American actor, director, and producer

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

(1907–1979) began working on films as an extra, prop man and

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

, mainly for the Fox Film Corporation. He frequently worked in minor roles with director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

and when

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

suggested him for the lead in ''

The Big Trail ''The Big Trail'' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western early widescreen film shot on location across the American West starring 23-year-old John Wayne in his first leading role and directed by Raoul Walsh. In 2006, the United States Libra ...

'' (1930), an epic Western shot in an early widescreen process called Fox Grandeur, Ford vouched for him. Wayne's early period as a star would be brief, as Fox dropped him after only three leads. He then appeared in a string of low-budget action films (mostly Westerns) before garnering more recognition with the 1939 film ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are dra ...

''. During the 1940s and early 1950s, Wayne starred in ''

Dark Command ''Dark Command'' is a 1940 Western film starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne and Walter Pidgeon loosely based on Quantrill's Raiders during the American Civil War. Directed by Raoul Walsh from the novel by W. R. Burnett, ''Dark Command'' is the o ...

'' (1940), '' Reap the Wild Wind'' (1942), '' Wake of the Red Witch'' (1948), '' Fort Apache'' (1948), '' She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'' (1949), ''

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

'' (1950), and '' Red River'' (1948). Some of his more notable war movies include ''

Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States ...

'' (1942), ''

The Fighting Seabees ''The Fighting Seabees'' is a 1944 war film, directed by Edward Ludwig and starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward. The supporting cast includes Dennis O'Keefe, William Frawley, Leonid Kinsky, Addison Richards and Grant Withers. ''The Fighting Seab ...

'' (1944), '' They Were Expendable'' (1945), and ''

Sands of Iwo Jima ''Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele Mara and Forrest Tucker, ...

'' (1949), for which he was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...

. The 1950s would see Wayne star in an Ireland-set romantic comedy '' The Quiet Man'' (1952) and two westerns, ''

The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John W ...

'' (1956) and '' Rio Bravo'' (1959). Wayne also continued his producing activities during this period, and formed his own production company, Batjac. During the 1960s and 1970s, Wayne starred in more Westerns, such as '' The Comancheros'' (1961), '' The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' (1962), and ''

True Grit True Grit may refer to: Fiction * True Grit (novel), ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis ** True Grit (1969 film), ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne ** True Grit (2010 film), ''Tr ...

'' (1969), in which his role as Rooster Cogburn earned him an

. He would reprise that role in the 1975 film '' Rooster Cogburn''. He also played in several war films, including '' The Longest Day'' (1962) and '' In Harm's Way'' (1965). Wayne starred in his final film, '' The Shootist'' in 1976, ending his acting career of 50 years, 169 feature length films,Landesman, pp. 417–418. and various other television appearances or

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...

Filmography

Betty Field-John Wayne in The Shepherd of the Hills

John Wayne-Nancy Olson in Big Jim McLaine

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (publicity photo - Wayne & Stewart)

As actor

As himself

John Wayne Lucille Ball The Lucy Show 1966

As producer only

Box office popularity

Results from Quigley's '' Motion Picture Herald'' annual poll of film exhibitors would determine the year's "Top Ten Stars". John Wayne appeared on the list every time between 1949 and 1973 with one exception – 1958 – indicating that he was one of cinema's most durable stars.Quigley's Annual List of Box-Office Champions, 1932–1970
Retrieved October 10, 2012.

Notes

Sources

* Boswell, John; David, Jay (1979). ''The John Wayne Album.'' New York: Ballantine Books. . * Eyles, Allan (1979). ''John Wayne.'' New York: A.S. Barnes & Co. . * Fagen, Herb (2003). ''The Encyclopedia of Westerns''. New York: Facts On File. . * Landesman, Fred (2004). ''The John Wayne Filmography''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. .

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wayne, John Male actor filmographies American filmographies John Wayne