John Wayne: The Man Behind the Myth

No Hollywood legend has ever walked taller than John Wayne. In more than two hundred films, his towering, straight-shooting screen persona-based on patriotism and a clear-cut sense of right and wrong-came to represent the real John Wayne, a living American icon. Now, in this startling new biography, author Michael Munn reveals the real life behind the myth-including how Wayne's outspoken political views made him the target of a Communist death plot. John Wayne's popularity with audiences has confounded film critics for decades. Even years after his death, he has been ranked by the public among the top ten stars in Hollywood. Unable to dispute his box office success, detractors have focused on his right-wing politics and the fact that-despite starring in gung-ho war films-he didn't sign up for military service in World War II. Now, in John Wayne: The Man Behind the Myth, Michael Munn takes on the critics. Drawing on time spent with Wayne on the set of Brannigan-and almost one hundred interviews with those who knew him-he provides a rare look at the actor's film roles through unforgettable, behind-the-scenes anecdotes that will delight admirers and fascinate a new generation of fans. Munn sets the record straight on director John Ford's contribution to Wayne's career, reveals the truth about why the actor was unable to enlist, and debunks other myths surrounding a life that needs no embellishment. He details the megastar's highs and lows, three failed marriages-and two desperate battles with cancer. But the most stunning revelation is the first-ever public disclosure of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's plot to have Wayne assassinated because of his aggressive-and potentially influential-anti-Communist views. In these pages, Munn proves that-while facing attempts on his life that were kept secret even from his family-the man he calls "the absolute all-time movie star" was as much a hero in real life as he ever was on-screen.