List of the best John Wayne movies: Rio Bravo(1959), The Searchers(1956), Stagecoach(1939), Red River(1948), The Longest Day(1962), The Quiet Man(1952), The Shootist(1976), El Dorado(1967), The Cowboys(1972), True Grit(1969), Night Riders(1939), The Big Trail(1930) ... ...
Western
USA
1959
141 Minutes
John Wayne Dean Martin Ricky Nelson Angie Dickinson Walter Brennan Ward Bond John Russell Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez Estelita Rodriguez Claude Akins Bob Steele
sheriff drunk crippled man rancher gunslinger gambler amusing tense mushy gutsy rio bravo hotel jail ranch saloon frontier justice gambling false accusations romance alcoholism
A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.
Western
USA
1956
119 Minutes
John Wayne Jeffrey Hunter Natalie Wood Vera Miles Ward Bond John Qualen Harry Carey Jr. Olive Carey Antonio Moreno Henry Brandon Hank Worden
gunslinger uncle niece brother native american powerful engaging texas new mexico wilderness wild west abduction family revenge native people missing persons bigotry quest adventure discovery
An American Civil War veteran embarks on a journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches.
Western
USA
1939
96 Minutes
John Wayne Claire Trevor Andy Devine John Carradine Thomas Mitchell Louise Platt George Bancroft Donald Meek Berton Churchill Tim Holt Tom Tyler
outlaw sheriff prostitute pregnant woman gambler indian spectacular thrilling emotional new mexico small town stagecoach justice journey romance armed conflict adventure rescue discovery 1880s
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.
Western
USA
1948
133 Minutes
John Wayne Montgomery Clift Walter Brennan Joanne Dru Coleen Gray John Ireland Noah Beery Jr. Harry Carey Harry Carey Jr. Paul Fix Mickey Kuhn
rancher cowboy sidekick cook rousing spirited texas ranch abilene, kan. oklahoma daunting task travel cattle troubled youth rivalry quest adventure 1860s
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.
War, Drama, History
USA
1962
180 Minutes
Andrew Marton John Wayne Robert Mitchum Henry Fonda Rod Steiger Robert Ryan Peter Lawford Richard Burton Richard Beymer Jeffrey Hunter
soldiers sailor general parachutist powerful rousing patriotic spectacular france germany england world war ii adolf hitler armed conflict d-day quest sacrifice rivalry 1940s
The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.
Drama
USA
1952
129 Minutes
John Wayne Maureen O'Hara Barry Fitzgerald Victor McLaglen Mildred Natwick Arthur Shields Ward Bond Jack MacGowran
boxer brother love interest widow doctor emotional touching church ireland united states village small town deception love confrontation wedding gambling death escape forbidden love
A retired American boxer returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he falls for a spirited redhead whose brother is contemptuous of their union.
Western
USA
1976
99 Minutes
John Bernard Books
John Wayne Lauren Bacall James Stewart Ron Howard Richard Boone Hugh O'Brian Harry Morgan Rick Lenz John Carradine Sheree North Scatman Crothers
gunslinger outlaw innkeeper son sheriff ex-lover gritty gutsy moving carson city, nev. american west cancer swan song revenge notoriety death quest rivalry 1900s
A dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity.
Western
USA
1967
126 Minutes
John Wayne Robert Mitchum James Caan Arthur Hunnicutt Ed Asner Michele Carey Christopher George Charlene Holt Paul Fix R. G. Armstrong Johnny Crawford
gunslinger sheriff tycoon deputy thug spirited gritty el dorado, texas land grab friendship alcoholism redemption rescue rivalry transformation 19th century
Cole Thornton, a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with an 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 that is trying to steal their water.
Western
USA
1972
128 Minutes
John Wayne Roscoe Lee Browne Bruce Dern Colleen Dewhurst Slim Pickens Lonny Chapman Charles Tyner A Martinez Alfred Barker Jr. Nicolas Beauvy Steve Benedict
rancher cowboy young boy cook pretty woman bandit spirited gritty montana wild west cattle drives daunting task loyalty mentorship cowboys adventure quest 19th century
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.
Western
USA
1969
128 Minutes
John Wayne Glen Campbell Kim Darby Jeremy Slate Robert Duvall Dennis Hopper Alfred Ryder Strother Martin Jeff Corey Ron Soble John Fiedler
marshal tomboy texas ranger criminal doctor attorney amusing thrilling fort smith, ark. indian territory wilderness cabin store murder law enforcement teamwork reward revenge pursuit quest
A drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory.
