The Couch Potato's Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of John Wayne

20th Century Fox, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By Geoff Carter

That languorous drawl, that odd rolling gait, the quick draw, and that look of steely determination comprised the essence of probably one of the most famous of all American cinematic heroes. He starred in countless Westerns, private eye flicks, war movies, and even dabbled occasionally in romantic comedy. He was always the good guy and he always prevailed. This actor was, of course, John Wayne—the Duke.

Like many of the other Old Hollywood icons recently examined by the Couch Potato, John Wayne’s acting style was dominated more by personality than technique. Like James Stewart, Henry Fonda, and Katherine Hepburn, his legacy is more about what he—John Wayne—represented to the viewer rather than his skills as an actor. Like Stewart and Fonda, he was almost always the good guy.

From the Ringo Kid to Tom Doniphan to Rooster Cogburn to Ethan Edwards, Wayne was a man who did the right thing, a man who upheld the law and sometimes—when necessary—sidestepped it. He was handy with a gun and that was all the back-up he needed. In fact, most of his characters worked both sides of the law. In Stagecoach, The Ringo Kid was an escaped convict who busted out to avenge his family. True Grit’s Rooster Cogburn was an admitted bank robber who worked his own peculiar vision of the law in Indian Territory. In The Searchers, Ethan Edwards—probably his darkest character—was prepared to kill his own niece rather than see her as the wife of a Comanche.

His persona helped define American machismo. Having a horse, a gun, and the guts to do the right thing became deeply embedded in the male sensibility. John Wayne was a role model, an American hero. He starred in nearly one hundred Westerns and almost fifty war films. The impact of his persona on the audience became apparent when he was booed off the stage while doing a USO appearance for wounded GIs. Ironically, even though he never served during World War II, Wayne appeared in films including The Sands of Iwo Jima, The Fighting Seabees, and The Flying Tigers. The servicemen obviously resented the fact that he could play a soldier but not actually be one.

But, for better or worse, John Wayne’s impact on American culture should not be underestimated. He was looked up to, he was imitated, and he was revered.

The Top Ten Films of John Wayne

Stagecoach: The first of many collaborations with director John Ford, Wayne’s depiction of escaped convict The Ringo Kid was his breakout role, establishing him as a star. Wayne and a disparate group of misfits and runaways including the drunken town doctor, a lady of the evening, a bank president turned thief, and a few others must travel across hostile Indian lands to reach Lordsburg. They encounter all manner of hardships (including falling in love) before The Kid’s fateful encounter with the men who put him in jail. Notable for the excellent supporting cast.

Starring: John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, John Carradine, Andy Devine, Louise Platt, and Donald Meek. Written by Ernest Haycox and Dudley Nichols. Directed by John Ford.

The Searchers: After a frontier family is massacred by Comanches, Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards (Wayne) sets off to recover his nieces, Debbie and Lucy, who were kidnapped during the raid. Accompanied by Martin Pawley, he sets off a years-long quest across hundreds of miles before finally coming onto the trail of Scar, the chief who has taken Debbie as his wife. Fearful that because she is now with a Comanche man, Ethan may harm Debbie, Martin tries to intercede in her rescue, but fails. Notable for one of Wayne’s portrayal of Edwards, one of his darkest characters.

Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood, John Qualen, and Olive Carey. Written by Frank S. Nugent. Directed by John Ford.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: John Ford’s classic Western about Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart), an ambitious young greenhorn who travels west to make his way as a lawyer. After being brutally beaten by outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), Stoddard is taken in by an immigrant family and Tom Doniphan (John Wayne), a local rancher who is also quite handy with a six-shooter. After trying to have Valance arrested, Stoddard realizes that his brand of justice is useless out West and that he will have to rely on the law of the gun. He reaches out to Doniphan who helps him even though Halley, his girlfriend, is falling for Stoddard. Doniphan is probably Wayne’s most compelling—and tragic—heroes. Notable for the scene in which Stoddard picks up Liberty Valance’s steak in the restaurant.

Starring: James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Thomas Mitchell, Vera Miles, Edmund O’Brien, and Andy Devine. Written by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck. Directed by John Ford.

True Grit: Mattie Ross, a determined and outspoken young girl, sets out to find Tom Chaney, the man who murdered her father. When she discovers the man has escaped into Indian Territory, she hires Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne), a one-eyed overweight drunken U.S. Marshal to bring him to justice. Cogburn, Mattie, and LaBeouf (Glen Campbell), a Texas Ranger who is also seeking Chaney for a separate crime. The threesome track down their quarry and Mattie, with Cogburn’s help, faces down her father’s killer. Notable for Wayne’s Academy Award winning performance as Cogburn.

