John Wayne

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Marion Michael Morrison[a] (born Marion Robert Morrison; May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed Duke, was an American actor, director, producer and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. He was among the top box office draws for three decades famous for his roles in Western Films.

Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa but grew up in Southern California. He lost a football scholarship to the University of Southern California as a result of a bodysurfing accident, and began working for the Fox Film Corporation. He appeared mostly in small parts, but his first leading role came in Raoul Walsh’s Western The Big Trail (1930), an early widescreen film epic which was a box-office failure. Leading roles followed in numerous B movies during the 1930s, most of them also Westerns, without becoming a major name. It was John Ford‘s Stagecoach (1939) that made him a mainstream star, and he starred in 142 motion pictures altogether. According to one biographer, “John Wayne personified for millions the nation’s frontier heritage.”

Wayne’s other roles in Westerns include a cattleman driving his herd on the Chisholm Trail in Red River (1948), a Civil War veteran whose niece is abducted by a tribe of Comanches in The Searchers (1956), a troubled rancher competing with a lawyer (James Stewart) for a woman’s hand in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and a cantankerous one-eyed marshal in Henry Hathaway‘s True Grit (1969), with Kim Darby, Glenn Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper; for which he received the Academy Award for Best Actor. He is also remembered for his roles in The Quiet Man (1952), with Maureen O’Hara and Victor McLaglen; Rio Bravo (1959) with Dean Martin, and The Longest Day (1962). In his final screen performance, he starred as an aging gunfighter battling cancer in Don Siegel‘s The Shootist (1976), which featured future filmmaker Ron Howard. He appeared with many important Hollywood stars of his era, and made his last public appearance at the Academy Awards ceremony on April 9, 1979.

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(*seen originally in theaters)

(**seen rereleased in theaters)

