At the risk of making myself sound like a very stereotypical Texan, I’m gonna come right out and say it: I LOVE JOHN WAYNE.  I’m a fan of westerns in general, and as far as western icons go, you can’t get much more iconic than the Duke.  He’s a fine actor, in that he found what he was good at and he stuck to it.  He’s played some wonderful roles in some classic films with some amazing stars alongside him.  And did I mention today is his birthday?  Happy birthday, Marion Morrison!

In honor of the birthday of the big man, I thought I’d give you a list of the top 5 John Wayne films that I dig.  You might think them obvious choices, but then again, maybe you’ve missed one or two.  And hell, classics are classics for a reason!

5. The Undefeated (1969)

God bless the Encore Westerns channel for treating me to this gem a few months back.  In the film, Wayne plays a Union colonel who enters into an unlikely bond with a group of Confederates who are attempting to flee to Mexico after the end of the Civil War.  The leader of the Confederates, Colonel Langford, is played by the brilliant Rock Hudson, whose debonair demeanor and dashing charm befit a Southern gentleman-soldier.  After hitting it off (literally!) at a small Fourth of July picnic, Wayne and Hudson head into Mexico to meet with Mexican General Rojas (played rather well by Mexican actor/singer Antonio Aguilar).  Of course, as you might guess, things do not go as planned.
The combo of rough Wayne and sophisticated Hudson seems a bit backwards for the Union/Confederate stereotype, which I think is part of the reason I enjoyed the characters.  The cinematography is solid, at times beautiful, over the desert locations thanks to William H. Clothier, who also worked with Wayne on The Comancheros, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and McClintock!, among others.  Hugo Montenegro provides another grandiose score much in the vein of some of his earlier work.  And of course there’s the usual cast of colorful character actors (Bruce Cabot, Harry Carey Jr, Dub Taylor) to liven things up. 
Overall, while it’s not John Wayne’s finest film, it was really enjoyable to watch on a Sunday morning.  An excellent brunch movie.   

4. The Comancheros (1961)

Again, this was never considered one of John Wayne’s finest, but I thought it was fun and funny with a few enjoyable characters.  This time, Wayne plays a Texas Ranger who is tasked with extraditing “rogueish gambler” Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) back to Louisiana.  Along the way, they get sidetracked in helping the Rangers deal with a villanous group of Comancheros who have been smuggling guns and whiskey to the native Comanches.  Here we get a great, albeit short, performance by the wonderful Lee Marvin as a half-indian arms dealer who’s a bit off his rocker.  When Regret manages to prove himself as a decent enough fellow, Wayne is faced with a decision: turn him in or let him loose.  Don’t worry, I won’t tell you how it ends.  
Again, I really liked the way John Wayne and Stuart Whitman worked together in this film, even as it becomes a sort of buddy picture by the end.  You might also notice that at one point, Wayne’s character is referred to as “Big Jake”, a role which he’d take up (and direct) for the 1971 film with Richard Boone.  There’s also a great Elmer Bernstein score, a beautiful female lead thanks to Ina Balin, and appearances by regulars Bruce Cabot and Jack Elam.  It’s a fun little flick that I don’t think gets the recognition it deserves. (To be fair, Wayne immediately followed it up with The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance the following year, so a little overshadowing may be in effect.)    

3. True Grit (1969)

There’s probably not much I could say about this film that hasn’t already been said.  It’s a classic, considered one of John Wayne’s finest.  It earned him an Oscar for Best Actor, at which he remarked, “Wow! If I’d known that, I’d have put that patch on 35 years earlier.”  He deserved it too; his character of Rooster Cogburn is one of his most endearing.  He pairs up with the spunky Kim Darby as Mattie Ross, whose girlish charm really brings out the best in Rooster.  The pair is flanked on all sides by a great supporting cast: Glenn Campbell, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, and John Feidler, to name a few. 
If you haven’t seen this one, you’re missing out.        

2. Rio Bravo (1959)

I adore this movie.  I really do.  I think a large part of my affinity for this one comes not from John Wayne, but from the downtrodden character of Dude, played by Dean Martin.  He’s a fall-down drunk who’s trying his damndest to get back on his feet.  And it’s hard.  I get that.  Luckily he’s got a friend in Sherrif John T. Chance (Wayne), who gives him just that: a chance to pull himself together.  They’re joined by the young Ricky Nelson, and of course with a cast like that there might be a little singing.  But don’t worry, this is no Paint Your Wagon; viewers are treated to country ballad “My Rifle, My Pony, and Me” crooned by Martin, and a breif version of “Get Along Home, Cindy” by Nelson.  Martin sings over the closing credits, but the rest of the film is dedicated to the acting talents of the two rather than their well-known musical skills.  
The one who really steals the show, however, is Walter Brennan as the adorable old coot Stumpy, who looks after the jailhouse.  He doesn’t open his mouth without uttering something belligerantly hilarious.  Angie Dickinson is also dashing as the clever love interest, Feathers.  It would be hard to classify this sprawling 2+ hour film as action-packed, especially by western standards; it is most definitely a character piece, dialogue-driven and deliberately paced.  The great part is to see Wayne really eat it up.  He really settles into the character and, like most other aspects of the film, keeps it very understated.  Director Howard Hawks really does a fantastic job of not letting things get over-the-top.
This is a movie I’ll watch any time it’s on.     

1. The Shootist (1976)

Sometimes I find it hard to write about this movie.  I did it once before in a quick little blog, and it just didn’t seem right.  In so many ways, this film seems now like an elegy to John Wayne: it being his last film, incorporating bits from his earlier films and many of his favorite costars, the obvious cancer correllations.  To me, John Wayne is JB Books. 
The studio didn’t want to give Wayne the role, due to concerns over his health.  Wayne, on the other hand, made it a personal mission to get the role and finish the film, and he did.  He brought together Lauren Bacall, Jimmy Stewart, Richard Boone, Harry Morgan, and Scatman Crothers, among others, surrounding himself with people he enjoyed working with.  Even Ron Howard is tolerable in this film. 
I can’t really say what makes it so appealing to me, so wonderfully heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.  I know that’s a terrible way to end a review.  But does it make you want to go watch it?  I don’t know.  But you should watch it anyways. 

Honorable mention goes to: North to Alaska, Red River, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Quiet Man…maybe this should have been a Top 10 list!