September 1966, the Mexican desert. 50 crew members watched two Hollywood legends face off. Kirk Douglas had just kept John Wayne waiting 90…
October 1968. John Wayne is filming the role that will finally win him an Oscar, but something is wrong with his performance. An…
Monument Valley, Utah. June 14th, 1968. The Desert Sun beats down mercilessly as John Wayne, 61 years old, watches the most spoiled young…
a street performer with an acoustic guitar, worn fingers, a cracked voice, and nothing to lose. Stepping closer instead of backing away, the…
A young actor overplays a scene on John Wayne’s set. Wayne stops the cameras, says something brutal. The young man nearly quits Hollywood…
Durango, Mexico, October 18th, 1972. The dusty film set of the train robbers buzzes with typical western production energy. John Wayne, 65 years…
The coffee cup hit the dirt 2 in from the assistant director’s boot, and Robert Mitchum didn’t break character, but John Wayne finally…
Folsam State Prison, California. December 18th, 1967. The winter rain pounds against the concrete walls as Johnny Cash, 35 years old, stands in…
June 3rd, 1956. The Steve Allen Show, Studio 6B at NBC. 743 people in the audience. Edmund Hartley, the most feared music critic…
When Elvis Presley’s Cadillac broke down on Union Avenue in Memphis on a sweltering July afternoon in 1970, he had no choice but…