John Wayne’s Top Movies: IMDb Ratings Revealed
John Wayne, born Marion Morrison, built an extraordinary Hollywood legacy over a career that stretched from the silent film age of the 1920s to the mid-1970s. Throughout this period, “Duke” starred in 170 films and reigned as a box office powerhouse for three decades during cinema’s Golden Age. He swiftly became an iconic American figure, particularly revered for his Western roles. But which films truly represent the pinnacle of his work? Film database IMDb has ranked Wayne’s Top 10 movies, and you might be surprised to discover that acclaimed titles such as The Searchers, True Grit, and Rio Bravo did not reach the number one position.
9. Fort Apache (1948)
In 1947, the collaboration between director John Ford and John Wayne began their famed Calvary Trilogy with Fort Apache. Similar to She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, filming took place in Monument Valley, a location favored by Ford, where the extreme heat, strong winds, and desert storms presented significant challenges for both the actors and production team. Set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, Wayne portrayed Captain Kirby York, the acting commander at Fort Apache, a remote US cavalry outpost situated on the Arizona frontier. York soon encounters conflict with Lieutenant Colonel Thursday, played by Henry Fonda, a resolute officer who arrives to assume command, bringing along his daughter, portrayed by Shirley Temple.
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