John Wayne is frequently cited as the most popular and influential Western star of his generation, alongside other figures such as Clint Eastwood and James Stewart. The actor appeared in hundreds of films throughout his extensive career, frequently collaborating with directors such as John Ford and Howard Hawks. He became known for his stoic, macho performances, and many of John Wayne’s best movies have gone down in history as the best in the genre.
Throughout his career, John Wayne worked alongside many other stars and became known for his reliable collaborations with other actors. However, there was one particular star of the Western genre whose path didn’t cross with Wayne’s until one project in 1940, which saw them finally share the screen. This actor was Roy Rogers, an American actor nicknamed King of the Cowboys for his frequent appearances in Western movies. He only worked alongside John Wayne once, and it was among the few movies where Wayne wasn’t the sole lead.
Dark Command Was The Only Movie To Feature John Wayne & Roy Rogers
The Western Brought Two Of The Genre’s Biggest Stars Together
Dark Comm and is a hugely popular Western that tells the story of a woman named Mary McCloud who learns during the Civil War that her husband is a secret outlaw, teaming up with her old lover to protect a small town from her current partner’s crimes and torments. It’s a gripping tale of revenge, loyalty, and independence that makes use of both actors’ talents perfectly, with Wayne playing the moralistic ex-flame and Rogers playing McCloud’s idealistic brother.
Dark Command currently holds 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely considered to be among the strongest projects in both Wayne’s and Rogers’ filmographies. It’s a fascinating narrative that blurs the lines between lawman and outlaw in a way that few Westerns dared to do, combining its cast’s talents to forge a series of complex characters that don’t particularly fit into the boxes that were clearly carved out for Western heroes and villains at the time.
John Wayne & Roy Rogers Shared The Same Western Sidekick
There Was Another Welcome Star In Dark Command
Dark Command is also noteworthy for its inclusion of George “Gabby” Hayes, the actor who made a career playing sidekick roles to both John Wayne and Roy Rogers separately. He appeared alongside both actors in all their most remarkable projects, and Dark Command finally brought the three actors together despite their entangled paths never having crossed before. Of all the great scenes in John Wayne’s movies, few carry as much meta-textual weight as seeing him share the screen with both Rogers and Hayes after their careers had been compared for so long.