Brown of Harvard (1926) – directed by Jack Conway – uncredited
Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) – directed by King Vidor – uncredited
The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926) – directed by Lewis Seiler – uncredited
The Draw-Back (1927) – directed by Norman Taurog – uncredited – short
Annie Laurie (1927) – directed by John S. Robertson – uncredited
The Drop Kick (1927) – directed by Millard Webb – uncredited
Seeing Stars (1927) – directed by Stephen Roberts – uncredited – short
Mother Machree (1927) – directed by John Ford – uncredited – partially lost
Four Sons (1928) – directed by John Ford – uncredited
Hangman’s House (1928) – directed by John Ford – uncredited
A Home-Made Man (1928) – directed by Norman Taurog – uncredited – short
Noah’s Ark (1928) – directed by Michael Curtiz – uncredited
Speakeasy (1929) – directed by Benjamin Stoloff- uncredited
The Black Watch (1929) – directed by John Ford – uncredited
Words and Music (1929) – directed by James Tinling – credited as Duke Morrison
Salute (1929) – directed by John Ford
The Forward Pass (1929) – directed by Eddie Chine – uncredited
Men Without Women (1930) – directed by John Ford – uncredited
Born Reckless (1930) – directed by John Ford & Andrew Bennison- uncredited
Rough Romance (1930) – directed by A.F. Erickson – uncredited
Cheer Up and Smile (1930) – directed by Sidney Lanfield – uncredited
The Big Trail (1930) – directed by Raoul Walsh – first starring role
Girls Demand Excitement (1931) – directed by Seymour Felix
Three Girls Lost (1931) – directed by Sidney Lanfield
Arizona (1931) – directed by George B. Seitz
The Deceiver (1931) – directed by Louis King
The Range Feud (1931) – directed by D. Ross Lederman
Maker of Men (1931) – directed by Edward Sedgwick
The Shadow of the Eagle (1932) – directed by Ford Beebe
Texas Cyclone (1932) – directed D. Ross Lederman
Two-Fisted Law (1932) – directed by D. Ross Lederman
Lady and Gent (1932) – directed by Stephen Roberts
The Hurricane Express (1932) – directed by Armand Schaeffer & J.P. McGowan
Ride Him, Cowboy (1932) – directed by Fred Allen
The Big Stampede (1932) – directed by Tenny Wright
That’s My Boy (1932) – directed by Roy William Neill
Haunted Gold (1932) – directed by Mack V. Wright
The Telegraph Trail (1933) – directed by Tenny Wright
The Three Musketeers (1933) – directed by Armand Schaeffer & Colbert Clark
Central Airport (1933) – directed by William A. Wellman & Alfred E. Green (uncredited) – uncredited
Somewhere in Sonora (1933) – directed by Mack V. Wright
The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933) – directed by Archie Mayo
His Private Secretary (1933) – directed by Philip H. Whitman
Baby Face (1933) – directed by Alfred E. Green
The Man from Monterey (1933) – directed by Mack V. Wright
Riders of Destiny (1933) – directed by
Robert N. Bradbury
The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1933) – directed by Edwin L. Marin – part cut from final print
College Coach (1933) – directed by William A. Wellman – uncredited
Sagebrush Trail (1933) – directed by Armand Schaefer
The Lucky Texan (1934) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
West of the Divide (1934) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
Blue Steel (1934) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
The Man from Utah (1934) directed by Robert N. Bradbury
Randy Rides Alone (1934) – directed by Harry L. Fraser
The Star Packer (1934) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
The Trail Beyond (1934) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
The Lawless Frontier (1934) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
‘Neath the Arizona Skies (1934) – directed by Harry L. Fraser
Texas Terror (1935) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
Rainbow Valley (1935) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
The Desert Trail (1935) – directed by Lewis D. Collins (credited as Cullin Lewis)
The Dawn Rider (1935) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
Paradise Canyon (1935) – directed by Carl L. Pierson
Westward Ho (1935) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
The New Frontier (1935) – directed by Carl Pierson
Lawless Range (1935) – directed by Robert N. Bradbury
The Oregon Trail (1936) – directed by Scott Pembroke – lost – 40 stills were discovered in 2013
The Lawless Nineties (1936) – directed by Joseph Kane
King of the Pecos (1936) – directed by Joseph Kane
The Lonely Trail (1936) – directed by Joseph Kane
Winds of the Wasteland (1936) – directed by Mack V. Wright
Sea Spoilers (1936) – directed by Frank R. Strayer
Conflict (1936) – directed by David Howard
California Straight Ahead! (1937) – directed by Arthur Lubin
I Cover the War (1937) – directed by Arthur Lubin
Idol of the Crowds (1937) – directed by Arthur Lubin
Adventure’s End (1937) – directed by Arthur Lubin – lost
Born to the West (1937) – directed by Arthur Lubin
Pals of the Saddle (1938) – directed by George Sherman
Overland Stage Raiders (1938) – directed by George Sherman
Santa Fe Stampede (1938) – directed by George Sherman
Red River Range (1938) – directed by George Sherman
Stagecoach (1939) – directed by John Ford
