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John Wayne

10 Classic John Wayne Movies That Are Not Westerns

John Wayne is a Hollywood legend who is best known for his iconic Westerns such as The Searchers, True Grit and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. After losing his football scholarship, Wayne started working for 20th Century Fox as a prop boy before his breakthrough role in John Ford‘s Stagecoach. While Wayne may have made his film footprint in the Old West, the Duke starred in a dozen non-Western movies throughout his career that are often overlooked.
Along with his Westerns, Wayne was featured in dozens of war films including The Green Berets as well as romantic comedies and dramas like A Lady Takes a Chance and The Wings of the Eagles.From The Longest Day to Donovan’s Reef,these are several among Wayne’s best classic movies that aren’t Westerns.
‘In Harm’s Way’ (1965)

John Wayne_Carroll O'Connor_Kirk Douglas_In Harm's Way

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Captain Torrey managed to keep his ship afloat, but he’s demoted when his ship is damaged. When he returns to shore, he attempts to reconnect with his estranged son and falls in love with a nurse (Patricia Neal) before he is assigned to a dangerous mission.
Directed by Otto Preminger, In Harm’s Way was one of the last epic World War II movies to be filmed in black-and-white and features a star-studded cast of Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Dana Andrews, Carroll O’Connor and Burgess Meredith.The movie was written by Navy veteran Wendell Mayes and is considered to be an authentic view into the Navy during the war.
‘Back to Bataan’ (1945)

John Wayne looking to the side while sitting next to a man laying down in the grass in Sands of Iwo Jima-1

As the U.S. struggles to defend Bataan against the Japanese, Colonel Madden recruits resistance fighters to help keep a hold of the city. While he’s away, Bataan is captured along with Madden’s men including the grandson of a national war hero, Captain Andrés Bonifacio (Anthony Quinn). Refusing to give up, Madden and the resistance fighters form a plan to save Bonifacio as well as Bataan.
RELATED:The Tragic History Of Lost Films, From A Hitchcock Feature To A John Wayne Western
Back to Bataan is based on the real-life Battle of Bataan and takes place during the most intense phase of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II. According to John Wayne: American by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson, Wayne insisted on doing his own stunts for the movie. One scene involved Wayne entering an icy pond and remaining underwater while using a reed to breathe.
‘Hatari!’ (1962)

John Wayne standing behind the front of a jeep with a young man in Hatari!

Sean Mercer and his men capture wild African animals to sell to American zoos, but the job’s interrupted by a reporter who intends to expose them and their exploits. As they continue to clash with the reporter, her tough and strong will begin to wear them down and even rethink their career choice.
Hatari! is directed by the legendary filmmaker Howard Hawks and is the only non-Western Hawks and Wayne made together. The movie was filmed on location in East Africa and according to The Cinema of Howard Hawks, by Peter Bogdanovich, Hawks had planned on Clark Gable co-starring with Wayne in the movie but Gable’s death in 1960 ruled that option out.
‘They Were Expendable’ (1945)

John Wayne, Geraldine Page and Robert Montgomery sitting next to each other in a jeep inThey Were Expendable

Naval officers, Rusty and Brick (Robert Montgomery) present a group of PT boats to their superior officer who is unimpressed and dismisses them. When they receive word about the attack on Pearl Harbor, Rusty and Brick are sent into battle with their PT boats and end up becoming America’s secret weapon.
While the movie’s fictional, They Were Expendable is based on events surrounding a PT boat squadron that defended the Philippines during World War II. The movie is co-directed by John Ford as well as Montgomery and features It’s a Wonderful Life stars, Donna Reed and Ward Bond. Bond and Wayne would work together again several years later on another Ford film, The Searchers.
‘Reap the Wild Wind’ (1942)

Paulette Goddard standing next to John Wayne looking up in Reap the Wild Wind

After a massive shipwreck, Loxi (Paulette Goddard), the owner of a marine salvaging business, and her men race to the wreckage sites to collect the cargo and end up saving one of the ship’s captains, Jack Stuart. After Jack finds a job with another shipping line, rumors surface that his shipwreck was planned by dangerous salvagers.
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, Reap the Wild Wind is a romantic adventure with a supporting cast of Ray Milland, Susan Hayward and actor-turned-gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper. The movie’s viewed as one of Wayne’s most unusual roles as he plays a character who has a dark and sinister side to him that audiences rarely see the Duke portray.
‘The Longest Day’ (1962)