Western
USA
1939
56 Minutes
Stony Brooke
John Wayne Ray Corrigan Max Terhune Doreen McKay Ruth Rogers George Douglas Tom Tyler Kermit Maynard
con artist rancher gunslinger forger farm girl president james garfield melodramatic spectacular suspenseful wild west small town ranch family home american southwest westward expansion swindling investigation vigilantism politics teamwork
Soft-spoken Homer C. Fitch works his first day as manager of the Windsor Arms, a posh apartment building, and that night shares his problems with his wife Sybil, their daughter Patricia, ... See full synopsis »
Western
USA
1930
126 Minutes
Breck Coleman
fur trapper woman gambler villain henchman pioneer rousing emotional gutsy thrilling oregon trail american west wilderness river desert woods westward expansion frontier life survival vigilantism
Breck Coleman leads hundreds of settlers in covered wagons from the Mississippi River to their destiny out West.
Western
USA
1965
122 Minutes
John Elder
John Wayne Dean Martin Martha Hyer Michael Anderson Jr. Earl Holliman Jeremy Slate James Gregory George Kennedy Paul Fix Dennis Hopper John Litel
cowboy sheriff gunslinger gambler brother mother rousing gutsy tense wild west ranch texas revenge family honor land wars showdown revenge sacrifice 1870s
Ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother.
Western
USA
1950
105 Minutes
John Wayne Maureen O'Hara Ben Johnson Harry Carey Jr. Victor McLaglen Claude Jarman Jr. Chill Wills J. Carrol Naish
military officer soldier son wife indian emotional thrilling texas military base river family redemption father/son relationship marriage transformation growing up love 1860s
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.
Western
USA
1953
84 Minutes
Producer
John Wayne Geraldine Page Ward Bond Michael Pate James Arness Rodolfo Acosta Leo Gordon Tom Irish Lee Aaker Paul Fix Rayford Barnes
scout homesteader wife son intense suspenseful new mexico ranch desert bar friendship war death deception marriage rescue 19th century
Army dispatch rider Hondo Lane discovers a woman and young son living in the midst of warring Apaches and becomes their protector.
Western
USA
1948
106 Minutes
John Wayne Pedro Armendáriz Harry Carey Jr. Ward Bond Mildred Natwick Charles Halton Jane Darwell Mae Marsh Guy Kibbee Dorothy Ford Ben Johnson
bank robber cattle rustler sheriff mother baby intense passionate rousing desert bank small town arizona redemption morality daunting task robbery american west transformation pursuit 19th century
Three outlaws on the run risk their freedom and their lives to return a newborn to civilization.
War
USA
1949
110 Minutes
Sgt. John M. Stryker
John Wayne John Agar Forrest Tucker Adele Mara Wally Cassell James Brown Richard Webb Arthur Franz Jacqueline Wells James Holden Peter Coe
sergeant marine private corporal woman patriotic gritty intense hawaii pacific ocean iwo jima, japan battlefield apartment world war ii military life war training respect survival sacrifice
Haunted by personal demons, Marine Sgt. John Stryker is hated and feared by his men, who see him as a cold-hearted sadist. But when their boots hit the beaches, they begin to understand the reason for Stryker's rigid form of discipline.
Western
USA
1944
87 Minutes
Rocklin
John Wayne Ella Raines Audrey Long Ward Bond George "Gabby" Hayes Elisabeth Risdon Raymond Hatton
cowboy rancher woman niece judge aunt thrilling intricate spirited melodramatic wild west town ranch saloon road inheritance murder love triangle corruption sexism
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.
Adventure
USA
1941
98 Minutes
John Wayne Betty Field Harry Carey James Barton Beulah Bondi Samuel S. Hinds Marjorie Main Ward Bond Marc Lawrence John Qualen Fuzzy Knight
stranger moonshiner daughter son uncle aunt bleak melodramatic fascinating ozark mountains small town forest cabin family helping others rural life superstition suicide father/son relationship revenge
A mysterious but pleasant stranger arrives in the Missouri hills and befriends a young backwoods girl, which doesn't sit well with her moonshiner fiancé who has vowed to find and kill his own father.
Drama
USA
1940
104 Minutes
John Wayne Thomas Mitchell Ian Hunter Ward Bond Barry Fitzgerald Wilfrid Lawson Mildred Natwick John Qualen Arthur Shields Joe Sawyer J. Warren Kerrigan
sailor alcoholic nazi irishman englishman swede gritty moving somber west indies baltimore england ship atlantic ocean seafaring loneliness espionage kidnapping military life friendship
A merchant ship's crew tries to survive the loneliness of the sea and the coming of war.
