his black eye patch and for his hard-drinking, brawling masculinity, was renowned for both his craftsmanship and his brutality. John "Duke" Wayne was a mere stagehand and bit player in "B" Westerns, but he was strapping and incredibly handsome, and Ford saw his potential. In 1939 Ford made Wayne a star in Stagecoach, and from there the two men established a close, often turbulent relationship.
Their most productive years saw the release of one iconic film after another: Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. But by 1960, the bond of their friendship had frayed, and Wayne felt he could move beyond his mentor with his first solo project, The Alamo. Few of Wayne's following films would have the brilliance or the cachet of a John Ford Western but, taken collectively, the careers of these two men changed movie making in ways that endure to this day. Despite the decline of the Western in contemporary cinema, its cultural legacy, particularly the type of hero codified by Ford and Wayne--tough, self-reliant, and unafraid to fight but also honorable, trustworthy, and kind--resonates in everything from Star Wars to today's superhero franchises.
Drawing on previously untapped caches of letters and personal documents, Nancy Schoenberger dramatically narrates a complicated, poignant, and iconic friendship, and the lasting legacy of that friendship on American culture.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2017
23 people are currently reading
921 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Schoenberger
15 books39 followersNancy Schoenberger is a professor of English and creative writing at the College of William and Mary. She is the author of Dangerous Muse: The Life of Lady Caroline Blackwood, and coauthor with her husband, Sam Kashner, of books on Oscar Levant, George Reeves, and the relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. She lives in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 22, 2017
"I played the kind of man I'd like to have been." John Wayne
What a crazy iconic pair......John Wayne and John Ford.
First of all, I'm a big fan of the big tough guy John (The Duke) Wayne. I liked his talk (great voice) and I liked his walk! As for his old westerns and war movies....many of which are discussed and dissected here....I still enjoy them.
BUT OMGOSH, John Ford, what a total shock to learn about his disgusting "brow-beating" bullying approach to directing. Often humiliating and violent, he actually punched....yes punched actors....Henry Fonda for one, and actresses....Maureen O'Hara (if you can believe that) in the face to "keep them on their toes" and remind them who was in charge. AND....he was particularly verbally abusive and cruel to Wayne on a routine basis, but the Duke's cool demeanor and soft heart respected the man and his abilities in spite of it all. (Possible reasons for Ford's combative personality are explored in this work.)
WAYNE AND FORD is a entertaining and informative behind the scenes look at a lifelong actor/director relationship that includes great old photos, interesting tidbits about their personal lives, health issues and, of course, the many movies they made together. (Can you picture ELVIS playing the part of the Texas Ranger in TRUE GRIT or Mia Farrow playing Mattie Ross?)
Anyway, one thing is for sure, I will never watch another John Wayne movie without remembering his true story, the reason behind the five packs of smokes a day, or that he really was very much like the man he played.
John Wayne (born Marion Morrison) May 26, 1907 - June 11, 1979
Many thanks to NetGalley, author Nancy Schoenberger and Doubleday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2023
"[Director John Ford and actor John Wayne] began as seekers, modeling their lives on the examples of older, more experienced men, and both men ended, in their own realms, as celebrated icons - heroes to their fans and to much of America. But both men were flawed heroes . . . [Yet] no other director and actor created the ideal of the American hero more than Ford and Wayne." -- page 6
In the latter part of the 20th century and well into the 21st century, the U.S. has boasted a number of cinematic director / actor associations that have been particularly fruitful, popular, or iconic. Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood. Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson. Yet the 'grandfather' of all of these dynamic duos is arguably the partnering of director John Ford and actor John Wayne, who saddled up to shoot fourteen (!) films together - including seven Westerns, and most of them (such as their acclaimed 'Calvary Trilogy') are now considered classics of the genre - over a span of twenty-four eventful years, ranging from Stagecoach in 1939 to Donovan's Reef in 1963. In a succinct 200 pages author Schoenberger delves into their unusual professional relationship (Ford appears to have been one cantankerous tyrant) and how it established their careers (Wayne eventually graduated to other respected work late in his career with solid films like True Grit, The Cowboys, and The Shootist albeit with other strong directors) to set them on the path to being screen legends. It should be noted that author Schoenberger is not a professional film critic or essayist, but an English professor, poet, and creative writing instructor. While that may sound like a curious background for her to have with delving into the chosen subject matter she has crafted a thoughtful and very interesting book.
In the latter part of the 20th century and well into the 21st century, the U.S. has boasted a number of cinematic director / actor associations that have been particularly fruitful, popular, or iconic. Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood. Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson. Yet the 'grandfather' of all of these dynamic duos is arguably the partnering of director John Ford and actor John Wayne, who saddled up to shoot fourteen (!) films together - including seven Westerns, and most of them (such as their acclaimed 'Calvary Trilogy') are now considered classics of the genre - over a span of twenty-four eventful years, ranging from Stagecoach in 1939 to Donovan's Reef in 1963. In a succinct 200 pages author Schoenberger delves into their unusual professional relationship (Ford appears to have been one cantankerous tyrant) and how it established their careers (Wayne eventually graduated to other respected work late in his career with solid films like True Grit, The Cowboys, and The Shootist albeit with other strong directors) to set them on the path to being screen legends. It should be noted that author Schoenberger is not a professional film critic or essayist, but an English professor, poet, and creative writing instructor. While that may sound like a curious background for her to have with delving into the chosen subject matter she has crafted a thoughtful and very interesting book.
October 21, 2017
This book is a gem and deserves 5 stars. If you are a fan of the iconic John Ford/John Wayne westerns, then you will enjoy this book, which provides a plot summary of these westerns and places them in a larger context, relating them to American society and the role of men and women in today's society along with America from 1930 to 1979. The book provides a lot of detail about John Ford's movie making style. Ford was a bully and an alcoholic. He did not drink while making a movie and demanded that his film crew do the same. He knelt on an actor's back and broke 1 of his ribs to punish him for coming to work hungover. Henry Fonda punched Ford in the nose during the filming of "Mister Roberts."
The book also explains why Wayne did not serve in WWII. He was about to enlist and told the studio boss, Republic's Herbert Yates. Yates told Wayne that he would sue him for"... every penny that you've got."
Some quotes:
"But he was in many ways still the same old John Ford, chewing one end of a ratty handkerchief to battle his cravings for alcohol, while insisting on a sober cast and crew."
On the possibility of Ford being gay:
"Perhaps Ford's tragedy is that he lived in a time when to have come out as a gay man would have ruined his career, particularly as a man who explored and celebrated masculine heroism."
On John Wayne productions vs. Ford's:
"If John Wayne tended to make propaganda when he was at the helm of a picture, John Ford almost always made art."
John Wayne's 3rd wife Pilar:
"He would become a super patriot for the rest of his life trying to atone for staying at home."
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for sending me this ebook.
The book also explains why Wayne did not serve in WWII. He was about to enlist and told the studio boss, Republic's Herbert Yates. Yates told Wayne that he would sue him for"... every penny that you've got."
Some quotes:
"But he was in many ways still the same old John Ford, chewing one end of a ratty handkerchief to battle his cravings for alcohol, while insisting on a sober cast and crew."
On the possibility of Ford being gay:
"Perhaps Ford's tragedy is that he lived in a time when to have come out as a gay man would have ruined his career, particularly as a man who explored and celebrated masculine heroism."
On John Wayne productions vs. Ford's:
"If John Wayne tended to make propaganda when he was at the helm of a picture, John Ford almost always made art."
John Wayne's 3rd wife Pilar:
"He would become a super patriot for the rest of his life trying to atone for staying at home."
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for sending me this ebook.
March 24, 2024
This is a relatively short book that offers a lot to its readers. The first of these is a dual biography of two legendary figures of 20th century American cinema: John Ford and John Wayne. Nancy Schoenberger provides the details of their lives to give her readers an understanding of their personalities and how they informed their respective views of the world. The insights she gleans this are used to analyze six of the Westerns on which the two of them collaborated, as well as some of the other films on which they worked separately from each other. Given the over 300 films the two men made over their long careers, Schoenberger focuses on just a select few that best demonstrate the development of their careers, particularly in terms of the role each played in that of the other.
