The Young Duke; The Early Life of John Wayne

by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss

• ISBN13: 9780762738984
• ISBN10: 0762738987
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2006-10-01
• Publisher: TwoDot

Summary

Marion Morrison, born in Winterset, Iowa, also known as John Wayne, defined the myth of the Old West from the silver screen for five decades. This new book examines his early life and his first roles in Hollywood, uncovering the true stories behind the screen legend's highly publicized and sometimes controversial public life. The Young Duke, undertaken with the assistance of the Wayne family, offers an unflinching look at this icon's early years. This book includes unpublished family photographs and many personal reminiscences.

Author Biography

Howard Kazanjian is an award-winning producer and entertainment executive who has been producing feature films and television programs for more than twenty-five years. While vice president of production for Lucasfilm Ltd., he produced two of the highest grossing films of all time: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. He also managed production of another top-ten box-office hit, The Empire Strikes Back. Some of his other notable credits include The Rookies, Demolition Man, and the two-hour pilot and first season of J.A.G.

Chris Enss is an award-winning screen writer who has written for television, short subject films, live performances, and for the movies, and is the co-author (with JoAnn Chartier) of Love Untamed: True Romances Stories of the Old West, Gilded Girls: Women Entertainers of the Old West, and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon: Women Patriots and Soldiers of the Old West and The Cowboy and the Senorita and Happy Trails (with Howard Kazanjian). Her most recent books include Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and How the West was Worn. Her research and writing and reveals the funny, touching, exciting, and tragic stories of historical and contemporary times.

Table of Contents

Foreword	v
Jennifer O'Neill
Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	ix
Becoming Duke	1	(44)
The Big Trail	23	(22)
Home on the Range	45	(28)
Stagecoach	61	(12)
Married with Children	73	(12)
A Reel Cowboy	85	(18)
A Private Life Public	103	(18)
The Cowboy Is an Actor	121	(18)
Civic-Minded Duke	139	(12)
For Love of Country	151	(12)
Wayne's Alamo	163	(11)
Epilogue: Celebrating Duke	174	(3)
Filmography	177	(11)
Bibliography	188	(3)
Index	191	(3)
About the Authors	194

Excerpts

Excerpt from Chapter 7: Private Life Public

 

Chata Bauer frantically paced back and forth across the floor of the massive living room in the home she shared with John Wayne. It was late. She backhanded a wave of silky, black hair out of her eyes and pulled her designer robe tightly around her shapely figure. Her cheeks were stained with tears and the makeup she used to cover the blemishes on her face was streaked.

She checked the clock over the fireplace for the millionth time and headed to the bar in the corner of the room. After pouring herself a glass of bourbon and stirring it with her finger, she downed the drink in one swallow. A picture of she and Duke together with their dogs caught her eye. She picked up the photo, cursed Wayne in Spanish, then threw the framed print against the wall. The glass shattered into a million pieces.

Several pages of a phone book lay strewn over the coffee table. She had called everyone she could think of looking for her husband. Just as she made her way to the phone, picked up the receiver and started to dial another number, the doorbell rang. Wayne was on the other side trying to get into the house, but the door was locked. He jiggled the handle, rang the bell again and pounded on the wooden frame. He yelled for Chata to let him in, but she refused. She cursed at him, returned to the bar, poured herself another drink, and proceeded down the hallway toward her bedroom.

After a few moments, Wayne’s persistent shouts for someone to let him in stopped. All was quiet for a moment and then a few of the glass panes around the door shattered. Wayne’s sturdy fist reached in through the broken window and unlocked the door. He then dragged his weary frame to the couch and plopped down.

He could hear Chata and her mother, Esperanza, speaking in hushed, angry tones in the other room. He knew there would be hell to pay for his late arrival home. He was resting his eyes, waiting for the inevitable confrontation when Chata burst into the room carrying a loaded automatic weapon that she pointed at Wayne, threatening to kill him. Esperanza followed and pulled on Chata’s arm, trying to talk some sense into her. Chata jerked away from her mother and trained the barrel of the gun on her husband.

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Excerpted from Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne by Chris Enss, Howard Kazanjian
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.