John Wayne is one movie star whose fame and fan base have scarcely diminished since his death in 1979, as he has become more and more the symbolic persona representing the rugged, staunchly patriotic, all-American hero. And each fan has his own John Wayne — be it the beautiful young beginner, the iconic John Ford cowboy, the World War II hero or the seasoned, eye-patched Rooster Cogburn of "True Grit."

He was born Marion Michael Morrison — not the easiest name for a boy to bear — in Winterset, Iowa, in 1907. The family moved to California when Marion was seven because of his father's health problems, settling first in Palmdale and then in Glendale. It was there that the boy's self-esteem was bolstered by the acquisition of the nickname Duke, after his dog that followed him everywhere. As a kid, he loved to watch movies being made at the nearby Triangle Studios in Glendale and was an ardent Saturday matinee moviegoer.

A good student and athlete, he received a football scholarship to USC, though an injury prevented him from completing the course. His coach, with the help of cowboy star Tom Mix, arranged for a summer job for him in the prop department at Fox Studios, which became permanent when he didn't return to school. He did some stunt work there and was given bit parts in several Fox silent films by John Ford and others. But his first big break came when Raoul Walsh gave the now-named John Wayne the lead in a film called "The Big Trail." Unfortunately, it was shot in a widescreen process, which most theaters were not equipped to show, and so it became one of the biggest flops of 1930.

From Fox, Wayne then moved from studio to studio — Columbia, Warner, Monogram (who tried to turn him into a singing cowboy), Republic — making serials and low-budget movies. Stardom finally came with his role as the Ringo Kid in John Ford's "Stagecoach" in 1939. Over his long career, Wayne would appear in more than 250 films, the majority of them Westerns, the best of which were directed by Ford or Howard Hawks. He won an Academy Award for his work in the 1969 "True Grit."

There is a surprising variety of collectible John Wayne material out there, centering both on him individually and on the movies he made.

Wayne himself almost took on the persona of a fictional hero to his fans. Like a Hopalong Cassidy or Lone Ranger, his image can be found on such items as a 1936 Dixie ice cream picture with scenes from his film "King of the Pecos," and another from the later "The Quiet Man": celluloid buttons, picture rings and photo charms from the 1940s on. In the '50s, there were such items as a "John Wayne, The Trouble Shooter" pocket-sized comic booklet, one of six such premiums sent in exchange for Procter & Gamble's Dreft, Oxydol or Ivory Soap wrappers or box tops; a leather billfold with the Duke's portrait on front, a John Wayne jigsaw puzzle from Saalfield, and a transfer picture sheet. There is also a 1979 18-1/2-inch plaster statue by Esco (with an unnaturally large head) and a boxed commemorative doll made by Effanbee Doll Corp. in 1982, with Wayne wearing a cavalry outfit costume; plus Wayne paper dolls by Tom Tierney, published by Dover in 1981.

"John Wayne Adventure Comics" were published from 1949 to 1955, and the screen legend also made occasional appearances in other comic book series between 1948 and 1967, mostly tied to his movie roles.

In addition, there is the usual movie memorabilia attached to every film star. This includes autographed photos, posters and lobby cards, movie-related sheet music, ads, press books and other promotional material.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, most recently "Beyond Ava & Aidan: The Enlightened Guide to Naming your Baby" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.