John Wayne

John Wayne’s Favorite Films Of All Time (Including Two Of His Own)

Here are John Wayne’s Favorite Films of his own – which just happen to include two movies he starred in. Wayne had to work his way up to leading man status, and after many uncredited roles in 1920s movies, he spent much of the ’30s fronting low-budget, “poverty row” Westerns. It was 1939’s Stagecoach that changed his fortunes, with the film being both a major success and a landmark for the genre.
While Wayne is best known for Westerns – of which he made 80 – he appeared in many different types of movies during his heyday, including romantic dramas and war films. Of course, his screen persona rarely changed from film to film, as audiences often came to see a “John Wayne” movie first and foremost. His low-budget Westerns also saw him carefully craft his screen image, from his distinctive drawl, the way he walked and his innovative – for the time, at least – approach to screen fights.

Wayne was a star for over 30 years, but while he appeared in many classics, his controversial Playboy interview from 1971 came to haunt him. During this conversation, he openly expressed racist, homophobic and misogynist viewpoints, which caused an outcry shortly after its publication. It caused another in 2019 when the interview resurfaced. This has turned some cinephiles and viewers off the star, though Wayne – who was also known as “Duke” – work looms large from Hollywood’s Golden Age. In 1977, The People’s Almanac (via Stars and Letters) sent out a poll to living Academy Award winners, asking for their top five choices for best movies and actors. Here are John Wayne’s favorite movies.
A Man For All Seasons (1966)

robert shaw in a man for all seasons

Wayne’s first choice is the historical drama A Man For All Seasons, starring Jaws‘ Robert Shaw and Orson Welles. The movie adapted the play of the same name and recounted the fate of Sir Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor of England who refused King Henry VIII’s request for his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to be annulled. A Man For All Seasons was both a critical and commercial hit upon release and later won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Given his interest in history and men who hold true to their principles, it’s little surprise Wayne – who only made one sequel – was taken by the film.
Gone With The Wind (1939)

Gone with the Wind movie

The next film on Wayne’s list is Gone With The Wind, the sweeping romantic epic from 1939. The story is set during the American Civil War and follows Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett and her marriage to Clark Gable’s Rhett. Despite being a troubled production the film was an enormous critical and commercial success, and in later years would regularly top lists of the greatest films ever made. Gone With The Wind is still held in high regard, though its depiction of slavery has come under fire in the decades since its release.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)

the-four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse-poster

Wayne’s third selection was The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, a remake of the classic silent film from the ’20s starring Rudolph Valentino. The remake was directed by Gigi’s Vincente Minnelli, with the story being an epic family drama set during World War 2. Lead Glenn Ford – co-star of Superman 1978 – was consideredly woefully miscast in the lead role, and the film received mixed reviews. The film was also a financial disaster for MGM, with the big budget production said to have lost the studio over $5 million at the box office. While it hasn’t been reappraised as a lost classic, the reception to the movie is warmer now than it was on its initial release, and it is recognized for being an ambitious – if flamed – melodrama.
The Searchers (1956)

Jeffery Hunter and John Wayne in The Searchers

One downside to John Wayne’s favorite film selection is that the star didn’t actually expand on the reasons he enjoyed a given film. At least with The Searchers, his fondness is a little easier to explain. The Searchers is a dark Western where Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a bigoted Civil War vet who teams with his nephew to find his niece, who was abducted by Native Americans. The Searchers – which was a big influence on Lucas’ Star Wars – was one of the first major Westerns to explore racism against Native Americans, and its style inspired future movies like Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Lawrence of Arabia.
The film is not only regarded as one of Wayne and Ford’s best movies but arguably one of the greatest Westerns ever made. The Searchers also has one of the most famous ending images in cinema, where – after completing his mission – Ethan chooses not to rejoin his family and is instead framed by a doorway as he retreats into the distance as the door closes on him. This is a visual that was later borrowed by Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather’s ending.
The Quiet Man (1952)

two main characters stand soaked in an archway in The Quiet Man

The final film on John Wayne’s list of favorite films is another Ford collaboration The Quiet Man. This follows Wayne’s retired boxer as he travels to Ireland after accidentally killing an opponent in the ring. The film was a change of pace for its star at the time, as it’s a romantic comedy instead of a Western or war drama. The Quiet Man has aged poorly in some regards, especially for playing into various comic stereotypes of the Irish. That said, it’s also considered one of Wayne’s best, and is also famed for its drawn-out fight scene; the latter would be homaged in the famous alley fight in John Carpenter’s They Live.
While the above topped John Wayne’s Favorite Films list, he’s also mentioned other favorites over the years. During a Q&A on Phil Donahue, Wayne – who only made one horror movie – also name-dropped Stagecoach as a favorite, stating he “loved” the movie for basically giving him a career. What’s interesting to note about the latter Western is despite the fact it’s more of an ensemble, Wayne’s Ringo Kid was the character that popped with audiences regardless. Wayne also name-checked the 1962 adventure Hatari!, which focused on game catchers in Africa. That film didn’t receive particularly strong reviews, but Wayne claimed to have enjoyed filming because it was essentially a three-month safari experience for “free.”

