Wayne’s screen persona included lawmen, military men, and empire builders. Wayne understood cinema as a means of projecting an ideal or a core set of ideological values that would resonate with filmgoers. As he once said in an interview, he knew he was acting and never confused himself with the roles he played, “This Wayne thing was as deliberate a projection as you’ll ever see,” (Grenier 1996, 3). If Wayne was considered the most significant star of his time, it was because he portrayed the values and ideologies most associated with America, from democracy, justice, honor and freedom to might, frontier spirit, and victory.
Wayne’s personal values often coincided with a large number of Americans, particularly during the Eisenhower issue with its anti-communist leanings. Wayne personally was representative of a conservative Republican, oppo
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