John Wayneis one of the most famous movie stars in the history of cinema, andhis bestwesternfilms are some of the greatest the genre ever produced. Getting his start in the 1920s during the Silent Era, Wayne soon broke into stardom playing tough-talking heroes in westerns. Appearing in dozens of westerns throughout his decades-long career, Wayne set the standard for what an action star looked like, and he is still synonymous with the genre. Though he also appeared in dramas, comedies, and plenty of war movies, John Wayne will always be remembered for his cowboy roles.
Wayne often played swaggering heroes, but he was also capable of playing a double-talking villain as well.Wayne’s movies with John Fordset the gold standard for the Hollywood western, and plenty of actors adopted Wayne’s mannerisms when playing their own cowboy characters. Even as he aged, The Duke was no stranger to excellent movies, and he began to mature as an actor too. Later roles allowed Wayne to show off his true acting chops, but he never strayed far from westerns. Despite making so many movies in the genre, there are some John Wayne westerns that shine the brightest.
The final film of legendaryCasablancadirector Michael Curtiz,The Comancherosis a ’60s western that is often forgotten compared to its contemporaries. Wayne stars as Texas Ranger Jake Cutter, who begins to question his position when he teams with an outlaw to go against a dangerous gang. Though he is often held in high regard as the gold standard for action hero characters,The Comancherosshowed that Wayne was also capable of playing a morally complex figure.
The movie is charming and fast-paced, and has the beautiful vistas that typified the classic westerns of the mid-century. Wayne is the star, but he gives away a significant amount of stage to co-star Stuart Whitman, who plays a truly sympathetic antihero.
Though he was mostly known for his roles inclassic noir films, Robert Mitchum’s turn inEl Doradoproved he was perfect for westerns too. The classic mid-’60s film casts John Wayne as an aging gunfighter who must stop greedy land-grabbers from displacing a family from their homestead. Though Wayne’s gun-toting hero, Thornton, is a highlight,it’s Mitchum’s drunken Sheriff Harrah that steals the show.
1948
100%
1959
96%
1962
65%
1966
1970
70%
The Howard Hawks film features snappy dialogue and has undercurrents of character drama underneath its simple premise. While it may not be unique among the other late-era westerns,El Doradostill outshines its contemporaries thanks to its notable ensemble cast.
Westerns don’t often allow actors to work outside their comfort zone, butFort Apachetapped Henry Fonda to play one of his only villainous roles. Set in the titular outpost in the post-Civil War years,Fort Apachesees John Wayne play a war hero who must convince his new commanding officer (Fonda) not to declare war against the local indigenous population.
Fort Apachealso stars Shirley Temple in one of her final roles before she retired from acting.
While it lacks the typical cowboy bluster of classic westerns,Fort Apacheis such an excellent film because it plays out like a drama set against the backdrop of the American West. Fonda is electric as the arrogant Lt. Colonel Thursday, and Wayne is at his best as a soft-spoken hero. The 1940s hit is also one of the earliest movies to treat indigenous people more respectfully, though it’s far from perfect.
By 1969, the golden age of westerns was over, and the genre had given way to more introspective films that deconstructed the ideas of the classic films.True Gritadapts the Charles Portis novel of the same name, andcasts John Wayne in what is arguably his last great movie role. The grizzled U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn allowed Wayne to play around with character work, and he crafted an anti-hero totally unlike his classic cowboy roles.
True Gritblends elements of the burgeoning anti-western subgenre with the atmosphere of older classics
The movie itself is a streamlined adventure of revenge and retribution seen through the ideas of a young girl who is out to avenge her father.John Wayne won his only Academy Award for the movie, andTrue Gritblends elements of the burgeoning anti-western subgenre with the atmosphere of older classics. Wayne would reprise his role as Rooster Cogburn in a 1975 sequel that wasn’t as well-received.