John Wayne

Inside John Wayne’s ‘Wild Goose’ WWII Houseboat

Actor John Wayne loved both land and sea. However, he took his love for the water to another level when he purchased a boat that he spent a lot of time on. The Wayne houseboat is a beautiful piece of history that fans continue to admire long after the actor’s death. Here’s a look inside of Wild Goose.

John Wayne owned a WWII houseboat called ‘Wild Goose’

The Daze with Jordan the Lion YouTube channel takes viewers on a tour inside of the Wayne houseboat. The actor spent a lot of time on the houseboat and owned it for 18 years. However, he sold it shortly before he died in 1979. Jordan explained that Wayne had some of his favorite moments of all time on the Wild Goose. He even convalesced on the boat after he knew that he was going to die.

The Wayne houseboat was a decommissioned World War II Naval minesweeper. However, he wasn’t the original owner. Billionaire Max Wyman purchased the boat, but he wanted to sell it when he grew tired of it. Wayne purchased it off his hands and had to have the ceilings raised to accommodate his height without bumping his head.

Jordan went to the other side of the boat to take a quick look at the kitchen, where the Duke had meals prepared for him. Next, he went into the engine room. The host explained that the ship’s engine was originally a locomotive or train engine that they repurposed when the military had the ship. The ladder at the end of the room leads to the bar area.

The host exited the engine room to head to the second level of the ship, using gold-detailed stairs to get there. He explored a second Bride room, where guests can purchase Wayne and Wild Goose merchandise. Jordan explained that the Wayne houseboat’s captain is still alive and participates in the dinner cruises.

John Wayne

The Most Memorable John Wayne Movies

Few actors compare to John Wayne, both in terms of ability and popularity. Here are The Duke’s most memorable movies.John Wayne or simply “The Duke” is one of the greatest actors of all time, appearing in over 150 movies and starring in over 70 movies during his career. He was brilliant in every single role, whether he was a cowboy, a marshal, a colonel, or any other type of character. Fans of all ages love The Duke for his commanding presence on-screen and good heart off-screen.

1: The Green BeretsJohn Wayne plays a Green Beret colonel in “The Green Berets”Despite its critical failure and protests about its subject matter, The Green Berets was a commercial success when it was released in 1968. Based on a 1965 novel, the movie was also directed by Wayne, who wanted to show the positive side of those who served in South Vietnam at the time.

Wayne plays the colonel of a Green Beret unit who’s sent to Vietnam to support various operations. He’s joined by a cynical newspaper reporter, played by David Jansen. His unit goes on an espionage mission and shores up a front-line camp with help from a character portrayed by George Takei.

2: The Searchers“The Searchers” is considered one of the most classic movies made.John Ford’s The Searchers was not only a commercial success when it premiered in 1956. It also became one of the most influential films of the 20th century. It has been named one of the best Westerns and top movies of all time.

Wayne plays a Civil War veteran who goes on a hunt for his niece, played by Natalie Wood. He’s joined by his adoptive nephew, who is played by Jeffrey Hunter. Along the way, the pair encounters numerous obstacles in their search.

3: Red RiverJohn Wayne and Montgomery Clift in “Red River.”Gunslinging wasn’t the only thing John Wayne did in his Westerns. For the most part, that was a small part. The rest of these films focused on the human condition and how they conquered the harshness of the land at that time.

Red River is an example of this type of film. Directed by Howard Hawkes, it’s loosely based on the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail. Most of the tension comes from the relationship between Wayne’s character and his son, played by Montgomery Clift. The movie was preserved by the National Film Registry thanks to its historical significance.

4: StagecoachJohn Wayne was beginning to get his acting chops in the 1930s, working as an extra and starting to star in a few B movies. In 1939, he got his break as Ringo Kid, a young outlaw out for revenge for his father and brother’s death in John Ford’s Stagecoach.

Stagecoach focused on a diverse group of individuals who were all aboard the same stagecoach and are forced to go through several trials and tribulations together, including the birth of a baby. The role set the young actor on a path to success and Wayne soon became a household name.