Comedy, Western
USA
1960
122 Minutes
Sam McCord
John Wayne Stewart Granger Ernie Kovacs Fabian Capucine Mickey Shaughnessy Joe Sawyer John Qualen
prospector prostitute con artist brother fiancée offbeat witty alaska gold rush confusion love triangle fortune adventure love 1900s
During the Alaska gold rush, prospector George sends partner Sam to Seattle to bring his fiancée but when it turns out that she married another man, Sam returns with a pretty substitute, the hostess of the Henhouse dance hall.
Western
USA
1961
107 Minutes
Ranger Capt. Jake Cutter
John Wayne Stuart Whitman Lee Marvin Ina Balin Nehemiah Persoff Michael Ansara Patrick Wayne Bruce Cabot Joan O'Brien Jack Elam Edgar Buchanan
texas ranger native american outlaw gun runner gambler prisoner gritty rousing melodramatic texas mexico desert valley american west unlikely allies cowboys frontier justice violence romance adventure
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.
Western
USA
1975
107 Minutes
Rooster Cogburn
John Wayne Katharine Hepburn Anthony Zerbe Richard Jordan John McIntire Strother Martin Richard Romancito Warren Vanders Tommy Lee Jon Lormer Paul Koslo
judge lawman spinster daughter outlaw native american witty gripping rousing emotional american west trail school courtroom river raft old west murder thievery unlikely allies
Marshal Rooster Cogburn unwillingly teams up with Eula Goodnight to track down her father's murderers.
War, Western, Drama, History
USA
1960
192 Minutes
Director
John Wayne Richard Widmark Laurence Harvey Richard Boone Carlos Arruza Frankie Avalon Patrick Wayne Linda Cristal Chill Wills Ken Curtis Hank Worden
davy crockett william b. travis jim bowie texican general soldier spirited gripping patriotic gutsy alamo san antonio, tex. battle of the alamo war freedom bravery revolution siege adventure fall
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.
Drama
USA
1953
109 Minutes
Captain Dooley
John Wayne Lloyd Nolan Walter Abel James Arness Andy Devine Allyn Joslyn Jimmy Lydon Harry Carey Jr. Hal Baylor Sean McClory Wally Cassell
pilot captain colonel airman soldier bleak tense canada lake airplane military base wilderness stranded survival world war ii search military airplane crash rescue quest
A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastes of Quebec, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while waiting for rescue.
Western
USA
1947
100 Minutes
John Wayne Gail Russell Harry Carey Irene Rich Bruce Cabot Lee Dixon Stephen Grant Tom Powers Paul Hurst Olin Howland John Halloran
cowboy woman outlaw lawman family doctor passionate suspenseful wild west saloon countryside bedroom guns young love deception showdown love rivalry 1800s
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.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1953
110 Minutes
John Wayne Donna Reed Charles Coburn Tom Tully Sherry Jackson Marie Windsor Tom Helmore Dabbs Greer Leif Erickson Douglas Spencer Lester Matthews
coach daughter ex-wife priest football player social worker melodramatic rousing charming college new york city pool hall courtroom college athletics financial crisis trial custody father/daughter relationship football sports
An ex-football coach is hired by a small Catholic college to train its football team in the hopes of winning games and making money to save the school from bankruptcy.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1954
147 Minutes
Producer
John Wayne Claire Trevor Laraine Day Jan Sterling Robert Stack Phil Harris Robert Newton David Brian
pilot passenger crew member tense suspenseful airplane airport survival redemption disaster plane crash quest 1950s
When a commercial airliner develops engine problems on a trans-Pacific flight and the pilot loses his nerve, it is up to the washed-up co-pilot Dan Roman to bring the plane in safely.
War
USA
1942
102 Minutes
Capt. Jim Gordon
John Wayne John Carroll Anna Lee Paul Kelly Gordon Jones Mae Clarke Addison Richards Edmund MacDonald Bill Shirley Tom Neal Chester Gan
mercenary pilot hero enemy thrilling china military base airplane hangar airplane war battle air raids invasion china quest sacrifice 1930s
Capt. Jim Gordon's command of the famed American mercenary fighter group in China is complicated by the recruitment of an old friend who is a reckless hotshot.
Western
USA|Mexico
1970
114 Minutes
Col. Cord McNally
John Wayne Jorge Rivero Jennifer O'Neill Jack Elam Victor French Susana Dosamantes Christopher Mitchum Mike Henry David Huddleston Bill Williams Edward Faulkner
outlaw sheriff traitor deputy confederate soldier union soldier melodramatic suspenseful intricate town dentist's office train prairie gold double-cross vengeance deception american civil war old west revenge
After the Civil War, Cord McNally searches for the traitor whose treachery caused the defeat of McNally's unit and the loss of a close friend.
