Three Bad Men: John Ford, John Wayne, Ward Bond

This book would have been better titled The Good, The Bad & The Ugly as it depicts Ward Bond as “the Good.” A positive perspective is provided for Ward Bond. I admit I like and respect Ward Bond and pretty much agree with the author’s opinions and facts about Bond, he is best remembered for his role on the TV series Wagon Train. He, like John Wayne, took a lot of abuse from John Ford but seemed to let it roll right down his back without any negative after effects…thick skinned. I felt good about this part of the book.Next is John Ford, he is clearly “the Bad.” Ford was reportedly very verbally abusive to many of the actors he directed while earning his four oscars. A very profane alcoholic who would blackball anyone who would not put up with his scoldings, Ben Johnson for one. Those that could tolerate him became very good actors, Woody Strode, Ward Bond, John Wayne etc. I would again agree with what’s written about him. However, if you’re looking for a biography on John Ford the book “Print The Legend” by Scott Eyman is far superior and more detailed.Last is John Wayne, he is “the Ugly.” Nollen seems to have a problem with John Wayne, especially the fact that Wayne never entered the service during WWII while most of the other leading male actors did join. I’ve read numerous biographies on John Wayne and those authors always pointed out that Hollywood folk were largely responsible for Duke not entering the service, threatening to sue Wayne for breach of contract if he joined and ruin his movie career. They even went to government folk to plead their case that John Wayne could be a morale booster if he remained in Hollywood rather than being another soldier. Mr. Nollen makes reference to John Wayne being a coward and intentionally avoiding the service while trying to make up for it pretending to be a super patriot for the rest of his life. Nollen references Wayne pretending to dodge bullets in The Green Berets while Ford was dodging real ones! Hmmm…I thought that was what actors did…pretend to be, experience, suffer and live out pretend situations.Don’t know another author who wrote/thought anything like this but, that is his opinion. The final slight is taking Ward Bond’s life to his death and doing the same for Ford but just leaving the remainder of John Wayne’s life out there!This book tells a great story about the life of Ward Bond and a dismal, but accurate picture of John Ford while being very disrespectful to John Wayne. I read this book largely for new information about John Wayne (there was none) but I didn’t expect anyone would treat him this way. Aside from that this book consists of detailed descriptions of numerous movie scenes and TV shows that are unnecessary, lesser details would have helped expedite the author’s story. Another part of this book consists of quotes from other authors in their books about these individuals. These two items probably make up more than half of this book.If you’re a John Wayne fan this is not your book!

At the author's request the first paragraph is added. The book is very well written and the author has clearly read everything he could find relating to the three men of the title so that he has accumulated a wealth of information about them. He has presented his documentation of the relations between Wayne, Ford and Bond very proficiently.HoweverI had high hopes for this book because the relationship between John Wayne, John Ford and Ward Bond has always fascinated me from an artistic view as well as a humanist view. The book is well written but rather than adding anything new to the understanding it is really a rehash of the many books already written about at least two of the men. And anyone who would read this book would have been familiar and have their own views on the works of previous writers on Wayne and Ford. There is no real discussion or addition critiques on the films the men made, just a re-listing of the films they made without any real contribution to the critical perception of those films. Rather than try and understand what made Ford tick, a complex man if ever there was one, the author has taken to repeating oft told stories of alcoholism and cruelty to other people without looking at all sides of the man, including why so many people remained loyal to him, even loved him, why they willingly cooperated to produce the films they did. That such a man could have kept a stock company, people who kept coming back for more is a book in itself. More could have been gained exploring why these men remained friends and created the art they did, despite Ford's less than generous actions at times, or maybe because of them. There were other things to Ford's style than just bullying and these are not explored. I wish someone would would explore the whole package. I hoped this book would and it did not.Unfortunately this is not a book for people who have a positive view of John Wayne. Not to sure why the author felt the need to damn Wayne with faint praise, demonise Ford and make Bond the hero. The author is clearly a fan of Ward Bond an interesting if controversial man and a great actor, but somehow in the mix he has decided to prove Bond's greatness by minimising and diminishing Wayne's work, which is a disservice to both men. Bond was a good enough actor not to need to be 'proved' better because Wayne was worse than was recorded.The book seems to rely on old interviews and other books for so called first hand accounts, which is a pity. There is still a diminishing but functioning group of people who worked with all three, still living. Their views would have added fresh information and perspectives and need to be recorded very soon.So in summary the book is a disappointment, a well written regurgitation of other books that adds nothing new (in my opinion).

It would be fascinating to know why a guy who so obviously abhors the politics of the 3 subjects of this book cared enough to write it.As others before me have explained, there are detailed descriptions of the films John Wayne, Ward Bond, and to a lesser degree,John Ford either made or participated in.In fact many of the descriptions are so detailed that eventually your eyes began to blur.Nevertheless there is much of interest to be found within the pages of this massive tract despite the sense of "cut and paste" that I strongly detect. I say "cut and paste" possibly because I've read virtually the same books and magazine articles he's used as primary source material.What is original here is the slant taken by the author to make Ward Bond the focal point of his book.Yet while correctly giving Mr Bond his just due as one of the greatest character actors in film history the author wants to constantly remind us that Bond was villainously right-wing politically.A disputable fact that insults all of us who lean that way.It's not disputable Bond was very right-wing.It is completely disputable that his politics were wrong.Thus I had a problem getting through the book (just as I did with Garry Wills' idiotic "bio' of John Wayne).One more "good thing" about the book is the almost month by month, blow by blow, accounting of Wayne, Bond and Ford's careers as they intermingle or go their separate ways.Am I glad I spent my hard-earned shekels on this book?....I'd say a "reserved" "yes".Great photographs throughout.

Eye opening account of Ford's style, the Duke's acceptance of it and Bond's many a varied roles and talents. The author tended to wander from the main characters to often.

Like many others here i bought this book to read about Ward Bond.I had already read biographies of Ford and Wayne.The author weaves the lives of all three men in and out of the narrative to good effect.Though he does go off on unrelated topics and cover too extensively material on The Quiet Man and The Searchers covered in other books.I was slightly disappointed that only a chapter of only 8 pages was devoted to Bonds anti communist activities.The author doesnt seem to come to a definiten conclusion.My guess is that like Wayne he was secretly ashamed of his failure to fight in World War 2.Mind you Wayne had even more reason to feel shame.The other reason is power.Being President of the MPA gave him power and importance which would not usually come to a minor character actor.He was anti anything intellectual probably because he seemed to have the intellect of an amoeba.He comes across as one of the most unpleasant men ever to become involved in the acting profession.So i am grateful to the author for overturning the stone under which the reputation of this man lay.