On May 26, marks the 109th anniversary of the birth of John Wayne, easily one of the screen’s most iconic leading men. Wayne, who died in 1979 at age 72, left a huge legacy of more than 150 films, including several classics in the bunch.
People could fight about the merits of the Duke’s films for years, but let’s cut to the chase. Here are five favorites, all perfect ways to celebrate his endearing talent. And, surprise, they’re not all Westerns.
‘The Searchers’ (1956)
John Ford directed Wayne 24 times, and “The Searchers” stands tall in that vast filmography. The movie traces the powerful story of Ethan Edwards (Wayne), a Civil War veteran obsessed with finding his niece (Natalie Wood), who was abducted by Comanches. The film’s multidimensional characters and layers of subtext continue to fascinate years after its release. No wonder this movie continues to turn up on lists compiling great American films.
‘The High and the Mighty’ (1954)
We never would have gotten “Airport” and “The Poseidon Adventure” without “The High and Mighty,” an early disaster drama about a damaged airline flying from Hawaii to San Francisco. It’s soapy as all get out, but it’s also gripping, highly charged entertainment. Jan Sterling and Claire Trevor both earned Oscar nominations, and the cast includes Robert Stack, who later spoofed such films in 1980’s “Airplane!” Wayne is rock solid as the plane’s captain, who is forever whistling the film’s hit theme tune. Warning: The melody will be stuck in your head for days after you watch.
‘The Quiet Man’ (1952)
There are some on-screen partnerships that just work: Bogey and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn, Rock and Doris. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara fall into that category. She’s sexy and feisty and holds her own on the screen against the Duke’s rugged brand of machismo. Here, Wayne plays an American who travels to Ireland, where he meets Mary Kate (O’Hara). No need to say that sparks fly; with these two, how could they not? This was the second of five films the pair made together.
‘True Grit’ (1969)
Wayne won his only Oscar playing Rooster Cogburn, a one-eyed U.S. marshal hired by a 14-year-old (Kim Darby) to bring in the man who murdered her father. The film is far from perfect (Glen Campbell acts?), but Wayne’s irascible cowboy is truly memorable.
‘The Shootist’ (1976)
A sentimental choice. The Duke closed out his movie career with this tearjerker about an aging lawman dying of cancer. At the time of filming, Wayne had already battled lung cancer and would die three years later from stomach cancer. The offstage drama adds an extra layer of poignancy to a fine drama that is bolstered by such top-flight costars as Lauren Bacall, James Stewart and Ron Howard. Even upon its release, there was an air of nostalgia to the movie, thanks to appearances by TV gunslingers Hugh O’Brian and Richard Boone and an opening sequence that includes clips from earlier Wayne films, making it a virtual “greatest hits” moment for the actor.