John Wayne (The Duke).
by alexanderdavies-99382 | created - 20 Nov 2020 | updated - 20 Mar 2023 | PublicThe biggest star of Westerns for over a decade, John Wayne has left a legacy that includes many classics. Bearing in mind that his Westerns are slightly dated in this day and age, that doesn't reduce their entertainment value.
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1. Rio Bravo (1959)
Passed | 141 min | Western
A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson
Votes: 68,043 | Gross: $12.54M
Far better than the remake.
2. Stagecoach (1939)
Passed | 96 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
A 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.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine
Votes: 53,748
3. Fort Apache (1948)
Passed | 128 min | Drama, Western
At Fort Apache, an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Pedro Armendáriz
Votes: 19,685
4. The Searchers (1956)
Passed | 119 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
An 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.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond
Votes: 96,261
A defining Western.
5. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
Passed | 104 min | Western
Captain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson
Votes: 19,319
6. Rio Lobo (1970)
G | 114 min | Drama, War, Western
After the Civil War, Cord McNally searches for the two traitors whose treachery caused the defeat of McNally's unit and the loss of a close friend.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: John Wayne, Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O'Neill, Jack Elam
Votes: 13,658 | Gross: $9.27M
7. The Shootist (1976)
PG | 100 min | Drama, Romance, Western
A dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart
Votes: 26,819
Goes out in a blaze of glory!
8. El Dorado (1966)
Passed | 126 min | Drama, Romance, Western
Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara. Together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher who's trying to steal their water.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt
Votes: 30,415
A good film in itself but inferior to "Rio Bravo."
9. Big Jake (1971)
PG-13 | 110 min | Drama, Western
In 1909, when John Fain's gang kidnaps Jacob McCandles' grandson and holds him for ransom, Big Jake sets out to rescue the boy.
Directors: George Sherman, John Wayne | Stars: John Wayne, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne
Votes: 14,404 | Gross: $16.35M
10. The Cowboys (1972)
GP | 134 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
Rancher Wil Andersen is forced to hire inexperienced boys as cowhands in order to get his herd to market on time but the rough drive is full of dangers and a gang of cattle rustlers is trailing them.
Director: Mark Rydell | Stars: John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst
Votes: 15,858 | Gross: $16.35M
11. Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)
PG | 103 min | Drama, Western
A tough Marshal has a difficult task when his two sons join a gang and rob a bank.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen | Stars: John Wayne, George Kennedy, Gary Grimes, Neville Brand
Votes: 7,226
12. The Train Robbers (1973)
Passed | 92 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
A gunhand named Lane is hired by a widow, Mrs. Lowe, to find gold stolen by her husband so that she may return it and start fresh.
Director: Burt Kennedy | Stars: John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson
Votes: 6,709
13. True Grit (1969)
G | 128 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
A drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory.
Director: Henry Hathaway | Stars: John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Jeremy Slate
Votes: 51,430 | Gross: $31.13M
14. Rooster Cogburn (1975)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
Marshal Rooster Cogburn unwillingly teams up with Eula Goodnight to track down her father's murderers.
Director: Stuart Millar | Stars: John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Zerbe, Richard Jordan
Votes: 13,115 | Gross: $8.02M
15. The War Wagon (1967)
Unrated | 101 min | Drama, Western
The story of a man who was shot, robbed and imprisoned who returns to steal a large gold shipment from the man who wronged him. The gold is transported in an armored stage coach, the War Wagon.
Director: Burt Kennedy | Stars: John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Howard Keel, Robert Walker Jr.
Votes: 10,803
16. Red River (1948)
Passed | 133 min | Drama, Western
Dunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son.
Directors: Howard Hawks, Arthur Rosson | Stars: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan
Votes: 34,364
17. The Alamo (1960)
Passed | 162 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In 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.
Director: John Wayne | Stars: John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey, Frankie Avalon
Votes: 17,711 | Gross: $17.26M
18. The Comancheros (1961)
Approved | 107 min | Drama, Western
Texas Ranger Jake Cutter arrests gambler Paul Regret, but soon finds himself teamed with his prisoner in an undercover effort to defeat a band of renegade arms merchants and thieves dealing with the Comanches known as Comancheros.
Directors: Michael Curtiz, John Wayne | Stars: John Wayne, Stuart Whitman, Ina Balin, Nehemiah Persoff
Votes: 10,003
19. The Undefeated (1969)
Passed | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After the Civil War, ex-Confederate soldiers heading for a new life in Mexico run into ex-Union cavalrymen selling horses to the Mexican government but they must join forces to fight off Mexican bandits and revolutionaries.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen | Stars: John Wayne, Rock Hudson, Antonio Aguilar, Roman Gabriel
Votes: 7,563
20. The Big Trail (1930)
Passed | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Breck Coleman leads hundreds of settlers in covered wagons from the Mississippi River to their destiny out West.
