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John Wayne: The Life and Legend

Page 79

by Scott Eyman


  “Everything points”: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Wayne, 2-4-57.

  “That goddamn bitch”: Roberts and Olson, p. 411.

  Gregg Barton remembered: Lilley, Gregg Barton interview, p. 10.

  “Dogs are great”: Kane manuscript, p. 39.

  Armendáriz decided to steal: Kane manuscript, p. 33.

  “He was a very, very shy”: USC, Special Collections, Warga, draft of tape 6A, April 1971.

  One day Tom Kane: Kane manuscript, p. 33.

  “Wellman had a terrible temper”: Michael Wayne to SE.

  “Mitchum started bouncing”: Ibid.

  There was a forty-five-minute meeting: USC, Warner Bros. Collection, Blood Alley file.

  “I was apprehensive”: MOMA, John Wayne, MacNeil/Lehrer Report transcript, 6-12-79.

  there was a wild party: AMPAS, John Wayne, “Blood Alley Party Sends Five to Jail,” Los Angeles Examiner, 2-12-55.

  “They were so much fun”: William Wellman Jr. to SE.

  he had mellowed: Ibid.

  “He’s a wonderful”: John Wayne to SE.

  As Mitchum and his wife, Dorothy: Aissa Wayne, p. 34.

  “a nice guy”: AMPAS, John Wayne, Helen Itria, “Big John,” Look, 8-53.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “I don’t think the price”: Batjac Productions, Wayne to Feldman, 3-30-57.

  ten to twenty setups: USC, Hal Roach Collection, Rookie of the Year budget and schedule.

  He received $250,000: Landesman, p. 317; Batjac Productions, Wayne to Merian Cooper, 6-15-55.

  “had a blanket over him”: Harry Carey Jr. to SE.

  “Go shit”: Robert Wagner to SE.

  “She thought he”: Robert Wagner to SE.

  “brutal in spots”: USC, Warner Bros. Collection, MacEwen to Warner, 12-5-55.

  “This was the heart”: Frankel, p. 241.

  “Ford goes very far”: Pippin, p. 109.

  “Such landscapes and feelings”: Roberts and Olson, p. 422.

  “The big man standing alone”: AMPAS, The Searchers file, William C. Reynolds.

  “We had a vertical”: AMPAS, Winton Hoch, John Gallagher, “Winton Hoch: Master of Technicolor,” American Classic Screen, vol. 1, No. 3, 1982.

  As the critic David Overbey once observed: MOMA, John Wayne files, David Overbey, “John Wayne Reconsidered,” 1976.

  “Wayne was never”: Terry Curtis Fox, “The Duke of Deception,” Film Comment, 9/10-79.

  “I don’t see any reason”: F. Anthony Macklin, “I Come Ready,” Film Heritage, Summer 1975, p. 30.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “if you can get”: USC, Jack L. Warner Collection, Sea Chase file, box 27, Trilling to Wayne, 4-23-55.

  “Duke [gave] me”: Moving Images Pinewood Dialogues, David Schwartz and Budd Boetticher, movingimagessource.us./files/dialogues.

  “I wrote ’em for Duke”: Burt Kennedy to SE.

  “One day at Lone Pine”: Moving Image Pinewood Dialogues, David Schwartz and Budd Boetticher, movingimagessource.us/files/dialogues.

  “Borzage had been hanging around”: Clothier to SE.

  “Wayne got into”: Eyman, Five American Cinematographers, p. 132.

  “Jack was funny”: Angie Dickinson to SE.

  “Nobody came out”: McGilligan, Backstory, p. 107.

  Wayne turned down an overture: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Wayne, 12-17-56.

  “You really oughta bring”: Michael Wayne to SE.

  “You people have no pride”: Kane manuscript, p. 18.

  “I’ll can your ass”: Ibid., p. 31.

  there was also an agreement with Fox: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Sokolov, 5-13-56.

  Bob Hope was getting: AMPAS, John Wayne, The Hollywood Reporter, 6-26-56.

  “After 30 years”: USC, John Wayne, James Bacon, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, 3-22-58.

  “There is no love”: USC, MGM Collection, The Wings of Eagles script, Red to Phil, 11-1-54.

  “Two minutes after”: Maureen O’Hara to SE.

  “The deal is either worth it”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 53, folder 18, Wayne to Blumofe, 9-13-56.

  “I said it was like”: Marsha Hunt to SE.

  “The Sahara desert”: Cardiff, p. 192.

  he believed she was: Roberts and Olson, p. 434.

  “We are working”: AMPAS, John Wayne, W. R. Wilkerson, “Trade Views,” Hollywood Reporter, 2-7-57.

  “I hope Pilar”: Davis, p. 210.

  “They asked me about it”: Heritage Auctions, The Personal Property of John Wayne Auction Catalog, Ford to Wayne, 1-25-57.

