Even in the modern day,John Wayneremains an iconic figure in American cinemawhose legacy and impact on the medium simply can’t be overstated. Thanks toJohn Wayne’s Westerns, the slow-talking cowboy was able to define an entire genre with his inspiring characters while not sacrificing a certain rough edge that textured some performances.
Looking back on his catalog today, there are a handful of standout films that are simply too good not to pay proper respects to. Some elements ofJohn Wayne’s movies may have aged poorly, but a handsome portion of his filmography is too iconic to ignore even over five decades later.
10The Quiet Man
As Sean Thornton
It’s worth noting that though he may have been known for playing gunslingers,not all of John Wayne’s movies were Westerns. Some of his best work took place in other genres and settings, includingThe Quiet Man,which stars him asan Irish-American boxer who returns to his ancestral homeland only to find culture shock, romance, and drama.
The Quiet Man
Cast
The Quiet Man is a 1952 romantic drama directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne as a retired boxer who returns to his Irish roots. Set in the idyllic countryside, the film follows his attempts to reclaim his family’s homestead while pursuing a romance with a spirited local woman played by Maureen O’Hara. Known for its vivid scenery and cultural depiction, the film explores themes of identity and tradition.
The Quiet Manis easily the zenith of Wayne’s career when it comes to romance, with his on-screen chemistry with co-star Maureen O’Hara making the movie. The vibrant cinematography and insight into life in rural Ireland also makes it a unique novelty in Wayne’s filmography, too cozy and lovable of a film to exclude from his greatest hits.
9The Comancheros
As Captain Jake Cutter
The classic odd-couple action duo pairing is a tried-and-true trope well-suited to the Western genre, andThe Comancherosis one of the most fun takes on the concept to-date. Here, Wayne plays a Texas ranger who reluctantly teams up with a gambling fugitive to target a cabal of gun-runners supplying weapons to the Comanche.
The Comancheros
The Comancheros is a Western film starring John Wayne as Texas Ranger Jake Cutter. Released in 1961, the movie follows Cutter as he captures gambler Paul Regret, played by Stuart Whitman, and they form an unlikely alliance to combat a group of outlaws known as the Comancheros.
Wayne is the perfect archetypal “white hat” cowboy here, a gruff but morally astute herowhose honor clashes with his sleazy counterpart in Stuart Whitman. The humor, action sequences, and fun dynamic between the two leads results in a classic Western that shouldn’t be written off lightly.
8Stagecoach
As Ringo Kid
In the realm of John Wayne’s bread-and-butter cowboy movies, few have as legendary a status asStagecoach, which represented his first major breakthrough on screen.The 1939 Western functions as a sort of roadtrip movie, with a handful of strangers in the titular wagon making a perilous trek through Apache territory in the Wild West.
Stagecoach
Stagecoach, directed by John Ford, follows a diverse group of travelers on a stagecoach journey through dangerous Apache territory. As they face the threat of Geronimo, the passengers confront personal challenges and gain insight into each other’s lives amidst the perilous landscape.
The first shot of Wayne’s Ringo is one of themost iconic character introductions in Western movies ever, effortlessly flip-cocking his repeated with boundless charm. From this moment onward, Wayne’s charisma in this young, fiery character is the driving force of an amazing film that would generate a Hollywood fixture.
7Red River
As Thomas Dunson
Red Riverisone of the few cowboy movies actually about the profession of being a cattleman, with John Wayne’s character participating in the first dangerous cattle drive going from Texas all the way to Missouri. Working alongside his adopted son Matt, Wayne’s Thomas Dunson soon has to deal with a mutiny on his hands in the isolated expanse of the American West.
Red River
Red River is a 1988 film remake of the 1948 classic starring John Wayne, focusing on a young man who defies his overbearing guardian during a significant cattle drive. The movie explores themes of rebellion and authority within a Western setting.
Once again, Wayne’s ability to bounce off of another actor provides the delicious emotional core to a tense Western, his clashes with Montgomery Clift’s Matt truly feeling like a genuine spat between stern father and headstrong son. The idea of a mutiny on land is also a clever conceit to conflict thatRed Rivergets full mileage out of.
6True Grit
As Rooster Cogburn
Though theCohen brothers movieremake may be better known at this point, John Wayne’s efforts in the originalTrue Gritare not to be taken lightly, even today.Wayne earned his only Academy Award for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn, the eyepatch-wearing U.S. marshal who helps a young girl track down her father’s killer, for a very good reason.
True Grit
True Grit, directed by Henry Hathaway and released in 1969, stars John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshal tasked with helping a determined young girl, played by Kim Darby, track down her father’s murderer. The film is based on Charles Portis' novel of the same name and features Glen Campbell in a supporting role. True Grit is a Western that explores themes of justice and moral ambiguity in the 1870s American frontier.