Western
USA
1969
119 Minutes
John Wayne Rock Hudson Tony Aguilar Roman Gabriel Marian McCargo Lee Meriwether Merlin Olsen Melissa Newman Bruce Cabot Jan-Michael Vincent Ben Johnson
colonel confederate soldier native american mexican blacksmith engaging patriotic positive spirited mexico texas american civil war postwar america adoption tolerance second chance rivalry adventure 19th century
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.
War
USA
1951
111 Minutes
Lt Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford
John Wayne Patricia Neal Ward Bond Scott Forbes Philip Carey Paul Picerni William Campbell Kathryn Givney Vincent Fotre Martin Milner Cliff Clark
submarine officer captain ex-wife pilot commander enemy gripping tense emotional submarine sea pearl harbor hospital naval base world war ii navy brother relationship divorce duty sea rescue
During WWII, a submarine's second in command inherits the problem of torpedoes that don't explode. When on shore, he is eager to win back his ex-wife.
Biography
USA
1957
110 Minutes
John Wayne Maureen O'Hara Dan Dailey Ward Bond Ken Curtis Edmund Lowe Kenneth Tobey James Todd Barry Kelley Sig Ruman Henry O'Neill
pilot mechanic wife rival director powerful patriotic confident florida military base hospital hollywood, calif. injury navy aviation filmmaking world war ii family transformation sacrifice
A biography of Navy flier-turned-screenwriter Frank W. "Spig" Wead.
War
USA
1945
97 Minutes
Col. Joseph Madden
John Wayne Anthony Quinn Beulah Bondi Fely Franquelli Richard Loo Philip Ahn J. Alex Havier Lawrence Tierney Leonard Strong Paul Fix Abner Biberman
colonel soldier guerrilla fighter girlfriend tense spirited island philippines world war ii armed conflict rebellion battle courage prisoners of war underdog quest 1940s
In 1942, after the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese, U.S. Army Col. Joseph Madden stays behind to organize the local resistance against the Japanese invaders.
Drama
USA
1937
62 Minutes
Johnny Hanson
John Wayne Sheila Bromley Charles Brokaw Billy Burrud Jane Johns Huntley Gordon Frank Otto Russell Hopton Hal Neiman Virginia Brissac George Lloyd
Johnny Hanson wants to make enough money to enlarge his chicken farm. He does this through hockey. Gangsters get involved in trying to get him to throw a championship game, even lining up a woman to help steer him their way.
Adventure
USA
1968
121 Minutes
Chance Buckman
John Wayne Katharine Ross Jim Hutton Vera Miles Jay C. Flippen Bruce Cabot Edward Faulkner Barbara Stuart Edmund Hashim Valentin de Vargas Frances Fong
fireman assistant wife daughter executive son-in-law fascinating tense airy venezuela united states jungle office airplane love triangle firefighters marital problems traveling unlikely romance dangerous job
The story of macho oil well firefighters and their wives.
War
USA
1944
100 Minutes
Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan
John Wayne Susan Hayward Dennis O'Keefe William Frawley Leonid Kinskey J.M. Kerrigan Grant Withers Paul Fix Ben Welden William Forrest Addison Richards
construction worker soldier coworker marine enemy doctor heartwarming patriotic japan military base island construction war jealousy instincts invasion love triangle quest rescue rivalry
During WW2, the U.S. Navy implements a new idea of forming construction battalions that also are fighting units, in case of Japanese attack.
Western
USA
1973
103 Minutes
John Wayne George Kennedy Gary Grimes Neville Brand Marie Windsor Harry Carey Jr. Clay O'Brien Morgan Paull
lawman bank robber john wayne tense gutsy small town arrest robbery pursuit 1880s
A tough Marshal has a difficult task when his two sons join a gang and rob a bank.
Action
USA
1948
106 Minutes
Capt. Ralls
John Wayne Gail Russell Gig Young Adele Mara Luther Adler Eduard Franz Grant Withers Henry Daniell Paul Fix Dennis Hoey Jeff Corey
ship captain first mate love interest shipping magnate crew member niece brooding confident dreamy ocean boat grudge sailing determination revenge love triangle rivalry sacrifice quest revenge
During the 1860s in the South Pacific, Capt. Ralls, skipper of the Red Witch, has a series of adventures involving sunken gold bullion, pearls, natives, an unscrupulous ship owner and a giant octopus.
