John Wayne and Ideology is an examination of John Wayne's legacy as a political force. It is no exaggeration to say that, playing the lead in over 150 movies, he is one of the most popular actors in the history of cinema. This book argues that his enduring popularity is historically mediated. Certainly an A-list actor before and during World War II, John Wayne nevertheless did not become an icon until after the war, when, because of the war and emerging calls for women's and minorities' rights, white masculinity anxieties spiked. The American political reaction to this new world was a radical...