My Baker's Dozen of John Wayne Movies!
Inspired by the related list "Actors every guy wants to be" headed by 'Duke' Wayne the following are my personal favourites of the 172 films that Mr Morrison appeared in during his fifty years of film making.
Just to prove the power of these lists, at the urging of other listorians I have revisited my collection and although I will not drop the original ten, I concede that there are more Duke movies that deserve recognition.
Just to prove the power of these lists, at the urging of other listorians I have revisited my collection and although I will not drop the original ten, I concede that there are more Duke movies that deserve recognition.
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- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneMaureen O'HaraBarry FitzgeraldA retired American boxer returns to the village of his birth in 1920s Ireland, where he falls for a spirited redhead whose brother is contemptuous of their union.Humourous RomCom with plenty of action and beautifully photographed.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJohn WayneKim DarbyGlen CampbellA drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory."A classic piece of Americana" to quote Bob Lundy and of course he is right. The remake is a nice tribute but this was always the Duke's movie. Glen Campbell was a unique touch and Kim Darby had a lovely naive, newness which struck the right chord.
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsJohn WayneLauren BacallRon HowardA dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.Duke's Last Movie and in most ways his most profound.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJeffrey HunterVera MilesAn American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm.John Wayne and John Ford at their artistic best, it could have come from the pen of Homer.
- DirectorJohn FarrowStarsJohn WayneGeraldine PageWard BondArmy dispatch rider Hondo Lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring Apaches and becomes their protector.A classic example of less being more, all the cast were top class in this simple tale of western folk.
- DirectorJohn FordRobert MontgomeryStarsRobert MontgomeryJohn WayneDonna ReedA Navy commander fights to prove the battle-worthiness of the PT boat at the start of World War II.The PT Boats were part of a very strong ensemble cast in which Wayne's role as Rusty Ryan was a steady cog.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJohn WayneBetty FieldHarry CareyA mysterious but pleasant stranger arrives in the Missouri hills and befriends a young backwoods girl, which doesn't sit well with her moonshiner fiancé who has vowed to find and kill his own father.Harry Carey was the sure Shepherd in this technicolor tale of complicated family matters in the Ozarks made as a Western in Sheep's clothing.
- DirectorJohn WayneStarsJohn WayneRichard WidmarkLaurence HarveyIn 1836, a small band of soldiers sacrifice their lives in hopeless combat against a massive army in order to prevent a tyrant from smashing the new Republic of Texas.A classic epic brought to life by John Wayne's imagination, blood, sweat, tears and strong determination to pay his tribute to the few who paid the ultimate price for freedom.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WaynePedro ArmendárizHarry Carey Jr.Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.Another classic ensemble cast who proved that a heart warming story can be made by mens men.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsJohn WayneLloyd NolanWalter AbelA C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastes of Quebec, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while waiting for rescue.Great cast and another classic ensemble which proved that JW did not insist on all the best lines for himself. I had not seen this movie since puberty and I am so glad that that they have released it now.
- DirectorLeigh JasonStarsJoan BlondellJohn WaynePhilip MerivaleGambling boat operator Jenny Blake throws over her gambler beau Jack Morgan in order to marry into high society.John Wayne in a romantic costume drama, proving that he has a heart whilst supporting the beautiful Joan Blondell in this story of high society intrigue.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneClaire TrevorAndy DevineA group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.Such a good story they remade it at least twice, but this original monochrome masterpiece has got Claire Trevor, Louise Platt, Thomas Mitchell, John Carradine, Andy Devine, George Bancroft, Berton Churchill and even Donald Meek in this exceptional ensemble enroute to Lordsburgh. It even had Tim Holt (from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) as a ride on cavalry Lieutenant!
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsJohn WayneClaire TrevorLaraine DayWhen a commercial airliner develops engine problems on a trans-Pacific flight and the pilot loses his nerve, it is up to the washed-up co-pilot Dan Roman to bring the plane in safely.Stagecoach with wings, the forerunner of Airport and Airplane and a damn good ensemble cast. Yes the Duke dominates every scene he is in, which is not bad for a part that was allegedly planned for Spencer Tracy. But he was not in every scene and the cast were brilliant. Yes it's dated, but then so is the Mona Lisa, a time capsule that should be treasured.