5: El DoradoThe 1960s were full of great western actors such as John Wayne, Steve McQueen, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood, and Robert Mitchum. Having John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in the same movie proved to be a wise decision, with 1966’s El Dorado became a huge hit among western fans.

John Wayne played Cole Thorton, a gunslinger for hire, who returns to the town of El Dorado as he was hired by wealthy landowner Bart Jason. But when Cole realizes he would have to fight his old friend the drunken sheriff, J.P. Harrah played by Robert Mitchum, he turns down the offer. Cole joins forces with J.P. to protect the town from the bully Bart Jason.

6: The ShootistJohn Wayne had a career that spanned for 4 decades, with his big break coming in 1939 as Ringo Kid in Stagecoach and his last role being J.B. Books in the 1976 film The Shootist. J.B. Books is an old gunslinger who finds out he has cancer, but this old gunfighter isn’t going out without a fight.

The American hero, John Wayne, passed away in 1979, only a few years after filming his final movie. That said, his legacy will never be forgotten. As they say, “when the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

John Wayne

REVIEW: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE

If I’m being honest, when choosing to settle down with a good old western, I usually choose to pick the more stylised, epic works of Sergio Leone or more grittier fare like Sam Peckinpah’s open exit wound of a movie, The Wild Bunch. However, it would be hideously remiss of me to ignore the more stately classics that forgore the blood and dust in favour of honour and dignity; furthermore it would also mean losing out on a sizable chunk of the filmography of the legendary John Ford and that of the Duke himself, the one and only John Wayne.Arguably one the best of their collaborations (if not one of the best westerns of its generation) is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, a movie that fuses old school, six shooter heroics with a genuine attempt to bring civility to a lawless land.

A movie of staggering nobility, you wouldn’t be a million miles off suggesting that The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the Western equivalent of Casablanca. After all, both ultimately hinge on a cynical man who knows how to follow the rules of a lawless society who gives up his meager dreams in order to help a rival in love for a cause bigger than himself, but Ford weaves politics into the story to suggest that the act of bringing down a chronic ass-hat like Valance is imperative for cilivised life to get its first toe hold in a town like Shinbone – something that ironically is the very opposite of what the upright Stoddard is trying to achieve.Both men, Stoddard and Doniphon, are forced to face ideals directly opposed to their cherished world views while Valance (played by the typically angry brows of a swaggering Lee Marvin) is a symbol of a time that has to pass if the world is to move on – even if it takes one last cold blooded act of the old world to galvanise it into being.Wayne is almost a supporting player as he stares bemused at the idealistic Stoddard’s refusal to give up in the face of Valance’s petty tyranny, but he’s a perfect counterpoint to the passionate decency that James Stewart always seemed to project so well and it is he who is actually the gatekeeper who allows al.ost everything to occur even if it means that his way of life is slowly rendered obsolete by it. It’s a stubbornly subtle performance lurking under Wayne’s usual trademark bluster but it’s incredibly affecting as he plows the moral road in secret in order for the greater good to flourish.

However, despite giving us a western that contains precious little of the kind of action you’d usually expect to see from a movie with “shot” in the title, the movie ends up being riveting stuff and Ford loads the movie with eccentric townsfolk who are every bit as three dimentional as the leads. Be it Peabody, the drunkenly verbose newspaper reporter or Link, the cowardly marshal whose belly makes him look like a giant capital D, everyone has a part to play and even the smallest of roles has significance (hello Lee Van Cleef as one of Valance’s henchmen).

In fact, if you need even further proof as to how well The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance hits you right in the feels with its deadshot aim, it’s all there in the opening scene. As everyone sits by Tom’s coffin, we have no idea how any of them got here or even who the hell Tom actually is and yet you’re utterly gutted even before the film has truly started. If that wasn’t enough, John Ford ballsily tells us that no matter what we’re about to see, we’ll already know that both Stoddard and Doniphon will not only both survive but Hallie ends up with the younger man – and yet even though we know everyone’s eventual destination, we are still utterly hooked on their journey; now if that isn’t the mark of true storytelling genius, I don’t know what is….

At one point someone utters the legendary phrase, “when the legend becomes fact, print the legend”, which are arguably the most relevant words I’ve ever heard spoken in a Western (well, that and everytime Wayne calls someone “Pilgrim”), and that’s exactly what The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is – the Old West forcibly dragging itself into the modern world off the back of it’s own legend – but when it comes to sheer, cinematic decency that’ll rock you to your emotional core, Ford’s classic can easily match Casablanca and To Kill A Mockingbird to the draw…