War
USA
1951
102 Minutes
Maj. Daniel Xavier Kirby
John Wayne Robert Ryan Janis Carter Jay C. Flippen Don Taylor William Harrigan
marine pilot major captain sergeant brother-in-law intense thrilling inspiring military base airplane guadalcanal okinawa, japan world war ii aviation obsession discipline resistance alcohol quest
Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal.
Western
USA
1973
92 Minutes
Lane
John Wayne Ann-Margret Rod Taylor Ben Johnson Christopher George Bobby Vinton Jerry Gatlin Ricardo Montalban
widow gunslinger agent robber engaging gritty tense mexico texas treasure journey outlaws deception adventure pursuit 19th century
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.
Adventure
USA
1949
100 Minutes
Producer
John Wayne Vera Ralston Oliver Hardy Philip Dorn Marie Windsor John Howard Hugo Haas Grant Withers Odette Myrtil Paul Fix Mae Marsh
soldier daughter immigrant businessman mistress general rousing patriotic kentucky small town cabin field exile love triangle father/daughter relationship battle schemes revenge love underdog
In 1818 Alabama, French settlers are pitted against greedy land-grabber Blake Randolph but Kentucky militiaman John Breen, who's smitten with French gal Fleurette De Marchand, comes to the settlers' aid.
Mystery & Thriller, War
USA
1955
117 Minutes
Captain Karl Ehrlich
John Wayne Lana Turner David Farrar Lyle Bettger Tab Hunter James Arness Wilton Graff Richard Davalos John Qualen Paul Fix Luis Van Rooten
sea captain german spy nazi british officer commander suspenseful rousing australia ship south pacific port dangerous assignment world war ii espionage military nazism moral dilemma pursuit escape
As World War II begins, German freighter Captain Karl Ehrlich tries to get his ship back to Germany through a gauntlet of Allied warships.
Western
USA
1943
102 Minutes
Daniel F. Somers
John Wayne Martha Scott Albert Van Dekker George "Gabby" Hayes Marjorie Rambeau Dale Evans Grant Withers Sidney Blackmer
In 1906, on Oklahoma's Indian lands, a cowboy fights for oil lease rights against a greedy oilman while a pretty schoolteacher steals both men's hearts.
Drama
USA
1936
60 Minutes
Pat Glendon
Pat's ability as a logging/mining camp fighter sets him up to box prizefighter Corrigan. Unknown to his supporters, he's actually in collusion with Corrigan to throw the fight - until he runs into reporter Maude.
Western
USA
1938
56 Minutes
Stony Brooke
The Mesquiteers capture a horse thief who escapes justice through a crooked judge. They gather signatures urging the governor to investigate but a friend with the petition is murdered. Stony is accused.
Western
USA
1942
88 Minutes
John Wayne Binnie Barnes Albert Van Dekker Helen Parrish Patsy Kelly Edgar Kennedy Dick Purcell Harry Shannon Charles Halton Emmett Lynn Bob McKenzie
pharmacist saloon owner rancher woman brother tense somber rousing california mining town pharmacy ranch extortion frame-up illness gold rush mob banding together rivalry quest
During the California Gold Rush, Boston pharmacist Tom Craig sets up shop in Sacramento where he clashes with local town crook Britt Dawson.
Western
USA
1945
91 Minutes
John Wayne Ann Dvorak Joseph Schildkraut William Frawley Virginia Grey Russell Hicks Jack Norton Paul Fix Manart Kippen Marc Lawrence Butterfly McQueen
man gambler gambling addict rancher cowboy thief thrilling engaging suspenseful gripping brutal san francisco montana danger fear fighting criminal past adventure discovery rivalry
Duke falls for Flaxen in the Barbary Coast in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. He loses money to crooked gambler Tito, goes home and PL: learns to gamble, and returns. After he makes a ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1932
80 Minutes
Buzz Kinney
Fresh young boxer Buzz Kinney is just out of college. He's able to knock out Stag Bailey when the veteran becomes over confident. Later Buzz is a worn out wreck with a broken nose and cauliflower ear.
Adventure
USA
1939
81 Minutes
James Smith
John Wayne Claire Trevor George Sanders Brian Donlevy Robert Barrat Moroni Olsen Chill Wills Wilfrid Lawson John Hamilton Eddie Quillan Ian Wolfe
soldier professor trader captain love interest general patriotic rousing charming fiery pennsylvania small town trading post philadelphia jail treason battle native americans abuse of power false accusations
In 1759, in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Valley, local settlers and Indian fighters try to persuade the British authorities to ban the trading of alcohol and arms with the marauding Indians.