The genre John Wayne labelled an “American artform”
If there was anybody qualified to pass judgment on what constituted a distinctly American art form, then John Wayne would be near the top of the list. After all, not only his career but his legacy and legend were formed by being the backbone of on-screen jingoism.
‘The Duke’ lived and breathed stars and stripes, which served him very well as he embarked upon a decades-long stint at the upper echelons of the Hollywood A-list that saw him become increasingly aware of not only his carefully curated persona but his perceived belief that audiences didn’t want to see him doing anything else.
As a result, Wayne turned down a string of movies that would go on to become established classics because he didn’t think people would be interested in paying to see him do it, while in his later years he became increasingly – and vocally – disenfranchised with what Hollywood was becoming.
It goes without saying that if anyone was asked to name which genre first comes to mind when they think of Wayne, it would be the Western. Sure, he did everything from period pieces and adventure films to more grounded dramatic stories and the occasional light-hearted escapade, but traversing the dusty plains on horseback was his favoured playing field.
With that in mind, there are absolutely no surprises to be found when Wayne described his genre of choice as “an American artform” in an interview with Roger Ebert, where he celebrated the straightforward nature of the Western, as well as the way it represents the country at large.
“I’m very conscious that people criticize Hollywood. Yet we’ve created a form, the Western, that can be understood in every country,” he explained. “The good guys against the bad guys. No nuances. And the horse is the best vehicle of action in our medium. You take action, a scene, and scenery, and cut them together, and you never miss. Action, scene, scenery.”
Furthering his evaluation of the medium he helped elevate to new heights in terms of popularity, ‘The Duke’ offered that the Western “represents what this country is about.” Good versus bad, tales unconcerned with complexities and nuance, and the American spirit winning out in the face of adversity were all key components of Wayne’s illustrious filmography, and the man himself admitted that putting on his hat and holstering his pistol to head across the Old West was the best way to convey that.
Not exactly a revelation, then, but still integral to understanding not only how the iconic star shaped the trajectory of his own career, but why he was so reluctant to step outside his comfort zone with any sort of regularity. Playing against type wasn’t really Wayne’s thing, and it was all by design.