John Wayne standing next to another soldier in The Longest Day

U.S. and allied troops are planning to invade Normandy, France and despite bad weather, are given the go-ahead by General Eisenhower. The troops storm the Normandy beach and venture into French territory catching the German troops completely off guard.
The Longest Day is a classic war film about the events leading up to one of the most infamous battles of World War II, D-Day. The cast is packed with stars including Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Sean Connery, Richard Burton and Peter Lawford. The movie contains actual archive footage and according to Five Came Back by Mark Harris, was partially filmed by John Ford and inspired scenes in Steven Spielberg‘sSaving Private Ryan.
‘Blood Alley’ (1955)

Lauren Bacall sitting and looking up at John Wayne leaning over a table looking at someone across from him in Blood Alley

Tom Wilder’s an American sailor who is asked by a group of villagers to help them escape from Chinese Communists. Wilder agrees to take them to a British port but as they embark on the dangerous journey, they are followed by a Chinese gunboat and fighter threatening to destroy their entire plan.
Blood Alley is a Cold War drama featuring Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, who plays Wayne’s love interest. Wayne promoted the movie during his guest appearance on an episode of the hit sitcom, I Love Lucy,where Lucy and Ethel steal Wayne’s cement footprints from the front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater the night before the movie’s premiere.

‘Sands of Iwo Jima’ (1949)

John Wayne lying on the ground of a battle field next to another soldier in Sands of Iwo Jima

During World War II, Marine sergeant, John Stryker is resented by his troops for his strict rules and intense training methods. The men start to appreciate Stryker and his war strategies as they try to survive what would end up becoming one of the war’s bloodiest battles, the Battle of Iwo Jima
Sands of Iwo Jima is directed by silent film director Allan Dwan who successfully transitioned into the Talkies directing several films featuring child-star Shirley Temple. The war movie co-stars John Agar, Forrest Tucker and Richard Jaeckel who all joined Wayne again in the Western, Chisum. Agar also co-starred with Wayne in Fort Apache alongside Temple who married the young actor in 1945.
‘The Quiet Man’ (1952)

Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne sitting in a carriage looking forward in The Quiet Man-1

Sean Thornton’s a former boxer who moves to Ireland and purchases his family’s old home with the intention of living in peace. He meets and marries Mary Kate (Maureen O’Hara) but when her brother refuses to give them her dowry, Sean’s forced to enter the ring for one final fight.
The Quiet Man is directed by John Ford and is one of Wayne’s best performances alongside frequent co-star, Maureen O’Hara. Wayne and O’Hara co-starred together in a total of five films including another Ford film, McLintock! and off-screen, the two were great friends all the way up until Wayne’s death in 1979. The movie earned Ford his fourth Academy Award for Best Director and still holds the record as the director to win the most Oscars.
‘Donovan’s Reef’ (1963)

Lee Marvin next to John Wayne both soaking wet standing in a fish pond in Donovan's Reef

At the end of World War II, Navy veterans, Donovan, Gilhooley (Lee Marvin) and Doc Dedham, remain on a French Polynesian island where they rebuild the local town. Back in Boston, Dedham’s daughter finds out her father’s still alive and travels to the island in an attempt to collect his share of stocks in their family’s company.
Donovan’s Reef is another John Ford film but due to the director’s declining health at the time, Wayne directed a majority of the film himself. While the movie is a light-hearted comedy, it still manages to address serious issues such as racial discrimination, greed and bigotry. Donovan’s Reef reunited Wayne and Ford in what would become their final film together.

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John Wayne

Yellowstone: Why audiences compare Kevin Costner to a ‘modern John Wayne’.

Will there ever be another Hollywood cowboy quite like John Wayne? These Yellowstone fans think Kevin Costner is the only to come close.Right off the bat, this feels an odd comparison to draw for this Outsider. Sure, on the surface it works: both men are incredibly famous for their work in Westerns. Yet as individuals and their roles in Hollywood at large – they could not be more different.

But that’s just one man’s opinion! As a fellow Yellowstone fan, however, I do think it’s fair to say Costner’s John Dutton is having a considerable impact on American pop culture today – much in the same way John Wayne did in his heyday.