  “communistic or subversive”: Ibid., Ford to Wayne, undated but 1956, p. 104.

  “Christ, Kirk”: Douglas, p. 268.

  “I feel that on the whole”: USC, 20th Century Fox Script Collection, The Barbarian and the Geisha, Adler to Huston, 9-18-57.

  “I ask him”: Grobel, p. 449.

  “It’s a little frustrating”: Davis, p. 212.

  “They had nothing”: Grobel, p. 449.

  “Are you serious?”: AMPAS, John Huston Collection, Huston to Adler, 12-17-57.

  “to give [the character of Harris] some vitality”: AMPAS, John Huston Collection, Frenke to Huston, 5-14-58.

  “When I brought it back”: Huston, p. 267.

  “I found it impossible”: John Wayne to SE.

  Autry was no stranger: Gene Autry to Leonard Maltin, Maltin archives.

  Wayne gave the bride away: AMPAS, John Wayne, “Film Notables Throng Toni Wayne’s Wedding,” Los Angeles Times, 5-27-56.

  Henaghan turned to his boss: Shaw, pp. 20–21.

  “146 Int.”: USC, Warner Bros. Collection, script for Rio Bravo.

  “The dialogue in the finished film”: McCarthy, p. 552.

  For the rest of the cast: All payroll information derives from the USC, Warner Bros. Collection, Rio Bravo file.

  “I remember third shows”: Lewis, p. 128.

  whose Armada Productions: USC, Warner Bros. Collection, Rio Bravo file, contracts dated 3-18-58 and 4-1-58.

  “I had done one good movie”: Angie Dickinson to SE. All subsequent quotes from Dickinson derive from this interview.

  “Wayne is better”: Thomas B. Morgan, “God and Man in Hollywood,” Esquire, 5-63.

  “self-respect, self-control”: McCarthy, p. 565.

  “I was going to come down”: USC, Warner Bros. Collection, Warner to Wayne, 7-18-58.

  “Jack got to the point”: Vincent Sherman to SE.

  “It’s all my fault”: Kane manuscript, p. 28.

  “polluting the bloodstream”: Fraser-Cavassoni, p. 212.

  “Well, Duke. Duke”: Mirisch, p. 105.

  Pilar slashing her wrists: Aissa Wayne, John Wayne, My Father, p. 35.

  “I liked Duke Wayne”: Walter Mirisch to SE.

  “my career, my personal fortune”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 2, folder 14, Wayne to Cates, 8-6-59.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Jim powdered”: Lilley, Andrew McLaglen, CD companion to Campfire Conversations.

  He also capped: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 6, Murchison to Wayne, 7-8-58 and 7-2-59.

  Wayne would later estimate: AMPAS, John Wayne, Dean Jennings, “John Wayne: The Woes of the Box Office King,” Saturday Evening Post, c. 1962.

  “and we argued”: Shahan to Frank Thompson, Thompson archives.

  On the last day: Clark and Andersen, p. 25.

  “All I want”: Shahan to Frank Thompson, Thompson archives.

  “When John Wayne saw it”: Al Ybarra interview with Frank Thompson, courtesy of Thompson.

  Wayne called Shahan: James T. Shahan interview with Frank Thompson, courtesy of Thompson.

  In April 1959: AMPAS, John Wayne, “John Wayne Shocked at Charges on Arias,” Los Angeles Times, 4-22-59.

  The implication was: FOIA report, John Wayne file, document addressed to J. Edgar Hoover, 5-5-59.

  Wayne estimated: AMPAS, John Wayne, “Playboy Interview: John Wayne,” Playboy, May 1971.
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  In addition: AMPAS, Alamo files, Zeitlin, Life magazine backgrounders.

  Each animal: Clark and Andersen, p. 38.

  “Take that down”: Ybarra to Frank Thompson, Thompson archives.

  Ybarra wasn’t happy: Clark and Andersen, p. 41.

  “was the only man”: AMPAS, John Wayne, “Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood,” “John Wayne,” 10-23-60.

  “my adding machine’s broken”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 7, Wayne to McCullough, 6-3-59.

  “To be frank”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 21, Skouras to Wayne, 7-11-59.

  A few days later: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Wayne, 7-16-59.

  “Picture that being”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 21, Wayne to Skouras, 7-11-59.

  “If Spyros didn’t put”: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Wayne, 2-25-59.

  “once you sign the papers”: Batjac Productions, Feldman to “Jack, Frank and Harry,” 7-16-59.

  Batjac forwarded a balance sheet: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 6, Davis to Spradley, 9-4-59.

  On July 3, 1959: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 6, Jenkens to Wayne, 7-3-59.

  “I have to defend Wayne”: James T. Shahan to Frank Thompson.