All of these things are used to inform the main subject of the book: the relationship between Ford and Wayne. It was one that endured for over four decades, starting in 1928 when Ford – already a successful director with over a decade of experience – tackled a USC football player who was performing odd jobs on the set of his latest film Mother Machree. As Schoenberger notes, it was a test of Marion Morrison’s (as Wayne was then known) manhood, which he passed to Ford’s satisfaction. Soon cast as an uncredited extra and property man, it was the beginning of both Wayne’s rise to stardom and the long association between the two men, one that continued between pictures with frequent parties and boat trips and which lasted until Ford’s death in 1973.
The relationship was not without its pitfalls. Schoenberger demonstrates throughout her text Ford’s extraordinarily temperamental personality, one that was often expressed with frequent bullying of the cast and crew on his pictures. Wayne was not spared such treatment, yet he endured it out of his affection and devotion to a man he often referred to as “Pappy” and “Chief.” The bond between these two serve as the basis for Schoenberger’s examination of the concept of masculinity conveyed in both men’s films, an analysis that informs an understanding of the subject more broadly during the 20th century. As the author demonstrates, the elements of this masculinity – toughness, loyalty, fidelity to oneself, and a willingness to pass along one’s knowledge, among others – not only were key themes in their films, but were often reflected in their off-screen friendship. Such insights are why her book is such a worthwhile study, not just of these two iconic figures, but of the broader national culture which their professional and personal relationship did so much to influence.
All of these things are used to inform the main subject of the book: the relationship between Ford and Wayne. It was one that endured for over four decades, starting in 1928 when Ford – already a successful director with over a decade of experience – tackled a USC football player who was performing odd jobs on the set of his latest film Mother Machree. As Schoenberger notes, it was a test of Marion Morrison’s (as Wayne was then known) manhood, which he passed to Ford’s satisfaction. Soon cast as an uncredited extra and property man, it was the beginning of both Wayne’s rise to stardom and the long association between the two men, one that continued between pictures with frequent parties and boat trips and which lasted until Ford’s death in 1973.
The relationship was not without its pitfalls. Schoenberger demonstrates throughout her text Ford’s extraordinarily temperamental personality, one that was often expressed with frequent bullying of the cast and crew on his pictures. Wayne was not spared such treatment, yet he endured it out of his affection and devotion to a man he often referred to as “Pappy” and “Chief.” The bond between these two serve as the basis for Schoenberger’s examination of the concept of masculinity conveyed in both men’s films, an analysis that informs an understanding of the subject more broadly during the 20th century. As the author demonstrates, the elements of this masculinity – toughness, loyalty, fidelity to oneself, and a willingness to pass along one’s knowledge, among others – not only were key themes in their films, but were often reflected in their off-screen friendship. Such insights are why her book is such a worthwhile study, not just of these two iconic figures, but of the broader national culture which their professional and personal relationship did so much to influence.
June 6, 2017
Over the span of more than 20 years, John Wayne and John Ford made 14 movies together. Most were westerns, and all of them featured Wayne as a tough but kind heroically masculine figure. A man's man. One of my all-time favorite movies -- The Quiet Man -- is a classic Wayne and Ford movie.
In Wayne and Ford, Nancy Schoenberger presents interesting facts and background on both men, touching on their careers, personal life, health and relationships. I was surprised to learn that it took John Wayne more than 10 years to achieve success as a leading actor. He made a lot of B westerns and serials before finally being cast in more major roles. Ford made a wide variety of movies ranging from military films to academy award winning drama Grapes of Wrath. But Schoenberger points out that Ford always returned to what he loved best -- films for men about being men. Ford loved making westerns despite knowing he would never win awards for them. Ford was passionate about his work, often pushing actors and crew to the breaking point. Schoenberger doesn't try to hide the volatility of Ford's personality. She shares tales of his temper, physical altercations with actors (he even punched Maureen O'Hara in the face for no reason! yikes!), and his sometimes ridiculous expectations.
Each film that Ford and Wayne made together is featured in the book with information on plot, casting and behind-the-scenes facts. I found this information very interesting! There are lots of photos from the movies as well.
My husband is a huge western fan. Movies, television, books ..... if it's set in the Old West, he loves it. Every Christmas I buy him a special western-themed gift. The last few years it's been Gunsmoke memorabilia, but this year I decided on books. I bought him a copy of Tom Clavin's recent book about Dodge City, and also preordered a copy of Wayne and Ford because I know he will absolutely love this book!
After reading this book, I plan to re-watch all of the films that these two cinema legends made together. It's an awesome list of great, classic films! I've seen them all before but now that I know more background details on each film, I know I will enjoy seeing them all again. I can't wait for my husband to get his copy of this book because I know he will enjoy it even more than I did!
This is definitely a great book for any western movie fan! Wayne and Ford is set for release from Doubleday Books in October 2017.
Nancy Schoenberger is the author of several other books including Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century.
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Doubleday via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**
In Wayne and Ford, Nancy Schoenberger presents interesting facts and background on both men, touching on their careers, personal life, health and relationships. I was surprised to learn that it took John Wayne more than 10 years to achieve success as a leading actor. He made a lot of B westerns and serials before finally being cast in more major roles. Ford made a wide variety of movies ranging from military films to academy award winning drama Grapes of Wrath. But Schoenberger points out that Ford always returned to what he loved best -- films for men about being men. Ford loved making westerns despite knowing he would never win awards for them. Ford was passionate about his work, often pushing actors and crew to the breaking point. Schoenberger doesn't try to hide the volatility of Ford's personality. She shares tales of his temper, physical altercations with actors (he even punched Maureen O'Hara in the face for no reason! yikes!), and his sometimes ridiculous expectations.
Each film that Ford and Wayne made together is featured in the book with information on plot, casting and behind-the-scenes facts. I found this information very interesting! There are lots of photos from the movies as well.
My husband is a huge western fan. Movies, television, books ..... if it's set in the Old West, he loves it. Every Christmas I buy him a special western-themed gift. The last few years it's been Gunsmoke memorabilia, but this year I decided on books. I bought him a copy of Tom Clavin's recent book about Dodge City, and also preordered a copy of Wayne and Ford because I know he will absolutely love this book!
After reading this book, I plan to re-watch all of the films that these two cinema legends made together. It's an awesome list of great, classic films! I've seen them all before but now that I know more background details on each film, I know I will enjoy seeing them all again. I can't wait for my husband to get his copy of this book because I know he will enjoy it even more than I did!
This is definitely a great book for any western movie fan! Wayne and Ford is set for release from Doubleday Books in October 2017.
Nancy Schoenberger is the author of several other books including Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century.
**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Doubleday via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**
January 3, 2021
Two legends, one of whom likes to film the other dressed as a cowboy and then share those films with lots and lots of little kids (mostly boys.) Their love was not as perverse as the previous sentence made it seem. Theirs was a male bond that seems sorely lacking in the current atmosphere of today. Both men contributed indelibly to American culture and this book does much to celebrate the complexity of each man's persona.
June 5, 2017
John Wayne, a beloved actor, director, and American icon, and film director, John Ford together created the classic western movies that continue to cement the image of a tough fighting, but triumphant masculine legacy. Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero might include a misnomer in "friendship." John Ford was brutal to the point of being vicious with his actors while simultaneously wrenching from them their best work. From Wayne and Ford's collaboration comes the vision of the strong American male, capable, independent at the same time honorable. Ford first noticed the stagehand (Marion Morrison) as the tall, good-looking, and robust Wayne that he would eventually use to star in his classic "Stagecoach." Wayne had the walk and talk of a budding Hollywood star and his magnetic presence filled the screen, though Ford allowed Wayne to mature slowly into the spotlight. Their on-again/off-again relationship would churn out a collective of the western genre over a twenty-year span. John "Duke" Wayne is portrayed generally as he is remembered, even-tempered, kind, and patient, while Ford comes off as a major shock--(I mean, who knew?)--belittling even the beautiful and talented Maureen O'Hara. His abuse didn't stop with the verbal, graduating several times into the physical. If he was remembered as being a hard drinking, eye-patch wearing, often cruel taskmaster, it was because he was. However, Wayne apparently saw the genius and continued to work with him until he split and went off to direct his own picture, "Alamo." Nancy Schoenberger draws on a treasure chest of letters, personal documents, pictures, and interviews to paint the complicated picture of the turbulent relationship between the two. Wayne, the father, seemed the loving nurturer whereas Ford built a wall between him and his children, as he seemed to do with his "friends," perhaps not entirely unexpected given the information revealed regarding his own childhood. Read aloud on a cross-country trip to my husband, we often engaged in lively discussion the shocking details of Schoenberger's revelations. At the first opportunity, we rented and viewed "The Shootist" and enjoyed it all the more knowing the details behind the scenes, including the contributions made to the movie by the well-known actors anxious to be involved in what might be Wayne's farewell offering. This novel was offered as an ARC through NetGalley and Doubleday. We loved the book and now more so The Duke! More than a biography really, an exposé, and recommended to anyone who has ever wondered if what you saw was the real thing. It was.