Rooster is one of Wayne’s most complex and cynical characters, a hardened man with a heart of gold buried beneath layers of calloused survival instinct. His dynamic with the young Kim Darby, played by Mattie Ross, is yet another of Wayne’s great pairings, and it’s no coincidence thatTrue Gritwas chosen for a modern remake.
5The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
As Tom Doniphon
Another of Wayne’s many collaborations with Western director John Ford,The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis one of the best films produced by the duo. Here, John Wayne’s character is actually dead at the start of the story, which uses a narrative framing device of a man recounting how Wayne’s Tom Doniphon was one of two to stand up to a notorious outlaw.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 Western film directed by John Ford. Starring James Stewart as an idealistic senator and John Wayne as a rugged rancher, the story explores themes of justice and legend as they confront the outlaw Liberty Valance, played by Lee Marvin. The film examines the conflicts between law, order, and personal morality in the American West.
Theunique storytellingmechanisms ofThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceprovides an interesting slant to the film’s narrative, with the tragic outcome being clear from the beginning, but the means of getting there totally unknown. It’s this rich story that makesThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceone of the most compelling Westerns ever, let alone in Wayne’s career.
4The Searchers
As Ethan Edwards
For as huge an impact as John Wayne’s many films have had on the Western genre, few changed filmmaking itself so much asThe Searchers.A bleak and edgy tale by John Wayne’s standards, the plot revolves arounda civil war veteran who leads a daring raid into Comanche territoryafter his niece is seemingly kidnapped by raiders.
The Searchers
The Searchers, released in 1956, stars John Wayne as a Civil War veteran who embarks on a years-long quest to rescue his kidnapped niece. Directed by John Ford, the film delves into themes of obsession and racial tension as the protagonist’s motivations become increasingly complex.
The film’s complex performances and daring critiques of racism and petty, vengeance-fueled violence continue to be one of thegreatest Western movie inspirationsto this very day, an enduring and compelling saga. It was also the first film to coin John Wayne’s signature use of the word “pilgrim”, which would go on to become a staple of his.
3Rio Bravo
As Sheriff John T. Chance
Based on the short story of the same name,Rio Bravostars John Wayne as Sheriff John T. Chance, who organizes an eclectic crew of gunmen to prevent a violent gang of criminals from springing a jailed outlaw from custody. Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson round out the star-studded cast, bringing to bear their talents on a relatively simple story.
Rio Bravo
Rio Bravo is a 1959 Western film directed by Howard Hawks featuring John Wayne as the sheriff of a small town. The story follows his efforts alongside a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter to keep the brother of a local troublemaker incarcerated in the town jail.
The main trio have excellent camaraderie as they bicker, joke, and cover each other’s backs, each of them a richly developed character as well as an entertaining gunslinger. The latter is shown off in the film’s excellent shootout scenes, among the best of John Wayne’s career and Westerns in general.
2Sands Of Iwo Jima
As John M. Stryker
The Western wasn’t the only area in which John Wayne excelled, contributing to some of thebest war movies ever made, as well. EnterSands of Iwo Jima, whichsees Wayne play the resolute and unyielding Sergeant John Stryker, a marine leading his troops through some of the most brutal fighting of World War II’s Pacific theater.
Sands of Iwo Jima
Sands of Iwo Jima, directed by Allan Dwan, is a 1950 war film starring John Wayne as Marine Sgt. John Stryker. The story follows Stryker’s complex relationship with his men, who initially resent his tough leadership style but come to understand its necessity during combat.
The film swept the 22nd Academy Awards with many nominations, including a nod to Johne Wayne as Sergeant Stryker. Looking back on the film, his valiant dedication to the character not that long after the real-world horrors of war that inspired his story is an effort worth remembering today.
1El Dorado
As Cole Thornton
El Doradocenters on a hardscrabble family whose livelihood is put in jeopardy when a greedy landowner sends dangerous hired guns to intimidate them into giving up their land, with their town’s alcoholic sheriff refusing to be of any help. Luckily, John Wayne’s Cole Thorton, an aged gunfighter with a keen sense of justice, is there to pick up the slack.
El Dorado
In “El Dorado,” veteran gunslinger Cole Thornton is summoned by a wealthy rancher, Bart Jason, to assist in a land dispute. However, upon arriving in the town of El Dorado, Thornton discovers from his old friend, Sheriff J.P. Harrah, that Jason’s true motives are far from just. Determined to prevent unnecessary violence, Thornton joins forces with the sheriff and a young, eager deputy named Mississippi to protect the besieged MacDonald family.
El Doradois the epitome of a simple, yet effective Westernthat makes the most out of John Wayne’s relentless nobility and endearing charm. With a great early appearance of a young James Caan as his apprentice and a phenomenal climactic action scene,El Doradois an immovable fixture ofJohn Wayne’s legacy.
