1. Sands of Iwo Jima
   Noah's Ark
2. Speakeasy
   Salute

The 1949 film "Sands of Iwo Jima" earned John Wayne an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Lead Role. The film also got nominated for Best Editing and Best Story, too.

1. Mother Machree
   Hangman's House
2. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
   The Black Watch

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is an exciting black and white film that featured Hollywood legends John Wayne and James Stewart. It is thus appropriate that this classic film quote came from this film: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

1. Born Reckless
   Rough Romance
2. The Longest Day
   The Big Trail

"The Longest Day" is indeed a long film for 1962, which clocks in at almost three hours long, depicting the D-Day events in Normandy. It also had a very long list of impressive cast members, including Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Robert Mitchum, Paul Anka, Rod Steiger and Henry Fonda, to name a few.

1. Words and Music
   The Forward Pass
2. Men Without Women
   Rio Grande

"Rio Grande" is part of the “cavalry trilogy” of westerns, cited as some of the best films that John Wayne starred in during the late 1940s and early ‘50s. This was the third film in the trilogy, released in 1950 and directed by John Ford.

1. The Shadow of the Eagle
   Texas Cyclone
2. That's My Boy
   The Alamo

This 1960 film called "The Alamo" was produced and also directed by its star, released by United Artists. Of course John Wayne had to play the titular hero of the Battle of the Alamo, Davy Crockett, while teen idol Frankie Avalon played the young Tennessean named Smitty.

1. Texas Cyclone
   The Quiet Man
2. The Range Feud
   Two-Fisted Law

Yes, John Wayne also did romantic comedies, with a touch of drama, of course, as evident in this film called "The Quiet Man." It was also directed by western film director John Ford, even though the story is not a western by any stretch, as it was also set in Ireland.

1. The Searchers
   The Deceiver
2. Girls Demand Excitement
   Maker of Men

"The Searchers" is a 1956 film that co-starred Natalie Wood, playing the niece character of John Wayne’s Civil War veteran character – the actual subject of the search going on in the film. It was also reported that director Ford requested the very first behind-the-scenes documentary filming for this film, a practice that wasn’t commonly done by major films during those years but very common these days.

1. The Shootist
   Haunted Gold
2. The Telegraph Trail
   The Big Stampede

The 1976 film "The Shootist" reunites John Wayne with his Liberty Valance co-star James Stewart. Some of the notable co-stars include Lauren Bacall, John Carradine, and actor-filmmaker-producer Ron Howard, under the direction of Don Siegel.

1. Sagebrush Trail
   The Man from Monterey
2. Riders of Destiny
   Fort Apache

"Fort Apache" starred a younger Henry Fonda opposite John Wayne in this 1948 film. It also starred an older Shirley Temple, who was 20 years old when she appeared here.

1. Central Airport
   The Three Musketeers - Desert Command
2. Somewhere in Sonora
   Hondo

Hondo is the first name of John Wayne's character in this 1953 film. Reports say that the shooting schedule went overtime for this one, so Mia Farrow's director dad, John Farrow, left before it was completed. John Wayne apparently called on old western director pal John Ford to finish the last sequences, but he was reportedly uncredited for this job.

1. The Big Trail
   Baby Face
2. The Life of Jimmy Dolan
   His Private Secretary

John Ford earned his early Hollywood stripes by working with director John Ford as a stuntman or an extra and bit player. The 1930 film "The Big Trail" was his big break, as he was suggested for the lead role.

1. 'Neath the Arizona Skies
   Rainbow Valley
2. The Green Berets
   The Desert Trail

"The Green Berets" was released in 1968 during the time that America was involved heavily in the Vietnam War. The story, as well as the film’s intention, generally went against the grain of the anti-war sentiments of the counterculture during that era, earning some criticism for John Wayne as a result of the politics he showcased in the film.

1. Cahill, United States Marshall
   The Train Robbers
2. El Dorado
   Cancel My Reservation

"El Dorado" has one of the most memorable western theme songs, voted as a favorite of the association called Western Writers of America. The 1966 film saw John Wayne and Robert Mitchum co-starring again, with a great support cast that included James Caan, Ed Asner and Charlene Holt.

1. The Hurricane Express
   The High and the Mighty
2. Ride Him, Cowboy
   Lady and Gent

The 1954 film "The High and the Mighty" belongs in the airplane disaster drama sub-genre, under the direction of William Wellman, where you put a bunch of characters with their respective problems and shake them up in a contained space that reeks of danger. Of course, Wayne still had to portray a heroic character here amid the inflight chaos, so he's the traumatized former pilot captain here who somehow manages to save the day.