October 1, 2017
I was interested in reading this book on John Wayne and Ford and their films. Having inherited a love of Western movies and John Wayne in particular, and having read a few articles through the years on John Wayne, I felt I knew a bit about him. John Ford was much more an unknown quantity going into it, but the author certainly did her research in this amazing double biography. I came away feeling I knew quite a bit more about both of them, historically as far as their films, and about their personal lives. Almost too much in the case of Ford, as it got rather gritty later on and I mostly read it to learn about The Duke anyway. I would recommend this book to fans of either Wayne or Ford and their films, or those interested in film history. It's certainly something reading about all they endured on locations making those movies. An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher for an unbiased review.
September 19, 2017
I received a free Kindle copy of Wayne and Ford by Nancy Schoenberger courtesy of Net Galley and Doubleday, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review to Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my history book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I have been a fan of John Wayne movies and in particular the ones directed by John Ford. I have not read any biographies on either of them. It is the first book by the Nancy Scnoenberger that I have read.
The subtitle of the book: The Films, The Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero pretty much describes the detail in the book. That said I felt that the book itself could have been much better. The author's writing style, while okay, is not overly engaging that does not make this a book that one can't walk away from and resume at a later time.
She spends a great deal of time detailing what a pain in the a** John Ford is and how he humiliated Wayne throughout their interactions, but Wayne saw him as a father figure and put up with it. As far as the descriptions of the movies, you would be better off just watching as the author makes most of them sound less interesting than they really are.
My recommendation is to watch the movies and skip the book.
I requested this book as I have been a fan of John Wayne movies and in particular the ones directed by John Ford. I have not read any biographies on either of them. It is the first book by the Nancy Scnoenberger that I have read.
The subtitle of the book: The Films, The Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero pretty much describes the detail in the book. That said I felt that the book itself could have been much better. The author's writing style, while okay, is not overly engaging that does not make this a book that one can't walk away from and resume at a later time.
She spends a great deal of time detailing what a pain in the a** John Ford is and how he humiliated Wayne throughout their interactions, but Wayne saw him as a father figure and put up with it. As far as the descriptions of the movies, you would be better off just watching as the author makes most of them sound less interesting than they really are.
My recommendation is to watch the movies and skip the book.
April 24, 2017
This is a dual biography with the history of Hollywood intermingled.
John Ford started filming silent movies before 1920. He hired a crew member to move scenery and other items on and off the set – Marion Morrison. In 1939 he gave then John Wayne his first leading role in a major film – Stagecoach. The working relationship and friendship would endure for the next almost 40 years.
Nancy Schoenberger’s work is an exceptional volume on the personal and professional relationship of the two men. She relates how that relationship influenced and dictated the Western Hero in America for several decades. Nancy’s research on the films, film crews, stars and extras provide not just an “insider’s” view, but a feel as if you are a witness on set. As soon as I completed the book I immediately selected and viewed a Ford / Wayne western.
For anyone studying the film industry, the bibliography of this volume is tremendous resource.
This work is very extremely well-done. For anyone interested in American movie history, especially the western genre, John Ford, or John Wayne, this book is a MUST READ.
John Ford started filming silent movies before 1920. He hired a crew member to move scenery and other items on and off the set – Marion Morrison. In 1939 he gave then John Wayne his first leading role in a major film – Stagecoach. The working relationship and friendship would endure for the next almost 40 years.
Nancy Schoenberger’s work is an exceptional volume on the personal and professional relationship of the two men. She relates how that relationship influenced and dictated the Western Hero in America for several decades. Nancy’s research on the films, film crews, stars and extras provide not just an “insider’s” view, but a feel as if you are a witness on set. As soon as I completed the book I immediately selected and viewed a Ford / Wayne western.
For anyone studying the film industry, the bibliography of this volume is tremendous resource.
This work is very extremely well-done. For anyone interested in American movie history, especially the western genre, John Ford, or John Wayne, this book is a MUST READ.
June 8, 2018
Book received from NetGalley.
John Wayne and John Ford were a well-known pair in early American film. Over the course of their careers, they made 20 films together and I have definitely watched most of them. I grew up with a father who was a huge fan of John Wayne's films and there were many Saturdays where he'd go from channel to channel trying to find another of Wayne's films once the one he was watching was finished. The book gives background on both Wayne and Ford's early lives, how they became a part of the Hollywood machine and how they formed their director and actor partnership. Until reading this I had forgotten that Ford had directed The Quiet Man one of the few films I really loved starring John Wayne. I learned quite a few things from this book but won't likely ever give it a re-read.
John Wayne and John Ford were a well-known pair in early American film. Over the course of their careers, they made 20 films together and I have definitely watched most of them. I grew up with a father who was a huge fan of John Wayne's films and there were many Saturdays where he'd go from channel to channel trying to find another of Wayne's films once the one he was watching was finished. The book gives background on both Wayne and Ford's early lives, how they became a part of the Hollywood machine and how they formed their director and actor partnership. Until reading this I had forgotten that Ford had directed The Quiet Man one of the few films I really loved starring John Wayne. I learned quite a few things from this book but won't likely ever give it a re-read.
October 9, 2017
I finished reading Nancy Schoenberger’s introduction – a well-crafted, passionate account on masculinity from a woman’s perspective, mostly derived through cinematic heroes, such as watching John Wayne westerns, although with the obligatory nods to her father – and immediately turned to my wife stating she had to read this primer. In this world of Wonder Woman and where the glass ceiling is arguably (at least?) scratched, this is the perfect time to hear from a woman on Wayne, who was truly one of those man’s man, like Bogey and Mitchum whose fast-talkin’ wit and sharp muscles fed the ideals of Boomers to Gen X boys nationwide, and John Ford, the man who helped forge Duke’s image.
Like Schoenberger, I grew up on Duke’s film’s and own The Searchers on Blu-Ray for the sole purpose of showing the film to my own boys (full confession: I also have Yojimbo and Hidden Fortress reserved for future viewings as well) but after reading her book I learned that my knowledge only ran as deep as the big hits. Schoenberger goes deeper. Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship and the Forging of an American Hero, Schoenberger avoids presenting a full biography on each man, acknowledging their tales have been told before. Yes, it is impossible to avoid such, but similar to what Bill Shatner recently accomplished in his 2016 recounting of his friendship with Leonard Nimoy in Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, Schoenberger focuses on the often-contentious working relationship between Duke Wayne and Jack Ford and the nearly twenty films they made together.
More than that, Schoenberger provides critical examinations on many of those films, including the aforementioned Searchers, the Cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande), Stagecoach, as well as Duke’s directorial debut, The Alamo. Schoenberger ponders the essential morality lesson of these films specifically, as well as Westerns generally, and theorizes on the macho image of Hollywood heroes from the more recent past: Gibson, Schwarzenegger, Willis. What do Westerns teach us, she asks and follows up with why are we missing those lessons today?
Their personal lives are accounted for within. Duke’s failed marriages and eventual cancer diagnosis. The possibility of John Ford’s suppressed homosexuality. She asides into separate projects, most noticeably the final three Westerns Wayne filmed without Ford, yet deliberately avoids other independent projects, most noticeably Rio Bravo, one of Duke’s most referenced films. She shows their relationship is more than mentor-student and truly becomes one of father-and-son.
Wayne and Ford is an excellent round-up and review of the work produced by two of the genre’s best. Ford had his Monument Valley. Wayne his stance, his drawl. Both are missed. Wayne and Ford lets you remember and learn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Nan A. Talese for the chance to read and review this enjoyable ARC.