Perhaps this, then, is what has led to an active discussion over on Reddit’s Yellowstone board between passionate fans. There, Redditor deepinterwebz jumpstarts the conversation with: “I see Kevin Costner as America’s modern day John Wayne. He embodies America’s true cowboy spirit as Wayne did.”Which, again, on the surface kind of works. The top comment picks up on some of the same hiccups mentioned earlier, though, as u/hitch_in_my_gitalong replies: “Leaving out their actual personalities, John Wayne generally played good guy roles. John Dutton wants something that’s honorable and good but is crooked in how he goes about it.”

True, yet both were products of their time. In this discussion, fans seem to be whisking all of Wayne’s iconic cowboy roles into one fictional cowboy of a man – which was largely The Duke’s public persona. Wayne always wanted to play good guys, sure (except, you know, that one time he played Genghis Khan in one of the worst missteps in Hollywood history), but many of his characters were just as “crooked” as Costner’s Dutton for their time. Cinema simply wasn’t as breakneck and gory in the golden age. Things were… Much different. Something like Yellowstone would be unfathomable to audiences of the mid-20th century.

‘Yellowstone’ Fans on ‘Hollywood’s Version of a Cowboy’

To this end, Redditor DemenicHand believes “it would probably be better to compare Rock “The Dwayne” Johnson’s persona to John Wayne, instead of [Costner].”An interesting take! Honestly, Johnson certainly has a much more similar bravado to Wayne about him that Costner. Wayne was “larger than life,” as is Johnson. Costner, however, is far closer to that actual “cowboy spirit” of less showmanship – more action.

Yet Redditor johnnykoxville (not to be confused with the actual Jackass star) disagrees that either could ever be considered the “True cowboy spirit,” saying “It’s so far off in reality.”Eh… I Disagree. From someone who has two literal cowboys for great uncles, both men remind me a lot of Kevin Costner and a little of John Wayne. So take that for what you will, Yellowstone fans.As Redditor AnnaNonna says, “John Wayne embodied Hollywood’s version of a cowboy.”

Kevin Costner and his characters – like one John Dutton – however, feel far more true to life.

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John Wayne

Do you know the huge value of John Wayne’s top 5 guns used in Western movies?

John Wayne is cinema’s favorite cowboy. Sorry, Clint Eastwood. The actor made a name for himself with his tough as nails characters. Throughout his career, Wayne played many different cowboys, soldiers, and police officers. The actor was known for his weaponry.But some guns are more memorable than others. Here is the Top Five guns Wayne used during his career:

5. John Wayne Used a Colt Diamondback in ‘Brannigan’John Wayne was always the motto of Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Okay, so maybe he didn’t speak that softly. But Wayne certainly never backed down, even when he traded the Old West for London. The 1975 film “Brannigan” saw the actor go abroad as a detective trying to capture a criminal.

Wayne uses the iconic Colt Diamondback in the film, which certainly packs a punch. The weapon becomes a source of contention in the film. Because it’s against British law to carry a firearm. But Wayne refuses to listen and continues to carry the weapon.

4. The Cowboy Retrieves Two Double-Barrels in ‘Big Jake’You don’t want to mess with a grandfather and his greeners. A couple of bandits found out the hard way in the 1971 film “Big Jake.” Wayne plays a grandfather on a mission. When his grandson is kidnapped, Wayne’s wife brings him his guns. In the iconic scene, Wayne pulls two short double-barreled shotguns. Notably, Wayne h as a cinematic gunfight with the bandit le ader, using one of the double barrels.

Why were the shotguns called Greeners? W.W. Greener is a British manufacturer of weaponry. The actual shotguns used in the film were created by the American Gun Company. So, this is a little bit of a white lie on the part of the film’s production.

3. Wayne Has Fun with a Mac-10 in ‘McQ’ Now, that’s a gun. The screen legend gets his hand on a MAC-10 submachine gun with a suppressor almost as big as his arm. For most of his career, Wayne dabbled in revolvers, rifles, and westerns. But the actor starred in the 1974 police film “McQ,” opening the door for modern weapons.

During the film, Wayne brings out the weapon for a beach chase at the end. While Dirty Harry may have his Magnum, audiences will hardly see a more fun image than Wayne firing a submachine gun.