Starring: John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall, Strother Martin, Jeff Corey, and Dennis Hopper. Written by Charles Portis and Marguerite Roberts. Directed by Henry Hathaway.

Red River: One of Wayne’s darker Westerns. After aspiring rancher Thomas Dunston’s (Wayne) fiance is killed during an Indian attack on her wagon train, he adopts Matthew Garth (Montgomery Clift) a young boy who is the sole survivor of the attack. Years later, Dunston decides to drive his herd north but his heavy-handed management causes Matt to defy him. The men side with men and leave Dunston behind. The two meet for a final confrontation on the streets of Abilene. Like Ethan Edwards, Dunston is one of Wayne’s darker characters. Notable for Clift’s great performance.

Starring: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Coleen Gray, Harry Carey and Harry Carey, Jr. Written by Borden Chase and Charles Schnee. Directed by Howard Hawks.

The Shootist: J.B. Books (Wayne), an aging gunfighter, comes to visit an old friend of his Doc Hostetler (James Stewart) to get a second opinion. Doc has to tell Books he is dying of cancer and only has a few months to live. He gives Book laudanum with the caveat that the pain will soon become unbearable. Books takes a room at a local boardinghouse, but word soon gets out that the famous gunfighter is in town and old friends come in to exploit the situation. Books befriends a young man who—at Book’s requests—invites three of his old enemies to meet him at a local bar where they all find their final reckonings. Notable for its star-studded supporting cast.

Starring: John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Ron Howard, Harry Morgan, Richard Boone, and John Carradine. Written by Miles Hood Swarthout. Directed by Don Siegel

Fort Apache: Civil War veteran Captain Kirby York is expected to be named as commander of Fort Apache company but is blindsided when the position is handed to Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda), an arrogant and short-sighted commander who has never dealt with Native American tribes. During a dispute with their Indian agent, Cochise (Miguel Inclan) and his band of Apaches rebel. Disregarding York’s advice, Thursday foolishly leads the company into the teeth of the Apache charge with disastrous results. Notable for being one of the first films that presented a sympathetic view of Native Americans.

Starring: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Ward Bond, John Agar, George O’Brien and Anna Lee. Written by Frank S. Nugent. Directed by John Ford.

The Quiet Man: A romantic comedy about Sean Thorn (Wayne) a mysterious American who returns to his birthplace in order to claim his family home. Thorn sees and instantly falls in love with Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara) whose brother—because of a dispute with Thorn—refuses to give his consent to their marriage. Misunderstandings, cultural differences, and a disputed dowry make this one of John Ford’s most lighthearted—and best—movie. The climactic fight scene at the end is pure Hollywood. Notable for the great supporting cast, many of whom are John Ford regulars..

Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald, and Francis Ford. Written by Frank S. Nugent. Directed by John Ford.

El Dorado: In this sixties Western, Gunslinger Cole Thornton (Wayne) comes to the town of El Dorado to aid Sheriff J.P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum) who has become a hopeless drunk after being thrown over by a young woman. Harrah, and the town, are under siege from greedy landowner Bart Jason, who has hired gunslingers to scare the honest MacDonald family off their land. Joined by an eccentric young man “Mississippi” Traherne, (James Caan), Thornton, a cleaned-up and sober Harrah, his faithful deputy Bull, and feisty Joey McDonald take on Bart and his army of hired guns. Notable for the great supporting cast.

Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Arthur Hunnicutt, Ed Asner, Michele Carey, and Christopher George. Written by Leigh Brackett. Directed by Howard Hawks.

The Cowboys: When his cowhands abandon their jobs to join the Gold Rush, rancher Will Anderson (John Wayne) is forced to hire a group of schoolboys to man a cattle drive. Along the way, the boys learn the tricks of the trade as Anderson teaches them how to herd cattle, brand, and rope. They also work through a series of mishaps including fights, stampedes, and drunkenness after they got into the cook’s supply of whiskey. Near the end of the drive, the crew is confronted by a team of rustlers who kill Anderson. The boys rally and take revenge on the cow thieves. Notable as Robert Carradine’s first film appearance.

Starring: John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, Robert Carradine, and Slim Pickens. Written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr. Directed Mark Rydell.