Like Schoenberger, I grew up on Duke’s film’s and own The Searchers on Blu-Ray for the sole purpose of showing the film to my own boys (full confession: I also have Yojimbo and Hidden Fortress reserved for future viewings as well) but after reading her book I learned that my knowledge only ran as deep as the big hits. Schoenberger goes deeper. Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship and the Forging of an American Hero, Schoenberger avoids presenting a full biography on each man, acknowledging their tales have been told before. Yes, it is impossible to avoid such, but similar to what Bill Shatner recently accomplished in his 2016 recounting of his friendship with Leonard Nimoy in Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, Schoenberger focuses on the often-contentious working relationship between Duke Wayne and Jack Ford and the nearly twenty films they made together.
More than that, Schoenberger provides critical examinations on many of those films, including the aforementioned Searchers, the Cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande), Stagecoach, as well as Duke’s directorial debut, The Alamo. Schoenberger ponders the essential morality lesson of these films specifically, as well as Westerns generally, and theorizes on the macho image of Hollywood heroes from the more recent past: Gibson, Schwarzenegger, Willis. What do Westerns teach us, she asks and follows up with why are we missing those lessons today?
Their personal lives are accounted for within. Duke’s failed marriages and eventual cancer diagnosis. The possibility of John Ford’s suppressed homosexuality. She asides into separate projects, most noticeably the final three Westerns Wayne filmed without Ford, yet deliberately avoids other independent projects, most noticeably Rio Bravo, one of Duke’s most referenced films. She shows their relationship is more than mentor-student and truly becomes one of father-and-son.
Wayne and Ford is an excellent round-up and review of the work produced by two of the genre’s best. Ford had his Monument Valley. Wayne his stance, his drawl. Both are missed. Wayne and Ford lets you remember and learn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Nan A. Talese for the chance to read and review this enjoyable ARC.
January 24, 2023
The combination of director John Ford and actor John Wayne produced some of the greatest Western films ever put on the big screen. Though perhaps a little scattered at times, author Nancy Schoenberger does a nice job of chronicling their partnership in "Wayne and Ford". Basically, this book functions as three different stories simultaneously: a Ford mini-bio, a Duke mini-bio, and the nexus of the Venn diagram where they collaborated together.
On one hand, this three-pronged approach can come off a bit scattered and unfocused. Though following a rough chronology, it jumps around quite a bit loses the collaborative track the front cover promises. Schoenberger also ventures into the slightly problematic or dubious territory of ascribing on-screen events to real-life character traits.
But I can easily give "Wayne and Ford" 4 stars because it does cover some very interesting material other than the biographical stuff. The thread of both men trying to will themselves into being something beyond their upbringing is fascinating. Ford was born in Maine and was possibly a closeted homosexual--yet desperately wanted to be a "true Irishman" and projected the manliest image possible. Wayne was a California kid who played football at USC and never served in any active military duty--yet went on to cultivate perhaps the most conservative, all-American patriot image that ever came out of Hollywood. When Schoenberger focuses on those contradictions, the material absolutely shines.
There also runs through "Wayne and Ford" a thread of how the de-popularization of the American Western after the Wayne/Ford era may have had a impact on the meaning of manliness or male role models in the cultural lexicon. A compelling example is given of Wayne toiling on his "Alamo" failure (that was deemed out-of-touch) while The Apartment was winning Best Picture at the Oscars and setting up the caddish business man as the male ideal as opposed to the rough-and-tumble frontiersman. I actually wish more time would have been spent on this topic, as it fascinated me.
Overall, I enjoyed reading "Wayne and Ford" even while finding it a little all over the place sometimes. I will take with me Schoenberger's dichotomy of the two men's personal/internal struggles versus their outward projections to the public at large.
On one hand, this three-pronged approach can come off a bit scattered and unfocused. Though following a rough chronology, it jumps around quite a bit loses the collaborative track the front cover promises. Schoenberger also ventures into the slightly problematic or dubious territory of ascribing on-screen events to real-life character traits.
But I can easily give "Wayne and Ford" 4 stars because it does cover some very interesting material other than the biographical stuff. The thread of both men trying to will themselves into being something beyond their upbringing is fascinating. Ford was born in Maine and was possibly a closeted homosexual--yet desperately wanted to be a "true Irishman" and projected the manliest image possible. Wayne was a California kid who played football at USC and never served in any active military duty--yet went on to cultivate perhaps the most conservative, all-American patriot image that ever came out of Hollywood. When Schoenberger focuses on those contradictions, the material absolutely shines.
There also runs through "Wayne and Ford" a thread of how the de-popularization of the American Western after the Wayne/Ford era may have had a impact on the meaning of manliness or male role models in the cultural lexicon. A compelling example is given of Wayne toiling on his "Alamo" failure (that was deemed out-of-touch) while The Apartment was winning Best Picture at the Oscars and setting up the caddish business man as the male ideal as opposed to the rough-and-tumble frontiersman. I actually wish more time would have been spent on this topic, as it fascinated me.
Overall, I enjoyed reading "Wayne and Ford" even while finding it a little all over the place sometimes. I will take with me Schoenberger's dichotomy of the two men's personal/internal struggles versus their outward projections to the public at large.
January 17, 2018
If you love John Wayne/John Ford western films, you’ll love this book. If not, then you won’t. 3.5 stars. This book is an enjoyable read for classic movie fans, and perhaps some American studies majors, but of limited interest beyond.
The author explores how Wayne’s giant onscreen persona continues to set a standard for American views of masculinity and patriotism. Meanwhile, his offscreen life as Marion “Duke” Morrison was less than perfect, marred by alcoholism, two broken marriages, and avoidance of military service during WWII.
Regardless of that private reality, his work on the silver screen is generally an embodiment of the classic line from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Hell, they even named an airport after him. Meanwhile Ford also enjoyed Hollywood power that far outsized his humble upbringing.
Perhaps kindred souls who made their way from small town America to the bright lights of Hollywood, both Wayne and Ford combined to create iconic American films. Their cinematic work will always be looked upon as an idealized guidepost for many American men - be strong and act nobly, despite your flaws - and I have to admit to a certain fascination with this lasting contribution to the American experience. If one of their films is on TCM then I’m likely sitting and watching.
An interesting book for classic film junkies, but not a full biography of either man.
The author explores how Wayne’s giant onscreen persona continues to set a standard for American views of masculinity and patriotism. Meanwhile, his offscreen life as Marion “Duke” Morrison was less than perfect, marred by alcoholism, two broken marriages, and avoidance of military service during WWII.
Regardless of that private reality, his work on the silver screen is generally an embodiment of the classic line from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Hell, they even named an airport after him. Meanwhile Ford also enjoyed Hollywood power that far outsized his humble upbringing.
Perhaps kindred souls who made their way from small town America to the bright lights of Hollywood, both Wayne and Ford combined to create iconic American films. Their cinematic work will always be looked upon as an idealized guidepost for many American men - be strong and act nobly, despite your flaws - and I have to admit to a certain fascination with this lasting contribution to the American experience. If one of their films is on TCM then I’m likely sitting and watching.
An interesting book for classic film junkies, but not a full biography of either man.
December 7, 2017
I absolutely loved this look at one of the more legendary film collaborations of the twentieth century. As someone who grew up watching John Wayne films with her parents, the ones he worked on with John Ford still stand out in my mind. I was thrilled when I spotted this book on the new book shelves in the library I work at, and I snatched it up immediately.
Schoenberger takes us through the course of Wayne and Ford's relationship, from Wayne's beginnings as a prop assistant under Ford, through Wayne's early growth as an actor, into the height of their collaborative magic as seen in the epic film The Searchers, to the autumn era when Wayne's box office draw opened more doors for Ford than Ford's own bonafides did. The book cites many different sources, from Ford's papers to stories told from the people that surrounded them, such as Wayne's third wife, Pilar, or his most well-known leading lady, Maureen O'Hara. The tone is light and easy to read, and I inhaled it.
I'd give it four-and-a-half stars, because there are a couple of errors here and there, but I enjoyed it so much that I just went ahead and rounded up to five. Definitely worth reading for any fan of this duo.