  “[Wayne] should have done”: Al Ybarra to Frank Thompson.

  “Frank came over”: AMPAS, John Wayne, Bill Kelly, “John Wayne,” South Bay, 7-81.

  “I told them”: Dean Smith to SE. All subsequent quotes from Smith derive from this interview.

  “Bob Relyea”: Robert Relyea to SE. All subsequent quotes from Relyea derive from this interview.

  “When we walked”: Eyman, Five American Cinematographers, p. 145.

  He was up for 7.5 percent: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 20, John Wayne contract, 9-1-59.

  “Duke knew that script backwards”: Clothier to SE.

  “we are working”: USC, Batjac Collection, Wayne to Feldman, 9-21-59.

  “He plunked himself”: Eyman, Five American Cinematographers, p. 134.

  In July 1959: AMPAS, The Alamo file, “400 Acre Alamo Set on Texas Ranch Will Cost $1.5 million,” Hollywood Reporter, 7-29-59.

  “Goddamn it”: Clothier to SE.

  “Gentlemen, I want to tell you something”: Lilley, John Hudkins interview, p. 100.

  “We thought Ford was gonna”: Ibid., p. 101.

  “Ford went out”: Clothier to SE.

  Richard Widmark remembered: Wills, p. 224.

  “You men, pour in here”: AMPAS, The Alamo file, Life reports, 7-21-60.

  One of the few accidents: Thompson, p. 77.

  Each of the eight: AMPAS, The Alamo file, Life reports, 7-21-60.

  During one shot: Clark and Andersen, p. 80.

  Wayne had agreed: Roberts and Olson, p. 466.

  Jimmy Grant was standing nearby: USC, Batjac Collection, T. F. James, “The Man Who Talks Back to John Wayne,” Cosmopolitan, 8-60.

  “Duke’s only problem”: Eyman, Five American Cinematographers, pp. 133–34.

  “All the fans”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 1, folder 10, Grant to Wayne, 10-11-59.

  “Don’t let this”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 1, folder 10, Grant to Wayne, 12-4-59.

  “was an opinionated guy”: Shahan to Frank Thompson, Thompson archives.

  “It looks like”: Clothier to SE.

  “There really weren’t any”: Burt Kennedy to SE.

  “Let’s see if you can make it”: Relyea to SE.

  UA refused to advance: Clark and Andersen, p. 93.

  “You know how they treat”: Karen Sharpe Cramer to SE.

  “Filthy minds and filthy words”: AMPAS, The Alamo file, Beverly Hills Citizen, 1-12-60.

  “Let’s go over to Lucey’s”: Kane manuscript, p. 44.

  “They had a great relationship”: Ibid., p. 20.

  “The emphasis”: Clark and Andersen, p. 103.

  Grant wrote that: USC, Batjac Collection, folder marked “Grant, James E.—writer—Misc.”; Grant to Leiber, 3-22-60.

  That same month: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 3, “Comparative Summary of Production Costs,” 3-22-60.

  Variety reported: USC, Batjac Collection, Army Archerd, Variety, 10-26-60.

  “Ford didn’t do enough”: Dan Ford to SE.

  Not only that: USC, Batjac Collection, “Loan and Security agreement,” box 6, folder 3.

  The ad budget: Clark and Andersen, p. 128.

  “I have to admit”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 1, folder 10, Grant to Wayne (apparently), 8-16-60.

  On September 24: USC, Batjac Collection, Grant to Wayne, 9-24-60.

  The rough outline: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Jurow, 7-14-61.

  The Alamo premiered: AMPAS, The Alamo file, Erskine Johnson, “Rip-Snortin’ Texas Premiere Opens Wayne’s Alamo Film,” Los Angeles Mirror, 10-25-60.

  He told The Hollywood Reporter : AMPAS, John Wayne, “John Wayne Lashes Last Summer and Cordura as Poison Polluting the Bloodstream of Hollywood,” Hollywood Reporter, 1-11-60.

  “A great deal”: AMPAS, John Wayne, Philip K. Scheuer, “Alamo Wayne Dream Realized,” Los Angeles Times, 10-27-60.

  “The word of mouth”: Thomas Morgan, “God and Man in Hollywood,” Esquire, 5-63.

  On November 4: AMPAS, The Alamo file, Hollywood Reporter, 11-4-60.

  “There doesn’t seem”: USC, Batjac Collection, Grant to Wayne, 12-12-60.

  “is kicking hell out of us”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 1, folder 10, Grant to Wayne, 12-13-60.

  “North to Alaska business”: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Wayne, 11-30-60.

  Feldman wrote his client: Batjac Productions, Feldman to Wayne, 2-21-59.

  UA further cut: AMPAS, The Alamo file, “30 Mins. Shortened Alamo Out in March,” Variety, 2-8-61.