2. ‘Stagecoach’ Features the Iconic Saddle Ringe Carbine One of Wayne’s earliest films also featured one of his most iconic weapons. The cowboy and the Winchester 1892 Saddle Ringe Carbine make for a deadly combination in 1939’s “Stagecoach.” It may not make sense for the film’s timeline. The gun wasn’t released until the 1890s while the film is set in the 1880s. But audiences forgave the inconsistency.

The film features a group of people traveling on a stagecoach between Arizona and New Mexico. During the film, Wayne flips the rifle in an iconic twirl. And the cowboy was born.

1. John Wayne Goes Out with a Pair of Revolvers in ‘The Shootist’From one of John Wayne’s first to his last. The 1976 film “The Shootist” features Wayne in his last movie role. The actor is at his most poignant, playing an aging gunfight looking for one last fight. After the film, Wayne died from cancer in 1979. In the film, Wayne used his own personal guns – a pair of Great Western Revolvers.

Wayne will always be connected to the image of the cowboy, with revolvers as his go-to. These pair of guns were created personally for Wayne in the 1950s. Wayne’s decision to use the weapons in the film fits with the flick’s swansong nature. It’s only right that the cowboy goes out with a pair of revolvers in either hand.

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John Wayne

John Wayne’s family members revealed his personal letter, have you seen these pictures?

John Wayne được cho là cái tên mang tính biểu tượng nhất trong làng điện ảnh Mỹ – ngoài một diễn viên, anh còn là một báu vật quốc gia. Giờ đây, Gia đình Wayne đang chia sẻ những bức thư cá nhân, điện tín, thẻ và những bức ảnh chưa từng thấy của ngôi sao trong Duke: In His Own Words, do Media Lab Books xuất bản.

Wayne nói: ‘Người mà bạn nhìn thấy trên màn hình thực sự không phải là tôi. Tôi là Công tước Morrison, và tôi chưa bao giờ và sẽ không bao giờ là một nhân vật điện ảnh như John Wayne. Tôi biết rõ anh ấy. Tôi là một trong những học trò thân thiết nhất của anh ấy. Tôi phải là người kiếm sống nhờ anh ấy. Đó là mẫu người đàn ông mà những người vợ bình thường muốn dành cho chồng mình ‘.

Daily Mail Online đã được cung cấp những bức ảnh và bức thư độc quyền này từ Kho lưu trữ John Wayne để chia sẻ với độc giả. ba mươi năm. Anh ấy tắm cho lũ trẻ bằng những món quà xa hoa nhưng đảm bảo rằng chúng biết giá trị của sự chăm chỉ.

Ông có ba người vợ, trải qua nhiều cuộc tình, quanh quẩn với Ward Bond và Frank Sinatra – và không bao giờ ngại ngùng khi đưa ra lời khuyên cho Tổng thống Hoa Kỳ. ‘Duke’, ‘Everlovin’, hay chỉ ‘Bố’ đối với gia đình và bạn bè của anh ấy sinh ra ở miền Trung Tây nhưng sớm cùng gia đình tái định cư ở miền nam California để thích nghi với tình trạng phổi của chính cha mình.

Chính việc di chuyển về phía tây đã giới thiệu người đàn ông và phụ nữ 6’4 ′ gồ ghề đến các xưởng phim Hollywood. Anh ấy đã mất học bổng bóng đá của mình vào Đại học Nam California sau một tai nạn lướt ván trên cơ thể.Anh ấy thực sự không bao giờ ghi bàn thắng thua, không có tiền đi học, anh ấy rời đi và tiếp tục trở thành một cậu bé hỗ trợ và phụ trong các bộ phim vào những năm 1920.

Đến năm 1930, anh được giao vai chính đầu tiên trong The Big Trail và đó là khi cái tên John Wayne xuất hiện trên màn ảnh. Ông tiếp tục trở thành ngôi sao của phim phương Tây và cuối cùng đã trở thành ngôi sao vàng phòng vé trong 5 thập kỷ cho đến khi ông kết thúc phim vào ngày 11 tháng 6 năm 1979. Wayne bị ung thư dạ dày ở tuổi 72. Wayne đã kết hôn ba lần – tất cả đều là phụ nữ Latina.

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