Schoenberger takes us through the course of Wayne and Ford's relationship, from Wayne's beginnings as a prop assistant under Ford, through Wayne's early growth as an actor, into the height of their collaborative magic as seen in the epic film The Searchers, to the autumn era when Wayne's box office draw opened more doors for Ford than Ford's own bonafides did. The book cites many different sources, from Ford's papers to stories told from the people that surrounded them, such as Wayne's third wife, Pilar, or his most well-known leading lady, Maureen O'Hara. The tone is light and easy to read, and I inhaled it.
I'd give it four-and-a-half stars, because there are a couple of errors here and there, but I enjoyed it so much that I just went ahead and rounded up to five. Definitely worth reading for any fan of this duo.
October 18, 2022
I was very interested to read this book as I've been struggling with my own mixed feelings on Wayne and Ford. Growing up I loved John Wayne's Westerns, but with age they've soured for me due to their blatant racism, hedonism, and violence. This book has helped me to work through some of that and see that more of Ford's films are more nuanced, while Wayne himself missed some of that because of his uber-patriotism. A complicated history for sure, but one that's well worth a read.
It does lose one star for at times making the point that we don't have as "real" men today because we've lost stars and figures like John Wayne. Right, because men being emotionally available, less violent, and racist is a bad thing...
It does lose one star for at times making the point that we don't have as "real" men today because we've lost stars and figures like John Wayne. Right, because men being emotionally available, less violent, and racist is a bad thing...
October 1, 2017
I grew up with John Wayne movies on in the house - my father is a big fan. But this book is not a biography of Wayne and Ford. It is not a list of their movies along with anecdotes about what happened during filming. This is the story of the legend they created. They created the myth of John Wayne. They gave us the ideal man and the rules for a real man to live by. Schoenberger examines their coroboration and the development of the myth. Without realizing it, we came to believe this myth they created. We grew up believing that men should act in a certain way.
A very insightful book.
A very insightful book.
May 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It covers all of the John Wayne/John Ford movies and also goes into some of the movies they made apart. Written with a real fan's insight the book covers a lot of territory I had already known but still had lots of new insights. They were fascinating flawed men but together they made some of the best western movies of all time. If you are a fan I highly recommend the book.
August 30, 2022
An absolutely fantastic and readable work on the careers and collaborations of John Ford and John Wayne.
July 24, 2017
Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero
By:Nancy Schoenberger
Non Fiction
What's it's about:
John Ford and John Wayne were two titans of classic film and made some of the most enduring movies of all time. The genre they defined--the Western--still matters today.
For over twenty years John Ford and John Wayne were a blockbuster Hollywood team, turning out many of the finest Western films ever made. Ford, a son of Irish immigrants known for his black eye patch and for his hard-drinking, brawling masculinity, was renowned for both his craftsmanship and his brutality. John "Duke" Wayne was a mere stagehand and bit player in "B" Westerns, but he was strapping and incredibly handsome, and Ford saw his potential. In 1939 Ford made Wayne a star in Stagecoach, and from there the two men established a close, often turbulent relationship.
Their most productive years saw the release of one iconic film after another: Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence. But by 1960, the bond of their friendship had frayed, and Wayne felt he could move beyond his mentor with his first solo project, The Alamo. Few of Wayne's following films would have the brilliance or the cachet of a John Ford Western but, taken collectively, the careers of these two men changed movie making in ways that endure to this day. Despite the decline of the Western in contemporary cinema, its cultural legacy, particularly the type of hero codified by Ford and Wayne--tough, self-reliant, and unafraid to fight but also honorable, trustworthy, and kind--resonates in everything from Star Wars to today's superhero franchises.
Drawing on previously untapped caches of letters and personal documents, Nancy Schoenberger dramatically narrates a complicated, poignant, and iconic friendship, and the lasting legacy of that friendship on American cultur.
My thoughts:
DNF 100%
Sadly I'm DNF it, I just can't get in to the author's writing style at all, funny thing is I was actually hoping to like this book since it was about John Wayne, and I love his movies, grow up watching them with my dad, but the way the author talks about him ,it's like she's never seen any of his movies .It's like she's putting him and the other old Time movie actors down , so I won't be finish it.With that said I would like to.say thinks to NetGalley for at least giving me a chance to give it a try in a change for my honest opinion
October 24, 2017
Many directors have close relationships and work repeatedly with a particular actor. Martin Scorsese’s next film with Leonardo di Caprio, about serial killer H. H. Holmes, will be their fifth feature film together, Scorsese having previously made eight with Robert De Niro, which is the same number which Tim Burton has made, to date, with Johnny Depp. However, the most prolific partnership in cinema thus far was that between Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune, who made no less than sixteen films together.
John Ford and John Wayne’s collaboration was almost as fruitful, comprising fourteen films, from ‘Stagecoach’ in 1939 to ‘Donovan’s Reef’ in 1963 (although 1962’s ‘How the West was Won’ was a portmanteau film of which the Ford-Wayne ‘Civil War’ section was the shortest). It is this association that Nancy Schoenberger charts and celebrates in her book ‘Wayne and Ford’ , which is subtitled ‘The Films, the Friendship and the Forging of an American Hero’.
The fact that in addition to ‘Stagecoach’ their work together includes such important and well-loved films as ‘The Searchers’ and ‘The Quiet Man’ would be sufficient justification for writing this book. There are, however, three overlapping problems with Schoenberger’s approach.
Firstly, she is keen to consider the Ford-Wayne legacy in shaping America’s understanding of masculinity. There’s nothing wrong with that. Indeed, it is a subject which becomes more, not less, important as what masculinity means is increasingly challenged by the apparent breakdown of the traditional gender binary. The problem is that because Schoenberger believes that the Western genre played a particularly important role in shaping the American code of masculinity she lavishes attention on the “seven major westerns” which Wayne made with Ford and relatively neglects their seven other films.
Secondly, any thoughtful book about Ford and Wayne should list them in that order. It is true that both men could be said to have attained iconic status but whereas John Wayne was a much better actor than most people gave him credit for, Ford is an undisputed cinematic genius. Moreover, it was Ford who made a star of Wayne by casting him as the Ringo Kid in ‘Stagecoach’ (although in the latter part of their partnership the dynamic changed and Wayne’s box office appeal could be useful in ensuring finance was forthcoming for Ford’s films).
Thirdly, and most fundamentally, Schoenberger’s analysis is skewed by what she herself refers to as her “John Wayne problem” arising from the fact that she believes her father resembled Wayne physically and “lived the code of masculinity that John Ford and John Wayne created and embodied throughout the films, especially the Westerns”.
This is an enjoyable and often informative book, not least in explaining how Ford’s and Wayne’s friendship waxed and waned, but ultimately the various forms of bias it exhibits militates against its being fully satisfying.
John Ford and John Wayne’s collaboration was almost as fruitful, comprising fourteen films, from ‘Stagecoach’ in 1939 to ‘Donovan’s Reef’ in 1963 (although 1962’s ‘How the West was Won’ was a portmanteau film of which the Ford-Wayne ‘Civil War’ section was the shortest). It is this association that Nancy Schoenberger charts and celebrates in her book ‘Wayne and Ford’ , which is subtitled ‘The Films, the Friendship and the Forging of an American Hero’.
The fact that in addition to ‘Stagecoach’ their work together includes such important and well-loved films as ‘The Searchers’ and ‘The Quiet Man’ would be sufficient justification for writing this book. There are, however, three overlapping problems with Schoenberger’s approach.
Firstly, she is keen to consider the Ford-Wayne legacy in shaping America’s understanding of masculinity. There’s nothing wrong with that. Indeed, it is a subject which becomes more, not less, important as what masculinity means is increasingly challenged by the apparent breakdown of the traditional gender binary. The problem is that because Schoenberger believes that the Western genre played a particularly important role in shaping the American code of masculinity she lavishes attention on the “seven major westerns” which Wayne made with Ford and relatively neglects their seven other films.
Secondly, any thoughtful book about Ford and Wayne should list them in that order. It is true that both men could be said to have attained iconic status but whereas John Wayne was a much better actor than most people gave him credit for, Ford is an undisputed cinematic genius. Moreover, it was Ford who made a star of Wayne by casting him as the Ringo Kid in ‘Stagecoach’ (although in the latter part of their partnership the dynamic changed and Wayne’s box office appeal could be useful in ensuring finance was forthcoming for Ford’s films).
