What is your favorite John Wayne movie?

[The Tourist]

Mine would be "The Shootist."

Rather than just playing himself in stereotype, he addresses the entire human condition. That being, living the life he has created, mentoring, facing disappointment, a modern age he doesn't fully understand and his own mortality.

Yet, he does the right thing.

 

[imjin138]

My favorite is the Shootist, I was 16 when I saw it with my Grandfather in the Captitol theater. I miss both my Grandfather and the Duke.

 

[BamaJacket]

I've got too many favorites to pick just one, so I'll mention one that first came to mind, "Rio Bravo" (1959). It was the first in a trilogy of Howard Hawks John Wayne movies, which used the same basic script. The other two are "El Dorado" (1967) and "Rio Lobo" (1970).

These Hawks westerns relied more on character studies than plot. In addition to the Duke's excellent performance, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, and Walter Brennan had memorable supporting roles. Fans even got to hear some crooning by Nelson and Martin!

 

[mg357]

El dorado is my favorite John Wayne movie followed by the green berets

 

[LazyKB]

The John Ford films that used the same bunch of character actors; Ben Johnson, Ward Bond, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen, Hank Worden. Wouldn't you have liked to be on location with that crew?

 

[Bullzaye]

Another vote for "The Quiet Man". I'm a bit surprised to see it mentioned so many times, as it's rather against the norm for a John Wayne pic. A great movie, with one of the best screen fights ever, and some hilarious lines and/or images.

If we're talking westerns, I'd have to say "El Dorado". Some interesting characters, my favorite was "Bull" played by Arthur Hunnicutt. I saw this movie recently on T.H.I.S. TV, and was dismayed to see that, in what I can only assume was a nod to political correctness, the scene in which James Caan's character "Mississippi" dons a disguise and imitates a china-man was edited so that his imitation was deleted, and the scene no longer makes any sense.

Tim

 

[29aholic]

Big Jake
True Grit
El Dorado
Rio Bravo
The Shootist
These are my top 5

 

[bagga]

i have to go with "the shootist and then "the cowboys".

 

[BaldEagle1313]

I'm not as big a fan of The Searchers as most, but I readily admit it was a fine movie.

My favorite John Wayne movies seem to be the ones that also had Maureen O'Hara in them. That isn't a short list. If you really pushed me, I'd have to say The Quiet Man.

But the movie I quite liked that I haven't seen anyone else mention wasn't a western. The Sea Chase. The role was such a departure for Wayne. Throw in Lana Turner (yum!) and James Arness and that's a pretty decent trio around which to base a movie. Not to even mention Paul Fix, Tab Hunter and Claude Akins.

 

[smitty_bs]

The Searchers, followed by The Shootist.

+1. My two favorites. The Searchers is one meloncholy piece of work.

 

[MH8675309]

Can you tell me the way to Innisfree?

Innisfree ya say? Well ya see that road over there? Well dont take that one itll do ya no good,



Its an Irish thing

 

[MK]

Hard call.. I like most of them..

But offhand my favorites are probably..

The Shootist- I guess his last, and maybe his best..

Big Jake-Pretty solid overall, and the time frame is pretty close to
the shootist

True Grit- Both True Grit and Rooster Cogburn are classics..
And the setting happens to be in a familiar location.. IE: NW AR,
and NE OK, even though they used Western Film areas, and stages..
Some scenes could be OK.. Some... No way.. But small complaint..

Rooster Cogburn..... above..

Rio Lobo-I think a clone of others, but I like the Civil War connection,
train hijacking, etc.. Female scenery was very nice in that one..

Lots of others are pretty good too..

 

[joespapa]

The original"airplane disaster film" The High & the Mighty.

 

[Xfuzz]

Always liked Rio Bravo and this tune.
Rio Bravo song, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson - YouTube

 

[brucev]

My all time favorite John Wayne movie is The Quiet Man. I also very much enjoy The Searchers. I do very much enjoy the John Ford Calvary trilogy... Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande.

 

[cmort666]

"Big Jake"

+1

When I was in college, a friend of mine used the "my fault, your fault, nobody's fault at all" speech on the room temperature IQ wannabe "hitman" bodyguard of the drug dealer who lived across the hall from me. He meant every word of it too.

 

[nipster]

The Searchers
True Grit
In Harms Way (cant believe no one mentioned this one)

Honorable Mentions: Sands of Iwo Jima / The Green Berets

 

[Imshootin]

Seems I can always stop channel surfing when I stumble upon "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".
The combination of John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Strother Martin, and many others is a stellar cast brought together for a great movie. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - Full cast and crew
The Duke has too many to choose just one.

 

[GaryS]

One? You want me to pick just one? Even though he was often derided for not having great acting range, I think he was in fact very talented.

I just can't pick one favorite though. I'm not sure I could pick ten for that matter.

In no particular order,

The Shootist
The Searchers
Hondo
The Sea Chase
Sands of Iwo Jima
Big Jake
The Undefeated
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
True Grit
Red River

 

[ChuckS1]

Another vote for Hatari! and Hellfighters. I guess the votes are really for Elsa Martinelli and Katherine Ross...