When The Legend Became Fact - The
True Life of John Wayne by Richard Douglas Jensen is really just another
attempt by a self-important liberal to destroy the image of John Wayne. Much
like Garry Wills’ book, “John Wayne: The Politics of Celebrity,” there is far
too much anti-Wayne bias in this book. Like Wills, Jensen relies on
undocumented and unsubstantiated claims to support his predetermined goal of
damaging the reputation of a dead man who cannot defend himself. In fact, the
editorial review of this book states outright that it is a “deconstruction of
the mythology surrounding the life” of John Wayne, although, according to
Jensen, he does this only to show that John Wayne was a real person – human just
like everyone else.
Among the many so-called “facts”
(actually unsubstantiated claims) presented by Jensen are that, John Wayne was:
a raging violent and abusive man, a wife beater, a child abuser, a severe
alcoholic, a petty and mean prima donna, a narcissist, a chronic adulterer, a
woman chasing sex addict who bedded nearly all of his female costars (as well
as any loose woman he could find), a draft dodger, a manipulative jerk, a chauvinist
who beat his lovers, bisexual (with John Ford, no less, as his lover), a cowboy
wannabe who could never master any cowboy skills – and hated horses with a
passion, and so much more.
Clearly, Mr. Jensen’s “more than 30
years of researching John Wayne” was spent in crafting untruths and outright
lies about his subject. I, for one, sincerely hope that he prepares his legal
briefs with at least a bit more attention to the truth (Mr. Jensen is, can you
believe it, a practicing attorney known as “the Law Guru.”)
Aside from the virtually
non-existent editing, poor grammar, poor sentence structure, misspelled words,
and overall shoddiness of Jensen’s book (most third grade teachers would cringe
while reading it – High School English teachers would give it an F-), Jensen’s
book is filled with half-truths, blatant lies, and poorly crafted revised
history (and he calls himself an historian!).
Jensen claims that he spent more
than 30 years researching a biography of Ben Johnson and more than 30 years
researching a biography of Tom Mix (this coupled with more than 30 years – he really
likes that number – of researching John Wayne, makes one wonder when he found
time for law school!), both of which Jensen claims knew Wayne and had “experienced
the darker side of John Wayne” (cue the ominous music). Although it is well
known that Johnson knew Wayne, and was a good friend, Mix, on the other hand,
didn’t know John Wayne from Adam. Yes, they had met back in 1925-1926, and Mix
had spoken with Wayne, promising that he would make Wayne his personal trainer
and that he would take him on location during the filming of The Great K&A Train Robbery (which
he did. Wayne propped the film and appeared briefly as an uncredited extra – a face
in the crowd), Mix never socialized with Wayne, and promptly forgot his promise
to hire Wayne as a trainer. The reality was, that Mix only made that promise in
order to get some free tickets out of Howard Jones to USC football games.
Jensen, however, fabricates a convoluted
story in which Mix pulled strings to get Wayne hired as a prop man, and that
Wayne took it as an insult – a grudge that he held against Mix for years.
Jensen even includes a fairy tale in which Mix, a former “real life” sheriff
caught John Wayne glaring at him, and Mix stared Wayne down with a cold steely-eyed
gaze that would send shivers down the spine of the bravest of men. What a load
of sheep dip! Mix was only a part-time deputy sheriff in Dewey, Oklahoma, and
was described by the actual sheriff as a “show-off.” (By the way Mr. Jensen,
Mix was also never a Rough Rider, and actually went AWOL when he was in the
Army. Your hero was in reality a poseur and a criminal.)
Interestingly, Jensen states at the
beginning of his book that a “flurry of books and articles have been published
throughout the past 30 years that have virtually deified John Wayne. Some are
so ineptly crafted and so full of unsubstantiated ‘facts’ that it is alarming
to the historian in me.” After reading Jensen’s book, my advice to him is “that
historian you’re holding hostage inside of you? Let him go! Stop torturing him
with your ridiculous revisionist nonsense!”
Jensen claims that this new book of
his will cause “new, although unnecessary, furor among the protectors of the
John Wayne legacy.” He’s probably right, but not for the reason he thinks.
There will undoubtedly be an uproar, but it will be caused by Jensen’s
obviously biased and unbalanced review of Wayne’s life. But I do understand why
he would put such a statement near the beginning of his book. He does so simply
to discount his detractors right from the get go, before they can voice the
truth about this book. Typical liberal. Typical lawyer. I would expect nothing
less from him.