Thirdly, and most fundamentally, Schoenberger’s analysis is skewed by what she herself refers to as her “John Wayne problem” arising from the fact that she believes her father resembled Wayne physically and “lived the code of masculinity that John Ford and John Wayne created and embodied throughout the films, especially the Westerns”.
This is an enjoyable and often informative book, not least in explaining how Ford’s and Wayne’s friendship waxed and waned, but ultimately the various forms of bias it exhibits militates against its being fully satisfying.
May 29, 2017
I am a fan of MGR a matinee idol from Tamil Nadu, India, actor turned politician and a philanthropist who is often compared with John Wayne's box office draw. Both the actors in their movies portrayed the same qualities needed to the people in those era. The title of the book "Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship and the Forging of an American Hero" and the image of Wayne stylishly holding a gun made me to request in Net galley, and I have to thank net galley and Doubleday books for giving me an opportunity to read and review.
The author has mentioned the inspiration she got is from her father Lieutenant Commander Sigmund B.Schoenberger, who is a John Wayne and Western fan, a military officer and a test pilot and who lived the code of masculinity that John Ford and John Wayne created in the movies.
She narrates the life of both director John Ford and Marion Morrison the scenery mover later famously known as John Wayne. The author not only mentioned the life story but also exceptionally quoted their personal and professional relationship on and off screen.
Nancy also cited the psychologist Robert Brannon's markers of manhood which men must acquire to earn the approval of other men that is what Ford and John Wayne's movie characters exhibited.
1. One may never do anything that even suggests femininity.
2. Masculinity is measured by power, success, wealth and status.
3. A man depends on never showing your emotions at all. Boys don't cry.
4. Exude an aura of manly daring and aggression.
It is their friendship that made my eyes glistened that Ford who is also a mean boss cared for John Wayne when he worked with other directors and he himself came to the shooting spot to help John Wayne in completing his directorial debut movie "The Alamo".
The author has vividly described the movies, characters and also bullying approach of director Ford how he teases Henry Fonda, John Wayne etc. on the set. She also written up to the end of their life their last days, I was amazed at their similarity that both died of stomach cancer.
The book has some beautiful images of Wayne and Ford and their movies. The articles and notes given in the end is huge resource and the book is must read for Western movie genre and John Wayne fans.
The author has mentioned the inspiration she got is from her father Lieutenant Commander Sigmund B.Schoenberger, who is a John Wayne and Western fan, a military officer and a test pilot and who lived the code of masculinity that John Ford and John Wayne created in the movies.
She narrates the life of both director John Ford and Marion Morrison the scenery mover later famously known as John Wayne. The author not only mentioned the life story but also exceptionally quoted their personal and professional relationship on and off screen.
Nancy also cited the psychologist Robert Brannon's markers of manhood which men must acquire to earn the approval of other men that is what Ford and John Wayne's movie characters exhibited.
1. One may never do anything that even suggests femininity.
2. Masculinity is measured by power, success, wealth and status.
3. A man depends on never showing your emotions at all. Boys don't cry.
4. Exude an aura of manly daring and aggression.
It is their friendship that made my eyes glistened that Ford who is also a mean boss cared for John Wayne when he worked with other directors and he himself came to the shooting spot to help John Wayne in completing his directorial debut movie "The Alamo".
The author has vividly described the movies, characters and also bullying approach of director Ford how he teases Henry Fonda, John Wayne etc. on the set. She also written up to the end of their life their last days, I was amazed at their similarity that both died of stomach cancer.
The book has some beautiful images of Wayne and Ford and their movies. The articles and notes given in the end is huge resource and the book is must read for Western movie genre and John Wayne fans.
January 27, 2018
I received an advance reading copy of this book, for free, through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review.
Nancy Schoenberger’s Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero is three books in one. It is a dual biography of director John Ford, as well as the frequent star of his films, John Wayne. In addition, the book takes a behind-the-scenes look at the dozen or so films on which Ford and Wayne collaborated.
Schoenberger did an outstanding job of weaving the three narratives together. The biographies of the two key figures were fantastic, and the analyses of their films were enlightening. The author also explored the meaning of manhood and heroism, and how these films helped to define those terms for that era.
Stylistically, however, I found it strange that throughout the book the author referred to John Wayne as “Duke Wayne”. I’ve heard of John Wayne, and I’ve heard to him referred to by his nickname, The Duke, but never Duke Wayne. She also continually referred to actor Harry Carey Jr. as “Dobe Carey” (apparently because of his red, adobe-colored hair?). She made it seem as if she personally knew these people, was close friends with them, and visited them on movie sets. Obviously, this was not the case.
The flow of the book was interrupted at the beginning of the second half. Whereas, part one left off at the conclusion of filming The Searchers, part two opened with an infusion of sleaze: divorces, extramarital affairs (one of which resulted in an abortion), and Schoenberger’s assertion that John Ford was a homosexual. This aspersion seemed unnecessary and sensational, but it did explain some bizarre statements sprinkled throughout the first half of the book. While discussing a scene in Ford’s 1948 film, Fort Apache, Schoenberger wrote, “This is but one of numerous scenes with an obvious homoerotic element, in others, Ford’s handsome young actors strip down to their bare, smooth chests.” (p. 75)
I’ve seen Fort Apache, and somehow I missed the “obvious homoerotic element” in the film. Either that, or the author is watching seventy-year-old films through a modern lens, and is trying to project certain things onto those films which simply were not there at the time they were made. Thankfully, at the conclusion of chapter five, the author regained focus and returned to complete the story of Ford, Wayne, and their films. As Jack Webb’s Joe Friday might say, “Just the facts, ma’am”.
Strangely, at the conclusion of the book, following the death of John Wayne, instead of focusing on his legacy, the author interjects herself again into the narrative and shifts the focus to the legacy of her father (whom she introduced to readers in the book’s prologue) who was a lifelong fan of western movies and John Wayne. In my opinion, this would have fit naturally into the afterword of the book. This seemed like an inadequate way to conclude the narrative.
I reluctantly gave the book a four star rating, however, if Goodreads allowed half star ratings to be given, three-and-a-half stars would be more accurate.
Nancy Schoenberger’s Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero is three books in one. It is a dual biography of director John Ford, as well as the frequent star of his films, John Wayne. In addition, the book takes a behind-the-scenes look at the dozen or so films on which Ford and Wayne collaborated.
Schoenberger did an outstanding job of weaving the three narratives together. The biographies of the two key figures were fantastic, and the analyses of their films were enlightening. The author also explored the meaning of manhood and heroism, and how these films helped to define those terms for that era.
Stylistically, however, I found it strange that throughout the book the author referred to John Wayne as “Duke Wayne”. I’ve heard of John Wayne, and I’ve heard to him referred to by his nickname, The Duke, but never Duke Wayne. She also continually referred to actor Harry Carey Jr. as “Dobe Carey” (apparently because of his red, adobe-colored hair?). She made it seem as if she personally knew these people, was close friends with them, and visited them on movie sets. Obviously, this was not the case.
The flow of the book was interrupted at the beginning of the second half. Whereas, part one left off at the conclusion of filming The Searchers, part two opened with an infusion of sleaze: divorces, extramarital affairs (one of which resulted in an abortion), and Schoenberger’s assertion that John Ford was a homosexual. This aspersion seemed unnecessary and sensational, but it did explain some bizarre statements sprinkled throughout the first half of the book. While discussing a scene in Ford’s 1948 film, Fort Apache, Schoenberger wrote, “This is but one of numerous scenes with an obvious homoerotic element, in others, Ford’s handsome young actors strip down to their bare, smooth chests.” (p. 75)
I’ve seen Fort Apache, and somehow I missed the “obvious homoerotic element” in the film. Either that, or the author is watching seventy-year-old films through a modern lens, and is trying to project certain things onto those films which simply were not there at the time they were made. Thankfully, at the conclusion of chapter five, the author regained focus and returned to complete the story of Ford, Wayne, and their films. As Jack Webb’s Joe Friday might say, “Just the facts, ma’am”.
Strangely, at the conclusion of the book, following the death of John Wayne, instead of focusing on his legacy, the author interjects herself again into the narrative and shifts the focus to the legacy of her father (whom she introduced to readers in the book’s prologue) who was a lifelong fan of western movies and John Wayne. In my opinion, this would have fit naturally into the afterword of the book. This seemed like an inadequate way to conclude the narrative.