  “In my opinion”: Clark and Andersen, p. 139.

  “This is sheer, unadulterated”: Ibid., p. 145.

  “an ode to a heroic era”: Frank Thompson, “The Alamo Wayne’s Reel Heroes,” American Cinematographer, July 1990, p. 35.

  “Duke didn’t have”: Burt Kennedy to SE.

  “Everybody made money”: AMPAS, John Wayne, Roy Newquist, “John Wayne Separates the Legend and the Myth,” Chicago American Magazine, 6-18-67.

  Before the film was released: AMPAS, John Wayne, Jack Smith, “Wayne Plays Wayne Hard, Rides Fame Easy,” Los Angeles Times, undated but 1960.

  By comparison: All these figures come from Balio, p. 138.

  The picture’s negative cost: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 21, “File Alamo audit.”

  “extraordinary miscellaneous charges”: Wayne to Landesman, 2-77, courtesy of Joe Musso.

  “it would be a crime”: USC, Batjac Collection, box 3, folder 17, Michael Wayne memo, 10-14-65.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Ward had many reputations”: Robert Horton to SE. All subsequent quotes from Horton derive from this interview.

  “steadfastness, courage, and clarity”: AMPAS, Ward Bond file, partial clipping, American Home, August 1960.

  He would start his day: Vaughan, p. 93; Robert Fuller to SE.

  John Ford knew: Dan Ford to SE.

  “Hold on,” blurted Wilson: AMPAS, Ward Bond, TV Guide, undated, but November 1960.

  Harry Carey and Ken Curtis sang: AMPAS, Ward Bond, Jeff Davis, “500 Attend Funeral for Ward Bond,” Los Angeles Mirror, 11-7-60.

  “I’ll tell you what you do”: Lilley, Terry Wilson, CD companion to Campfire Conversations.

  The only untoward thing: Ibid.

  “I had never seen him”: Roberts and Olson, p. 486.

  “funerals are so medieval”: USC, Special Collections, Warga.

  But the president of the Birch Society: Rosenfeld, p. 304.

  “What a bunch of horseshit”: Roberts and Olson, p. 568.

  “Actors are now directing”: Behlmer, pp. 259–60.

  Wayne came aboard: McCarthy, p. 571.

  “Listen kids”: Ibid., p. 580.

  “Duke, there’s a leopa
rd”: Munn, p. 237.

  Martinelli also claimed: McCarthy, p. 583.

  “You take a different”: McCarthy, p. 587.

  “I remember his working”: McGilligan, Backstory 2, p. 23.

  “We should have done something”: Bogdanovich, p. 292.

  “I would appreciate”: Batjac Productions, Wayne to Hawks, 6-12-61.

  “There’s a hell of a role”: Stuart Whitman to SE. All quotations from Whitman derive from this interview.

  “Are you the fella”: Tom Mankiewicz to SE.

  “Duke directed more than half”: Dean Smith to SE.

  “Duke and George Sherman”: Eyman, Five American Cinematographers, p. 135.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Wayne was getting: Eyman, Print the Legend, p. 488.

  He complained: Bogdanovich, p. 290.

  “James Edward Grant”: Dan Ford to SE.

  “Ford has been making bad”: AMPAS, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance production files, Mike Herr, New Leader, 7-9-62.

  “I am writing this”: Batjac Productions, Zanuck to Wayne, 6-28-61.

  “I am shocked”: Batjac Productions, Zanuck to Wayne, 9-8-61.

  Zanuck directed all: AMPAS, The Longest Day production files, letter from DFZ, Saturday Review, 12-15-62.

  “Wayne never showed”: Knox, p. 190.

  Mickey Knox reported: Knox, p. 191.

  “[Ford] never should have used me”: John Wayne to SE.

  “Ford hired a friend”: William Clothier to SE.

  “John [Ford] called”: Dorothy Lamour to SE.

  “the screenplay”: AMPAS, Donovan’s Reef files, Stanley Eichelbaum, San Francisco Examiner, 7-18-63.

  “There was no pride”: AMPAS, John Wayne, Dean Jennings, “The Woes of the Box Office King,” The Saturday Evening Post, c. 1962.

  Her appointments included: John Wayne, p. 190.

  “He liked to fish”: Bert Minshall to SE. All subsequent quotes from Minshall derive from this interview.

  “I need the space”: Thomas B. Morgan, “God and Man in Hollywood,” Esquire, 5-63.

  “I don’t want my boat”: AMPAS, John Wayne, Rich Roberts, “A Goose Flies Again,” Los Angeles Times, 10-21-92.

  “I don’t trust a man”: Minshall to SE.

  Wayne took no salary: Batjac Productions, David Picker wire to Feldman, 8-27-62.

  After recoupment: Batjac Productions, David Picker to Arthur Krim, 8-22-62.

 

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