The Night Riders (1939) – directed by George Sherman
Three Texas Steers (1939) – directed by George Sherman
Wyoming Outlaw (1939) – directed by George Sherman
New Frontier (1939) – directed by George Sherman
Allegheny Uprising (1939) – directed by William A. Seiter
Dark Command (1940) – directed by Raoul Walsh
Three Faces West (1940) – directed by Bernard Vorhaus
The Long Voyage Home (1940) – directed by John Ford
Seven Sinners (1940) – directed by Tay Garnett
A Man Betrayed (1941) – directed by John H. Auer
Lady from Louisiana (1941) – directed by Bernard Vorhaus
The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) – directed by Henry Hathaway
Lady for a Night (1942) – directed by Leigh Jason
Reap the Wild Wind (1942) – directed by Cecil B. DeMille
The Spoilers (1942) – directed by Ray Enright
In Old California (1942) – directed by William C. McGann
Flying Tigers (1942) – directed by David Miller
Pittsburgh (1942) – directed by Lewis Seiler
Reunion in France (1942) – directed by Jules Dassin
A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) – directed by William A. Seiter
In Old Oklahoma (1943) – directed by Albert S. Rogell
The Fighting Seabees (1944) – directed by Edward Ludwig
Tall in the Saddle (1944) – directed by Edwin L. Marin
Flame of Barbary Coast (1944) – directed by Joseph Kane
Back to Bataan (1945) – directed by Edward Dmytryk
They Were Expendable (1945) – directed by John Ford
Dakota (1945) – directed by Joseph Kane
Without Reservations (1946) – directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Angel and the Badman (1947) – directed by James Edward Grant
Tycoon (1947) – directed by Richard Wallace
Fort Apache (1948) – directed by John Ford
Red River (1948) – directed by Howard Hawks
3 Godfathers (1948) – directed by John Ford
Wake of the Red Witch (1948) – directed by Edward Ludwig
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) – directed by John Ford
The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) – directed by George Waggner
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) – directed by Allan Dwan
Rio Grande (1950) – directed by John Ford
Operation Pacific (1951) – directed by George Waggner
Flying Leathernecks (1951) – directed by Nicholas Ray
The Quiet Man (1952)** – directed by John Ford – also uncredited second unit director
Big Jim McLain (1952) – directed by Edward Ludwig
Trouble Along the Way (1953) – directed by Michael Curtiz
Island in the Sky (1953) – directed by William A. Wellman
Hondo (1953) – directed by John Farrow
The High and the Mighty (1954) – directed by William A. Wellman
The Sea Chase (1955) – directed by John Farrow
Blood Alley (1955) – directed by William A. Wellman
The Conqueror (1956) – directed by Dick Powell
The Searchers (1956) – directed by John Ford
The Wings of Eagles (1957) – directed by John Ford
Jet Pilot (1957) – directed by Josef von Sternberg
Legend of the Lost (1957) – directed by Henry Hathaway
I Married a Woman (1958) – directed by Hal Kanter – uncredited cameo as himself
The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958) – directed by John Huston
Rio Bravo (1959) – directed by Howard Hawks
The Horse Soldiers (1959) – directed by John Ford
The Alamo (1960) – also director
North to Alaska (1960) – directed by Henry Hathaway
The Comancheros (1961) – directed by Michael Curtiz
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) – directed by John Ford
Hatari! (1962) – directed by Howard Hawks
The Longest Day (1962) – directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, & Bernhard Wicki
How the West Was Won (1962) – directed by John Ford, Henry Hathaway, & George Marshall
Donovan’s Reef (1963) – directed by John Ford
McLintock! (1963) – directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
Circus World (1964) – directed by Henry Hathaway
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) – directed by George Stevens
In Harm’s Way (1965) – directed by Otto Preminger
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) – directed by Henry Hathaway
Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) – directed by Melville Shavelson
El Dorado (1967) – directed by Howard Hawks
The War Wagon (1967) – directed by Burt Kennedy
The Green Berets (1968) – also co-directed with Ray Kellogg
Hellfighters (1968) – directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
True Grit (1969) – directed by Henry Hathaway
The Undefeated (1969) – directed by Andrew V. McLaglen – also uncredited co-director
Chisum (1970) – directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
Rio Lobo (1970) – directed by Howard Hawks
Big Jake (1971) – directed by George Sherman
The Cowboys (1972) – directed by Mark Rydell
Cancel My Reservation (1972) – directed by Paul Bogart – uncredited cameo as himself
The Train Robber (1973) – directed by Burt Kennedy
Cahill, United States Marshal (1973) – directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
McQ (1974) – directed by John Sturges
Brannigan (1975) – directed by Douglas Hickox
Rooster Cogburn (1975) – directed by Stuart Millar
The Shootist (1976) – directed by Don Siegel

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