Directors: Raoul Walsh, Louis R. Loeffler | Stars: John Wayne, Marguerite Churchill, El Brendel, Tully Marshall
Votes: 4,339
21. The Horse Soldiers (1959)
Approved | 120 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
In 1863, a Union outfit is sent behind Confederate lines in Mississippi to destroy enemy railroads but a captive southern belle and the unit's doctor cause frictions within ranks.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, Judson Pratt
Votes: 11,649 | Gross: $1.75M
22. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
Approved | 87 min | Western
Ranch hand Rocklin arrives in town to start his new job but his employer has been murdered and the locals don't seem too friendly.
Director: Edwin L. Marin | Stars: John Wayne, Ella Raines, Ward Bond, George 'Gabby' Hayes
Votes: 3,477
23. 3 Godfathers (1948)
Passed | 106 min | Drama, Western
Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carey Jr., Ward Bond
Votes: 10,608
24. Rio Grande (1950)
Passed | 105 min | Drama, Romance, Western
A cavalry officer posted on the Rio Grande is confronted with murderous raiding Apaches, a son who's a risk-taking recruit and his wife from whom he has been separated for many years.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ben Johnson, Claude Jarman Jr.
Votes: 17,661
25. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Approved | 123 min | Drama, Western
A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.
Director: John Ford | Stars: James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin
Votes: 82,272
26. How the West Was Won (1962)
G | 164 min | Adventure, War, Western
A family saga covering several decades of Westward expansion in the 19th century, including the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads.
Directors: John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, Richard Thorpe | Stars: James Stewart, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda
Votes: 23,316 | Gross: $46.50M
27. McLintock! (1963)
Passed | 126 min | Comedy, Western
Wealthy rancher G. W. McLintock uses his power and influence in the territory to keep the peace between farmers, ranchers, land-grabbers, Indians and corrupt government officials.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen | Stars: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne, Stefanie Powers
Votes: 16,603
28. The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
Passed | 122 min | Drama, Western
Ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother.
Director: Henry Hathaway | Stars: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr.
Votes: 19,184 | Gross: $13.33M
29. Angel and the Badman (1947)
Passed | 100 min | Drama, Romance, Western
Quirt Evans, an all round bad guy, is nursed back to health and sought after by Penelope Worth, a Quaker girl. He eventually finds himself having to choose between his world and the world Penelope lives in.
Director: James Edward Grant | Stars: John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey, Bruce Cabot
Votes: 6,668
30. Hondo (1953)
PG | 83 min | Drama, Romance, War
Army dispatch rider Hondo Lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring Apaches and becomes their protector.
Director: John Farrow | Stars: John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate
Votes: 12,411
31. The Man from Utah (1934)
Passed | 51 min | Drama, Western
In a horse-riding rodeo contest bad guys want John Weston to lose. When he doesn't go along they add some insurance: a poisoned needle just under his saddle.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Polly Ann Young, Anita Campillo, Edward Peil Sr.
Votes: 1,252
32. Blue Steel (1934)
Passed | 52 min | Drama, Western
U.S. marshal John Carruthers observes a robbery and Sheriff Jake thinks he may be the culprit. Meanwhile the town's leading citizen is planning to rob everybody blind.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Eleanor Hunt, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Edward Peil Sr.
Votes: 1,759
33. Winds of the Wasteland (1936)
Passed | 55 min | Drama, Western
The arrival of the telegraph put Pony Express riders like John Blair and his pal Smoky out of work. A race will decide whether they or Stageline owner Drake get the government mail contract.
Director: Mack V. Wright | Stars: John Wayne, Phyllis Fraser, Lew Kelly, Douglas Cosgrove
Votes: 1,158
34. The Dawn Rider (1935)
Approved | 53 min | Drama, Western
Just as John travels to visit his father, he witnesses his death and suffers a gun wound - a beautiful woman is kind enough to help him bring the killers to justice, but jealousy from another man may cause problems.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Marion Burns, Dennis Moore, Reed Howes
Votes: 1,323
35. Randy Rides Alone (1934)
Approved | 52 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Jailed for murders he didn't commit, Randy escapes only to stumble into the den of the real murderers.
Director: Harry L. Fraser | Stars: John Wayne, Alberta Vaughn, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Yakima Canutt
Votes: 1,179
36. The Lawless Frontier (1934)
Approved | 59 min | Drama, Western
Mexican outlaw Zanti killed John Tobin's parents. John teams up with Dusty, also hurt by Zanti, to get the bad guy.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Sheila Terry, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Jack Rockwell
Votes: 1,121
37. Paradise Canyon (1935)
Approved | 52 min | Action, Drama, Western
An undercover agent for the government is sent to round up a gang of counterfeiters operating near the Mexican border.