I reluctantly gave the book a four star rating, however, if Goodreads allowed half star ratings to be given, three-and-a-half stars would be more accurate.
March 4, 2018
You get the feeling that Nancy Schoenberger feels remorse that the John Wayne ideal no longer exists. After reading the book I feel the remorse as well. And although he shares the title with his frequent collaborator, John Ford, this really seems to be a book about Duke more so than their work together.
A lot of the book explains the dynamic between a conservative actor in a town that became progressively liberal as John Wayne matured. Ford, for instance, was a New Deal Democrat. He liked to to tell Duke that he got rich when FDR was president and he liked to remind Duke that he didn't serve in World War II when his co-star had. He liked to tell Duke a lot of things to belittle him, especially in front of other people.
I said in another recent review about a John Wayne book that I couldn't understand how Duke could take so much abuse from Ford in front of other people. Schoenberger has a pretty good explanation especially when it came to Ford's earliest movie with Wayne, Stagecoach. That Wayne was a B movies actor moving up to an A picture with top notch character actors, Wayne felt Ford rode him hard to create sympathy with the rest of the cast. If they felt terrible for the young actor they were less likely to feel envy. It doesn't explain Ford's abuse of Wayne later in his career up through Liberty Valance, but it's more than any other author has been able to give me. Wayne was at first in awe of Ford and grateful for the work and then later he pitied Ford when his career was in decline.
Now Wayne wouldn't take abuse from other directors, even good ones, so maybe it had something to do with John Ford being one of the greats. Personally I have always struggled with how great I think Ford was. The Grapes of Wrath was probably the greatest progressive movie of the 20th century. I love the Cavalry trilogy. And yet I find The Quiet Man a yawn and I think the comedy elements of The Searchers ruin the tone of what is supposed to be a great film. Then I'll watch Liberty Valance and can't imagine anyone else doing so much with the material. Stagecoach gets better every time I watch it. His Wyatt Earp movie seems miscast with Henry Fonda and plodding. I love Young Mr. Lincoln. Drums Along the Mohawk seems inconsequential. Back and forth I go.
It helps to have seen the movies to understand the book although it's not necessary. It might convince you to go and watch the movies. I will probably revisit a number of them now to see if I have evolved in my thinking with the passage of time.
A lot of the book explains the dynamic between a conservative actor in a town that became progressively liberal as John Wayne matured. Ford, for instance, was a New Deal Democrat. He liked to to tell Duke that he got rich when FDR was president and he liked to remind Duke that he didn't serve in World War II when his co-star had. He liked to tell Duke a lot of things to belittle him, especially in front of other people.
I said in another recent review about a John Wayne book that I couldn't understand how Duke could take so much abuse from Ford in front of other people. Schoenberger has a pretty good explanation especially when it came to Ford's earliest movie with Wayne, Stagecoach. That Wayne was a B movies actor moving up to an A picture with top notch character actors, Wayne felt Ford rode him hard to create sympathy with the rest of the cast. If they felt terrible for the young actor they were less likely to feel envy. It doesn't explain Ford's abuse of Wayne later in his career up through Liberty Valance, but it's more than any other author has been able to give me. Wayne was at first in awe of Ford and grateful for the work and then later he pitied Ford when his career was in decline.
Now Wayne wouldn't take abuse from other directors, even good ones, so maybe it had something to do with John Ford being one of the greats. Personally I have always struggled with how great I think Ford was. The Grapes of Wrath was probably the greatest progressive movie of the 20th century. I love the Cavalry trilogy. And yet I find The Quiet Man a yawn and I think the comedy elements of The Searchers ruin the tone of what is supposed to be a great film. Then I'll watch Liberty Valance and can't imagine anyone else doing so much with the material. Stagecoach gets better every time I watch it. His Wyatt Earp movie seems miscast with Henry Fonda and plodding. I love Young Mr. Lincoln. Drums Along the Mohawk seems inconsequential. Back and forth I go.
It helps to have seen the movies to understand the book although it's not necessary. It might convince you to go and watch the movies. I will probably revisit a number of them now to see if I have evolved in my thinking with the passage of time.
November 30, 2020
This dual biography covered the years of the cinematic collaborations of John Ford and John Wayne. It was not an extensive biography of either man, but rather a biography of the work they did together. The author is a professor in the English department of the College of William and Mary and so her focus was on how these two men created the American Western and along with it the myth of the American West as most people visualize it. The author went into the nuts and bolts of filming and of the vision of John Ford and how John Wayne executed it. It was clear throughout the book that the author's position was that Ford had the vision and Wayne was the vehicle Ford used to illustrate his vision of maleness and of the place of the American West in creating American manhood.
Throughout Ford's life he gathered big strong strapping males around him and is clear in all of his movies that he had a archetype of man. His friends illustrated this. He didn't like actors like James Stewart or Gary Cooper. He wanted big men. Men as big as the land. John Wayne and Ward Bond where his mens men. John Wayne owed his success to his training under John Ford. Even when Ford was not directing Wayne's movies it was Ford's vision and character that the audience saw.
Ford's sexuality is alluded to but the author states plainly that was not the reason she was writing this book. It was strictly about the friendship between the two men and how that translated to the screen. As a result this is a rather short book - 225 pages including the notes. Only at the end does she broaden out and include the last three films that Wayne made. None of the three were Ford pictures, but nevertheless, Ford was the creator of all three of them in that it was his character that John Wayne played in the three. I am sure that I will never watch any of these movies again without seeing the techniques Ford used to create his vision.
Throughout Ford's life he gathered big strong strapping males around him and is clear in all of his movies that he had a archetype of man. His friends illustrated this. He didn't like actors like James Stewart or Gary Cooper. He wanted big men. Men as big as the land. John Wayne and Ward Bond where his mens men. John Wayne owed his success to his training under John Ford. Even when Ford was not directing Wayne's movies it was Ford's vision and character that the audience saw.
Ford's sexuality is alluded to but the author states plainly that was not the reason she was writing this book. It was strictly about the friendship between the two men and how that translated to the screen. As a result this is a rather short book - 225 pages including the notes. Only at the end does she broaden out and include the last three films that Wayne made. None of the three were Ford pictures, but nevertheless, Ford was the creator of all three of them in that it was his character that John Wayne played in the three. I am sure that I will never watch any of these movies again without seeing the techniques Ford used to create his vision.
April 10, 2021
"Wayne and Ford" by Nancy Shoenberger is a fine mix of history and criticism detailing the lives and creative collaboration of John Wayne and John Ford. The pages are filled with sharp critical analysis and rigorously researched biography. It is a sturdy and useful text, but for those familiar with both artists and/or the Western, it doesn't really tread any new ground.
A text like this doesn't necessarily need to reinvent the wheel and there is something to be said for a critic and historian removing their guiding hand and letting a story speak for itself. But, for me, I think that a book about two such famous and oft-discussed figures ought to have a little stronger point of view.
While Schoenberger is careful to center toxic masculinity and a kind of violent homoeroticism in their relationship, she rarely gets beyond fairly familiar commentary about the optics of big burly men bonding over the campfire. Furthermore, where the politics of the men intersect with their creative lives, she is reluctant to impose a narrative. There are plenty of juicy tidbits and razor-sharp insights, but there is no grand narrative or compelling styling that ties the whole thing together.
Despite a little less cohesion than you might like, this is still a useful and enjoyable book. Schoenberger capably wrestles with Ford's abuse of Wayne vs. his view of himself as his mentor. She also manages to balance Wayne's personal kindness with his abhorrent politics.
Shoenberger is also a fine critic and her dissection of Wayne and Ford's major works, especially the Cavalry trilogy are useful for academic, critic, and artist alike.
While I doubt I will return to "Wayne and Ford" in the future, Nancy Schoenberger offers a comprehensive and insightful look at these men and the films they made together. Like most of the films the book discusses, this is a good and useful text, even if it isn't a masterpiece.
A text like this doesn't necessarily need to reinvent the wheel and there is something to be said for a critic and historian removing their guiding hand and letting a story speak for itself. But, for me, I think that a book about two such famous and oft-discussed figures ought to have a little stronger point of view.