1. The Trail Beyond
   The Lawless Frontier
2. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
   Paradise Canyon

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" was released in 1949 in full color. The title of this western is from a US military marching song frequently recited to help soldiers march in cadence.

1. They Were Expendable
   The Man from Utah
2. The Star Packer
   Texas Terror

The 1945 film "They Were Expendable" is about the World War II battle set in the Southeast Asian nation of the Philippines, and involved storylines with Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the US Navy. While working on this film, it was reported that director John Ford badgered John Wayne for not serving in the military, ever, to fight during World War II, unlike him, the screenwriter Frank Wead, and his co-star Robert Montgomery, who all served as a US Navy or US Navy Reserve soldier.

1. The Dawn Rider
   The New Frontier
2. McLintock!
   Paradise Canyon

If you see the theatrical poster of the 1963 film "McLintock!," you'll notice John Wayne in a spanking pose, while co-star Maureen O'Hara is hunched over his lap, about to get spanked. While this image may not fare well with today's audiences, the posing depicts a clue as to what the film is about -- a love story that shares a similar plot pattern with Shakespeare's comedic play "Taming of the Shrew."

1. Westward Ho
   The New Frontier
2. The Oregon Trail
   Flying Tigers

Who could be a good cinematic hero to play a soldier hero during wartime? That could only be John Wayne, starring in 1942’s "Flying Tigers", an obvious propaganda film to boost the American morale shortly after the country joined World War II in 1941, after the Pearl Harbor bombing.

1. West of the Divide
   Red River
2. Blue Steel
   Randy Rides Alone

"Red River" starred a dapper John Wayne who had to be aged a bit to play the lead role of a Texas rancher. He co-starred with Hollywood hunk Montgomery Clift, playing the role of the rancher’s adopted son.

1. Rio Lobo
   California Straight Ahead
2. Adventure's End
   I Cover The War

"Rio Lobo" is the 1970 western that echoes Howard Hawks' earlier films that shared the same plot pattern, namely "Rio Bravo" and "El Dorado." Of course, both films also starred John Wayne, but this is their last collaboration.

1. The Flying Seabees
   King of the Pecos
2. The Lonely Trail
   Winds of the Wasteland

"The Fighting Seabees" is about how the US Naval Construction Battalions came about during World War II, and their nickname was the “Seabees.” The war film was released in 1944, and co-starred Susan Hayward as John Wayne’s love interest.

1. The Shootist
   Brannigan
2. McQ
   Stagecoach

"Stagecoach" was John Wayne’s breakthrough film, which earned him his early stature as a western film hero. It was directed by John Ford, who was friends with Wayne even before he became a huge star.

1. Rio Bravo
   Bardelys the Magnificent
2. The Draw-Back
   The Drop Kick

"Rio Bravo" was released in 1959 under the direction of Howard Hawks. This star-studded film also starred Angie Dickinson, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan and Ricky Nelson.

1. Santa Fe Stampede
   Pals of the Saddle
2. Overland Stage Raiders
   The War Wagon

"The War Wagon" is a 1967 film adaptation of Clair Huffaker's western novel, and he also wrote the screenplay adaptation. John Wayne plays a bad guy here named Taw Jackson, so it's not his usual heroic good guy in front and center.

1. The Lucky Texan
   The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
2. Angel and the Badman
   College Coach

The 1947 film "Angel and the Badman" was a different kind of western for John Wayne during the height of his shoot-'em-up western hero portrayals. This one is more about the romance between a gunslinging western hero and a quiet Quaker girl -- an opposites attract narrative.

1. The Comancheros
   Idol of the Crowds
2. Born to the West
   Pals of the Saddle

Casablanca director Michael Curtiz was directing the 1961 western "The Comancheros" when he fell ill due to his cancer, so John Wayne apparently took over the directorial duty to finish the film. But he didn't want to be credited for it, especially since Curtiz died after this film was released, making it the last film he directed in his career.

1. A Man Betrayed
   Lady From Louisiana
2. The Shepherd of the Hills
   Operation Pacific

The 1951 film "Operation Pacific" finds John Wayne and longtime co-star Ward Bond in their 12th film together. If the musical score for the action sequences sounds familiar to early Hollywood film buffs, that's because Max Steiner paralleled his scoring here with his dramatic music score in the 1933 film "King Kong."

