Typically excellent biography by Eyman, marred by the only occasional smart arse throw away line, and by the fact that Wayne's life has been chronicled so many times before. He doesn't really come up with super new stuff but what's here is very solid.
It's an affectionate look at the actor-producer-director - Eyman clearly likes him though recognises the man's flaws. It explores some Cold War politics, but also goes really in depth into the financial machinations of Batjac, which almost went bust following The Alamo but Michael Wayne brought it back.
Random thoughts:
- Wayne's second wife always comes across as a Carmen Miranda caricature
- Michael Wayne seems to have been a very smart guy
- Wayne was a decent father
- the affair with Gail Russell seems to have been emotional more than anything else
- Eyman is rightly suspicious of the memoirs of screenwriters when it comes to encounters with Wayne
- he disliked John Farrow and got other directors to reshoot his stuff
- he didn't have that many affairs but he did do Marlene Dietrich
- he was a smart guy but was a terrible businessman and amazingly was always short of cash
- Eyman excellently pays overdue attention to Charles Feldman and James Edward Grant as hugely influential figures in Wayne's life.
Very good book.
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