Director: Carl Pierson | Stars: John Wayne, Marion Burns, Reed Howes, Earle Hodgins
Votes: 1,028
38. Sagebrush Trail (1933)
Passed | 54 min | Drama, Western
A man framed for murder escapes prison and goes west, where he joins a gang with the real killer involved.
Director: Armand Schaefer | Stars: John Wayne, Nancy Shubert, Lane Chandler, Yakima Canutt
Votes: 1,397
39. The Star Packer (1934)
Approved | 53 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A gang working for The Shadow is terrorizing the town. John Travers decides to take on the job of sheriff and do something about it.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Verna Hillie, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Yakima Canutt
Votes: 1,290
40. The Trail Beyond (1934)
Approved | 54 min | Drama, Western
Rod Drew hunts for a missing girl and finds himself in a fight over a goldmine as well.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Noah Beery, Verna Hillie, Noah Beery Jr.
Votes: 1,004
41. Rainbow Valley (1935)
Approved | 52 min | Drama, Western
John Martin is a government agent working under cover. Leading citizen Morgan calls in gunman Galt who blows Martin's cover.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Lucile Browne, George 'Gabby' Hayes, LeRoy Mason
Votes: 742
42. Riders of Destiny (1933)
Passed | 53 min | Music, Romance, Western
Loner rider Singin' Sandy Saunders rides into town to discover local ranchers are being victimized by a land-grabbing villain who controls the water supply and wants their land.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Cecilia Parker, Forrest Taylor, George 'Gabby' Hayes
Votes: 1,198
43. The Lucky Texan (1934)
Passed | 55 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Jerry Mason, a young Texan, and Jake Benson, an old rancher, become partners and strike it rich with a gold mine. They then find their lives complicated by bad guys and a woman.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Barbara Sheldon, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Lloyd Whitlock
Votes: 1,370
44. Born to the West (1937)
Approved | 49 min | Drama, Western
Can Dare Rudd prove he is responsible enough to win the heart of Judy and also outwit the crooked saloon owner?
Director: Charles Barton | Stars: John Wayne, Marsha Hunt, Johnny Mack Brown, John Patterson
Votes: 1,030
45. 'Neath the Arizona Skies (1934)
Approved | 52 min | Drama, Western
A cowboy escorts a little girl, whose mother made her the heir of a cash-able oil company, and must protect her from an outlaw as they search for the girl's father.
Director: Harry L. Fraser | Stars: John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Shirley Jean Rickert, Jack Rockwell
Votes: 1,136
46. West of the Divide (1934)
Approved | 54 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Ted Hayden impersonates a wanted man and joins Gentry's gang only to learn later that Gentry was the one who killed his father. He saves Virginia Winters' dad's ranch from Gentry and also rescues his long-lost brother Spud.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Virginia Brown Faire, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Lloyd Whitlock
Votes: 1,071
47. The Desert Trail (1935)
Approved | 54 min | Western
Rodeo star John Scott and his gambler friend Kansas Charlie are wrongly accused of armed robbery. They leave town as fast as they can to go looking for their own suspects in Poker City.
Director: Lewis D. Collins | Stars: John Wayne, Mary Kornman, Paul Fix, Eddy Chandler
Votes: 1,030
48. Texas Terror (1935)
Approved | 51 min | Drama, Western
Sheriff John Higgins quits and goes into prospecting after he thinks he has killed his best friend Dan in shooting it out with robbers. He encounters Dan's daughter who takes over her father's ranch. Then she finds out about his past.
Director: Robert N. Bradbury | Stars: John Wayne, Lucile Browne, LeRoy Mason, Fern Emmett
Votes: 1,054
49. The Man from Monterey (1933)
Passed | 57 min | Adventure, Music, Romance
A cavalry officer helps save a family's ranch from land grabbers.
Director: Mack V. Wright | Stars: John Wayne, Duke, Ruth Hall, Luis Alberni
Votes: 589
50. Somewhere in Sonora (1933)
Passed | 59 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
John Bishop discovers a plot to rob a silver mine belonging to his girlfriend Mary's father and, to foil the evildoers, he joins them.
Director: Mack V. Wright | Stars: John Wayne, Duke, Henry B. Walthall, Shirley Palmer
Votes: 481
51. The Telegraph Trail (1933)
Passed | 54 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A greedy businessman-turned-renegade foments an Indian uprising against the coming telegraph to perpetuate his economic stranglehold on the territory.
Director: Tenny Wright | Stars: John Wayne, Duke, Frank McHugh, Marceline Day
Votes: 641
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