John Wayne was usually the biggest star in all of hisclassic western movies, but he also shared the screen with a few legends as well.The Sons of Katie Elderis an ensemble story that puts Wayne alongside Rat Pack star Dean Martin as brothers out to save their family’s property after it was swindled away from their mother. While the premise could have been played for laughs,Katie Elderis surprisingly dour.
DID YOU KNOW:John Wayne’s real name was Marion Robert Morrison, but he got the nickname “The Duke” as a child, inspired by the loyal family dog that was always by his side (viaCollider).
The action is crisp and somewhat violent for a film from the ’60s, andit’s one of the rare Hollywood westerns from the era to push boundaries. Dean Martin is charming, but he doesn’t play too campy, and the relationship between the four brothers is the real heart of the story.
One complaint that’s often levied at westerns is that they are too simple and repetitive, and while that may sometimes be true,The Man Who Shot Liberty Valanceis a perfect example of the opposite. Told mainly through flashback, the film features Jimmy Stewart as a U.S. Senator who reflects on life-changing events from 25 years earlier when he took on an outlaw terrorizing a frontier town.
Stewart and John Wayne have chemistry from the first time they appear together onscreen, and Lee Marvin is in top form as yet another gunslinging villain.The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancemay be slow-paced and deliberate, but it’s all in service of a compelling plot that subverts the expectations of the western genre.
Of all the directors that John Wayne worked with frequently, John Ford was his strongest collaborator. Wayne was already a Hollywood veteran by the time 1939’sStagecoachpremiered, but his appearance as Ringo Kid was where everything changed. The complex anti-hero blends in nicely with the film’s ensemble of humorous characters who all have the common goal of reaching New Mexico.
Unlike the other westerns from that era,Stagecoachis the perfect mix of strong writing, brilliant performances, and a sweeping score, all things that would eventually become standard for the golden era of westerns. It pushed the genre to new heights, andcan be credited with making John Wayne a household name.
By the late 1950s, films likeHigh Noonbegan arriving that called into question the philosophy of the western genre. In response,Rio Bravowas produced in order to offer a no-frills alternative that doesn’t require too much thinking from the public. Wayne is in his usual role as a tough-as-nails sheriff who is determined to keep a criminal detained even as the outlaw’s brother threatens to come and bust him out.
Despite trying to bite back atHigh Noon’s heady themes,Rio Bravostill manages to be an entertaining film that has its own philosophy. Wayne’s Sheriff Chance assembles a rag-tag team to help him, and heroism is found in unlikely places.
Howard Hawks and John Wayne were a match made in Hollywood heaven, andRed Riveris a perfect example of the best of both men. Wayne plays one of his first anti-hero roles as Thomas Dunson, a successful rancher who is headstrong and cruel. The bulk of the film plays out during a contentious and dangerous cattle drive, as Dunson’s despotic leadership causes those under him to chafe against his authority.
Several decades into his career as a western star,John Wayne turns in what might be his greatest performance overall, and Dunson is one of his most morally gray characters. Hawks' direction deftly expands and contracts the environment for whatever the scene needs, and the plains of the American West are the stage for a compelling interpersonal drama that transcends the western genre.
Few films exemplify the best of the western genre likeThe Searchers, and it will always hold a special place in John Wayne’s impressive filmography.John Ford’s film of revenge and obsession also features some of the most beautiful scenery ever put on screen, and nearly every frame is a Technicolor masterpiece. John Wayne steps out of his comfort zone and plays Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran who is nearly driven to madness in his quest for vengeance.
John Wayne’s performance isn’t just compelling, but it’s the one role that proved he was more than just an action star.
Plenty of films have dealt with similar themes over the years, butThe Searchersis the perfect mixture of classic western machismo with an introspective philosophy. It deconstructs the idealized view of the American West without sacrificing any of the hard-hitting action that audiences want to see. Furthermore,John Wayne’s performance isn’t just compelling, but it’s the one role that proved he was more than just an action star.
