John Wayne Speaks by Mark Orwoll
John Wayne communicated more with his stolid features—that hard jaw set beneath weary but determined eyes—than with words. However, this didn’t prevent Mark Orwoll from becoming, as he puts it, “the reluctant Boswell to John Wayne’s Dr. Johnson.”
The ostensible purpose of John Wayne Speaks is to arrange memorable dialogue spoken by the actor arranged according to theme. Of course, there are howlers. Women? “I never met one that was half as reliable as a horse,” spoke Wayne (in North to Alaska). Imagine the implied grin as he advised, “Next time you shoot somebody, don’t go near ‘em till you’re sure they’re dead” (El Dorado).
John Wayne Speaks works as an entertaining overview of a long and memorable career. With its extensive filmography, it could be the best short book on the subject ever compiled. Wisdom from Wayne? “Words are what men live by—words they say and mean” (The Commancheros). It’s hard to argue with that one.