And Jensen does not find himself
content to simply spread lies and false rumors about John Wayne, as he also
sets his sights on telling lies about his family as well. There is no evidence
that John Wayne’s father, Clyde Morrison, ever owned his own drug store (as
Jensen claims), and in fact, there are those who knew him who insist that he
did not. There is also no evidence that Wayne’s father beat his wife (as Jensen
claims).
Jensen also claims that Clyde not
only owned his own drugstore, but also purchased a nice two-story home while in
Iowa, but later lost it, and never owned another home. In reality, he did not
purchase a home in Iowa, but did when the family moved to Glendale. It was that
home that he eventually lost. Jensen also claims that the Morrison’s were
actually quite well off, as evidenced by Clyde purchasing a farm in California.
Sorry Mr. Jensen, that “farm” was actually purchased by his father. Not by
Clyde. When the farm failed, he sold it and moved into Glendale (not Burbank),
where the family lived from 1916 until 1930 (Wayne until 1925), when Clyde
moved to Long Beach. Check the censuses Mr. Jensen, they are online you know,
and easy to check. And in case you’re wondering, Mr. Jensen, this is known as
research. Just saying.
I could actually go on and on and
on, quite literally writing a book of my own pointing out the glaring
inaccuracies and untruths found in When
The Legend Became Fact – The True Life of John Wayne, but I think I have
made my point quite well by now. If you’re looking for a good book about John Wayne,
I would heartily recommend John Wayne:
American by Randy Roberts and James Olsen, or There Rode A Legend by Jane Pattie and Wilma Russell, or any number
of other great books about John Wayne. But stay away from Richard Jensen’s
book. Stay far away. And as a fan and researcher of John Wayne for the better
part of 50 years (top that Mr. Jensen!), that is my advice to anyone looking
for a book about John Wayne.
But wait, there’s more!
In case you
have never heard of Richard D. Jensen before today (and by all that is right in
the universe I do hope you have been spared), allow me to tell you a little bit
about the author of When The Legend
Became Fact – The True Life of John Wayne.
 |
| Richard D. Jensen |
Richard D. Jensen is the author of 10 books
including the one reviewed here. His other books include “The Nicest Fella -
The Life of Ben Johnson: The World Champion Rodeo Cowboy Who Became an
Oscar-Winning Movie Star”, “The Amazing Tom Mix: The Most Famous Cowboy of the
Movies”, and “Agricultural and Animal Sciences Journals and Serials: An
Analytical Guide” (riveting, I’m sure). According to Mr. Jensen’s “Bios”
(assumedly written by him), he is not only an award winning author, but he is
also a trial attorney known as “The Law Guru,” and he has been practicing law
in Alabama for 13 years, since 1995. His web site is called “The Alabama Sex
Crimes Defense Lawyer.” Maybe it’s just me, but when the terms “Guru” and “Sex
Crimes” are used together, it kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Mr. Jensen’s “Bios” also state that he is not only
one of America’s most respected and notorious defense lawyers, but he is also a
former police officer, a former
counsel to the Baldwin County Democratic Executive Committee, a former member
of the Baldwin County Local Emergency Planning Commission, a former Democratic
Party candidate for the Alabama State Senate, a nationwide trial lawyer
instructor, a former cowboy and rodeo rider, a former award winning
professional actor (with 35 years experience – and was almost cast as the Lone
Ranger), a former horse wrangler (with more than 30 years experience throughout
the west and southwest), and he spent 30 years researching John Wayne, 30 years
researching Tom Mix and he also spent 30 years researching Ben Johnson. That’s
like over 150 years combined experience with just one guy! I must admit that I
was quite surprised that I did not read in any of his “Bios” that he also
singlehandedly won World War 2, the Korean War, Viet Nam, and had been named Emperor
of the World for Life. I guess he was probably too busy with the whole Sex
Crimes-Law Guru thing or something.
Online reviews of Mr. Jensen’s other
books include such stellar praise as “…poorly written…”, “…horrible book…”, “Full
of typos, repetitive sentences and editorial freedoms that seemed suspect if
not downright wrong”, “Several pages simply list episodes of different TV shows…”,
“…poorly written and edited…” “….virtually unedited….”, “…I learned little…that
I couldn’t have figured out without thirty minutes on Wikipedia…”, “…Stay away
from this book…”, and “…A lot of repetition…”.
‘Nuff said.