1. Red River Range
   The Night Riders
2. The Sons of Katie Elder
   Wyoming Outlaw

The 1965 film "The Sons of Katie Elder" is an interesting "coming home" narrative set as a western, this time the four adult sons of a dying elderly woman come home to attend her funeral. It's part family drama, ones that we often see on television these days, and part gunslinging western where people take revenge and shoot even their relatives to cover their evil deeds.

1. Three Faces West
   Allegheny Uprising
2. The Wings of Eagles
   Seven Sinners

The 1957 film "The Wings of Eagles" was a biopic, where John Wayne played Commander Frank Wead, also known as Spig. His life was depicted from the time he was part of the creation of the US naval aviation to when he retired and became a playwright and later a screenwriter.

1. Three Texas Steers
   The Conqueror
2. New Frontier
   Dark Command

Not everything that John Wayne touches turns to cinematic gold, as evident in this huge flop called "The Conqueror." This 1956 film was criticized for many things, notably Wayne being miscast as Genghis Khan even though it was him who wanted the role so much; these days, we call this "miscast" as "yellowface."

1. In Harm’s Way
   A Lady Takes a Chance
2. Tall in the Saddle
   In Old Oklahoma

The 1965 film "In Harm’s Way" is another World War II epic film with an impressive cast list, including Kirk Douglas, Burgess Meredith, Paula Prentiss, and Henry Fonda, to name a few. It was directed and produced by notable filmmaker Otto Preminger.

1. In Old California
   The Greatest Story Ever Told
2. Pittsburgh
   Reunion in France

John Wayne actually only had a brief cameo in the 1965 epic film "The Greatest Story Ever Told," but his appearance somewhat distracted audiences since they still saw him as a huge swashbuckling western or war film hero -- an unlikely figure to do a small cameo. He played a Roman centurion who somehow had a change of heart about the events during the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

1. Big Jake
   The Star Packer
2. Rio Lobo
   Blue Steel

"Big Jake" is the 1971 film that featured John Wayne and Richard Boone. Maureen O'Hara is also in here, as well as John's son, Patrick Wayne, and his often co-star Robert Mitchum's son, Christopher Mitchum.

1. Back to Bataan
   Dakota
2. Hatari!
   Flame of the Barbary Coast

The 1962 film "Hatari!" is directed by Howard Hawks, but this time, John Wayne doesn't face gunslinging western bad guys or foreign enemies as a soldier, but rather animals of the jungle. He plays a hunter who catches wild animals in Africa, with the objective of selling them to different zoos worldwide.

1. Lady for a Night
   The Spoilers
2. Reap the Wild Wind
   How The West Was Won

The 1962 grand western epic "How The West Was Won" told the story of a family through four generations, which explains the epic casting. Along with John Wayne, the film featured other Hollywood bigwigs like Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Debbie Reynolds, and George Peppard, to name a few.

1. Wake of the Red Witch
   Jet Pilot
2. Legend of the Lost
   The Horse Soldiers

Although John Wayne was identifiable for his western hero roles, he was also a seafaring hero in some of his films. This is one of them, 1948’s "Wake of the Red Witch," about a story set in the 1860s, where he played the sea captain protagonist.

1. Miracle in Motion
   Flying Leathernecks
2. 3 Godfathers
   Big Jim McLain

This is from the film called "3 Godfathers," directed by John Ford. It was based on a 1918 novelette called "The Three Godfathers" penned by Peter B. Kyne.

1. Without Reservations
   Tycoon
2. The Barbarian and the Geisha
   The Fighting Kentuckian

The 1958 film "The Barbarian and the Geisha" was directed by John Huston, and is actually a biopic. It's about the first US Consul General that the USA sent to Japan during 1856, and John Wayne plays this consul named Townsend Harris.

1. Brown of Harvard
   Star Wars
2. True Grit
   Annie Laurie

John Wayne first essayed the role of US Marshal Rooster Cogburn in 1969’s "True Grit," and again in the 1975 sequel entitled "Rooster Cogburn. "He won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Lead Role, the only Academy Award he has ever won in his entire career.

1. Island in the Sky
   Reap the Wild Wind
2. The Sea Chase
   Blood Alley

"Reap the Wild Wind" was a novel serialized in the Saturday Evening Post during the 1940s, picked up by DeMille to produce and direct as a film. But the setting of the story was during the 1840s, and it co-starred Paulette Goddard.