John Wayne was one of the most popular and most durable stars in film history. But he was more than an actor or a movie star; he was a national legend, a folk hero, and a powerful symbol of the American Dream. This is a critical examination of John Wayne, the person, the actor, the film star, the political figure, and the mythic legend. It describes Wayne’s film work in terms of his life, and his life in terms of movies. The text also views the cultural significance of the phenomenon of John Wayne by placing him and his movies in the broader contexts of the film industry and American society at large. The book evaluates Wayne’s film oevre by comparing with other major stars of the generation, particularly those with similar screen images, such as Gary Cooper, Henry Ford, and James Stewart.