While Schoenberger is careful to center toxic masculinity and a kind of violent homoeroticism in their relationship, she rarely gets beyond fairly familiar commentary about the optics of big burly men bonding over the campfire. Furthermore, where the politics of the men intersect with their creative lives, she is reluctant to impose a narrative. There are plenty of juicy tidbits and razor-sharp insights, but there is no grand narrative or compelling styling that ties the whole thing together.
Despite a little less cohesion than you might like, this is still a useful and enjoyable book. Schoenberger capably wrestles with Ford's abuse of Wayne vs. his view of himself as his mentor. She also manages to balance Wayne's personal kindness with his abhorrent politics.
Shoenberger is also a fine critic and her dissection of Wayne and Ford's major works, especially the Cavalry trilogy are useful for academic, critic, and artist alike.
While I doubt I will return to "Wayne and Ford" in the future, Nancy Schoenberger offers a comprehensive and insightful look at these men and the films they made together. Like most of the films the book discusses, this is a good and useful text, even if it isn't a masterpiece.
October 21, 2018
Well, Wayne and Ford was a frustrating read. I love learning about different people from the Golden era of Hollywood, and was eager to read about John Wayne and John Ford, both of whom had major success with Westerns. But I would recommend reading another book over this one.
To start, this was a dry and boring read. In the beginning, I felt that this was written almost as a book for film students to read. I've read many books about films, and generally the author includes stories about an actor's experience and interaction with the crew while making the movie. Funny stories are included to help paint the actor's personality and explain his involvement in the film. That was all totally lacking her. The author went on and on for pages about the plots of each Wayne film, without explaining a connection between the story and Wayne.
I most appreciated the part of the book where the author explored Wayne's decision to direct his own film. I felt that I learned the most about him through the description of that experience, and that was what I had hoped the entire book would be like. As for Ford, I didn't learn much about him as a director because there was so little information given about what he was doing in the director's chair that was new.
I really enjoyed the parts of this book where Wayne and Ford's personal lives were explored. Unfortunately, that was given very little attention. From chapter to chapter, Wayne had a different wife, with hardly any explanation about how he met these women. I never even learned the names of his sons! Also, I found it odd that the subtitle of this book was "The Films, the Friendship," since Ford was a jerk to everyone, and didn't have a friendship with Wayne at all. Honestly, I can't believe this book was published.
To start, this was a dry and boring read. In the beginning, I felt that this was written almost as a book for film students to read. I've read many books about films, and generally the author includes stories about an actor's experience and interaction with the crew while making the movie. Funny stories are included to help paint the actor's personality and explain his involvement in the film. That was all totally lacking her. The author went on and on for pages about the plots of each Wayne film, without explaining a connection between the story and Wayne.
I most appreciated the part of the book where the author explored Wayne's decision to direct his own film. I felt that I learned the most about him through the description of that experience, and that was what I had hoped the entire book would be like. As for Ford, I didn't learn much about him as a director because there was so little information given about what he was doing in the director's chair that was new.
I really enjoyed the parts of this book where Wayne and Ford's personal lives were explored. Unfortunately, that was given very little attention. From chapter to chapter, Wayne had a different wife, with hardly any explanation about how he met these women. I never even learned the names of his sons! Also, I found it odd that the subtitle of this book was "The Films, the Friendship," since Ford was a jerk to everyone, and didn't have a friendship with Wayne at all. Honestly, I can't believe this book was published.
December 5, 2019
Nancy Schoenberger teaches English and creative writing at the College of William & Mary. She seems an unlikely candidate to write a book on two of the most masculine cinematic representatives of the twentieth century—John Wayne and John Ford—and yet, in her highly readable "Wayne and Ford" she has captured the essence of these two men. "Wayne and Ford" is an enjoyable introduction to the two men, who more than others (on film, at least), set the bar of American masculinity and perpetuated the mythology of the Western as a conflict between good and evil. Schoenberger delves into the working and personal relationship between Wayne and Ford—a relationship fueled by alcohol, filled with admiration and abuse. But more than a simple biography of these two men, Schoenberger traces the evolving notions of what it means to be a man. You aren't sure whether she is a champion of the Wayne/Ford style of masculinity or not until the end of her book, where She concludes: "Future generations of men won't conform to the John Wayne mold cut by John Ford, and perhaps the absence of Ford and Wayne from the cultural stage is more of a loss than we realize. Many of the lessons they had to teach still ring true to contemporary ears. I think some of the confusion today about masculinity stems from the fact that we no longer grow up watching Westerns, which are parables of (mostly) men trying to do the right thing. . . . In the deeply satisfying guise of the quest or adventure narrative, often against the backdrop of starkly beautiful American vistas, to the pleasing sound of hoofbeats and vernacular American song, Westerns seduce us into seeing how mere morals become heroes, how boys become men."
July 9, 2025
I am struggling a bit to understand my thoughts on Wayne and Ford. Schoenberger covers a lot of ground in only 212 pages, much of it devoted to providing brief synopses of the films of John Wayne and John Ford, both individually and together. As a history, it is a pleasant reminiscence, and it is very clearly a love letter from Schoenberger to to idea of John Wayne, and the type of manliness that he embodied in the Western films of the first 50 years of the Talkies era.
My struggle is largely with Schoenberger's analysis of Ford's film making and her "was he or wasn't he" approach to Ford's sexuality. She often sees aspects of the feminization of many male characters, as for example when a male character demonstrates a caring attitude towards children or women. At the same time, she celebrates roles in which male characters become mentors to children and characterizes the mentorship as manly behavior. For that matter, she considers it feminizing when manly characters dance with women. I view those behaviors as generally masculine but I am now confronted with the realization that my late 20th century/21st century perspective may just not understand how such behaviors would have been perceived in the middle of the 20th century.
While I can understand why it may seem that I am criticizing Schoenberger -- I am not -- I just don't know that I agree with her. At the same time, Wayne and Ford successfully causes me to question my own interpretations of various films, and the behaviors demonstrated in those films. For that alone, I have to admit that Schoenberger succeeds far more than most writers do.
Four stars because I do think Schoenberger could have gone into far greater detail, but that is also to say that she left me wanting more.
My struggle is largely with Schoenberger's analysis of Ford's film making and her "was he or wasn't he" approach to Ford's sexuality. She often sees aspects of the feminization of many male characters, as for example when a male character demonstrates a caring attitude towards children or women. At the same time, she celebrates roles in which male characters become mentors to children and characterizes the mentorship as manly behavior. For that matter, she considers it feminizing when manly characters dance with women. I view those behaviors as generally masculine but I am now confronted with the realization that my late 20th century/21st century perspective may just not understand how such behaviors would have been perceived in the middle of the 20th century.
While I can understand why it may seem that I am criticizing Schoenberger -- I am not -- I just don't know that I agree with her. At the same time, Wayne and Ford successfully causes me to question my own interpretations of various films, and the behaviors demonstrated in those films. For that alone, I have to admit that Schoenberger succeeds far more than most writers do.
Four stars because I do think Schoenberger could have gone into far greater detail, but that is also to say that she left me wanting more.
February 12, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. First, I am a big Wayne fan, flawed as some of his movies are he made some great ones that I still watch to this day: The Quiet Man, Stagecoach, True Grit, The Searchers, etc. The stinkers; well, who amongst us have not made some stinkers. I had some issues with Ford, a personality I knew very little about but whose movies were landmarks in my upbringing: Grapes of Wrath, 3 Godfathers and How Green Was My Valley. Ford would not fare very well in today’s #metoo environment. Schoenberg’s treatment of both personalities is elegant and blunt. I don't think I would've liked Ford as a person nor would I work for such a personality: male or female. A bully, insecure, and a hypocrite, Ford leaves a lot to be desired as a man, yet he made wonderful movies. Wayne on the other hand comes across very sympathetic despite his conservative ideology that would ring very well with today neo-cons. But he was not a deep thinker and I think he was easily influenced by more powerful personalities around him. He idolized Ford and was easily swayed by the likes of McCarthy. Most of all this book gave me an insight into how these personalities shaped the ideology of manhood during the middle of the 20th century and I found myself looking at my father and saying "Oh, yeah.... I see that now." Which in turn explained a lot of the way I acted as a young man in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Regrets I've had a few and a lot to mention. But then again, I've done it my way! I’ve read two other biographies about Hollywood personalities: Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, of the three this is the best.
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