This one is not you favorite movie, or even something you might like, but it's simply what movie do you think turned around John Wayne's legendary status. Duke is admired and respected by many. He is not liked by some, but everyone knew who John Wayne was.

Which movie do you think made him an actor, a superstar, a legend, a hero? Comment, if you like, and tell us if you picked other, the movie and why you picked that particular movie.

Cheers, Hondo B)

As much as I like The Searchers, I feel John Wayne was already a legend by the time it was made, which is why I chose Stagecoach as his turning point. After that, he could do no wrong (although he did make one or two clunkers later . . . :o ).

Chester

Out of the ones listed, I feel Sands of Iwo Jima made him a legend and embodies what JW is all about. He was tough and yet had a soft and understanding side. Let's not forget he was nominated for an academy award for his role in it.

Stagecoach was a springboard to stardom, but I feel it didn't establish him as a legend.

I voted for The Searchers. I agree with Araner that Stagecoach pushed him into stardom (and I love the Ringo Kid), but if we think about it, if he had made no other movies after that, we wouldn't remember him like we do now. (But I get Chester's point too - I'm a bit wishy-washy, sorry.) :unsure:

Really it's hard to say which is the one with someone like Duke who made SO MANY movies...

True confession time: I've never even seen The Searchers. At least not all the way through. Everytime it's on TV I forget to sit down and watch it from the beginning. I always sit down about a half-hour into it, or an hour into it. I know how it ends, of course, and I know the story, but I've never seen the whole thing. I know it's coming on again soon so I'll have to remedy that, huh?

I really hate the scene when Jeffrey Hunter kicks his Indian bride and Duke laughs, though. Gosh that scene seems cruel. It illustrates Duke's acting range, though.

Jen,

I guess I'm wishy-washy too. I can see Araner's point, although I still think Stagecoach was the turning point for the Duke. It wasn't necessarily what made him legend though. The movies of the 40's and 50's did that, with The Sands of Iwo Jima being one of the most memorable, at least of those available in the poll (and of course They Were Expendable - one of my personal favorites ;) ).

Chester

The question here is not what made John Wayne a star, but what film made John Wayne a legend. My vote would have to be TRUE GRIT . We, being Duke fans, have seen most of his films and have a large selection on which to remember and judge him by. But you go to the average Joe who is not a John Wayne fan and ask them to name a movie he was in, almost always the movie is True Grit. To the non-fan, it is his most remembered movie. He won his only Oscar for this roll. The image of him in that eyepatch is unmistakable. So in my opinion, True Grit made him the legend in his fans and the average Joe who doesn't seek out his films. I hope I got my point across, not sure if I worded it right. Sounded good in my head. lol Dukefan1

Chester I think you made a great point. Stagecoach turned his career around, but a later movie(s) made him a legend.

Well i thinks it's got to be either RED RIVER or THE SEARCHERS that made him a LEGEND. :stunned:

My question was evasive, and I want to clarify this the best way I can. Instead of this question that goes like this, Which movie do you think made him an actor, a superstar, a legend, a hero? let's say that made him into a legend. Sorry 'bout that. :unsure:

I should have been specific with this question. :)

Have a great weekend.

Cheers, Hondo B)

Stagecoach would be the one. Not only did he appear on the big screen, but he was on the radio with a radio production of Stagecoach. This was the first time that he really had a chance to show his abilities.

i have to agree with dukefan 1 true grit is the movie that make him the legend as dukefan1 said if you ask anyone of the street which jw movie they can name it is maor than likely to be true grit even if they don't know its name they can discribe it to you

cheers smokey

Hondo

You don't make your questions easy but heres my two cents on this question.

I feel that there were three key movies in John Waynes career.

The first obviously being 'Stagecoach' and there is a scene in that movie in which John Ford realised that Duke was the real star of the film. Durring John Carridines death the scene doesnt end with John Carridines dead body instead it ends with Dukes reaction this is a key moment after such an enormous action scene and Duke was given it.

Red River this is pure John Wayne and one of his finest performances. If he had not have made this movie I feel that rolls in 'The Searchers' etc would not have come his way. He is the complete star in this movie and this was the second most important movie in his career.

The film that made him a legend quite simply 'The Shootist' all that craft and image comming together in an almost perfect movie. Quite simply that was John Wayne the legend.

:agent:

Alright, Alright,

Here goes my opinion. I think that The Quiet Man, which is what I voted for was the movie that made him into a legend. He has done westerns since the beginning of his career, and had a following of fans from the "B" movies. They expected him to do well in westerns, which was his trademark. He did war movies, especially from WWII on to Vietnam, and he did those well. The Quiet Man was his truning point in his career in my opinion.

He showed an audience that he could act outside the gerne that he was accustomed to, and broaden his abilities. He showed a side in some light comedy, drama, and outside his native United States. He crossed into an area that left him in an unfamilar setting and took on the critics in his acting abilities.

That to me is what made John Wayne a legend.

Cheers, Hondo B)

Pulling out of the archives again -

I sense that "The Quiet Man" was the turning point in making John Wayne a legend. It was a different kind of movie from which audiences were used to seeing him in and he was able to dig deep into his talent reserve to bring out an exceptional characterization. Not to mention his extraordinary screen presence which just added to the class of this movie.

Cheers - Jay :D

:cowboy: I naturally had to choose him in Stagecoach. Also, THE most famous scene ever in all movies made was when he is first seen in Stagecoach just after firing a shot. Next you see him with his Winchester.

"Stagecoach" made him a star but he hadn't achieved 'legend' status at that point.

I was initially inclined to agree with Jay that "The Quiet Man" made him a legend but I think he achieved that status somewhat earlier. I'm gonna go with "Red River", "Fort Apache" or "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" as three films which set him firmly on the path to mythological stature.

I am going to have to go with The Searchers. And here is why in my mind. He was a star by the time this movie was made, but his acting in this movie showed his range as a actor and showed just how good he was. Red River may have been the catalyst but I think this movie was the defining moment for him being a legend. I think by the time True Grit and The Shootist were made he was already a legend.

Originally posted by Stumpy@Feb 8 2005, 06:06 PM
I'm gonna go with "Red River", "Fort Apache" or "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" as three films which set him firmly on the path to mythological stature.
14461


Hey Stumpy,

How about Rio Grande? You can't have a trilogy without the third movie. :P

Cheers B)

Originally posted by Hondo Duke Lane@Feb 8 2005, 10:38 PM
How about Rio Grande?* You can't have a trilogy without the third movie.

I wasn't really thinking of the cavalry trilogy, Hondo, when I named the two legs of that trio. I didn't think "Rio Grande" was nearly as good as the other two I named and did nothing to add to Duke's stature.

Hi all


Given the choice I would sit down and wtch the Quiet Man at any given opportunity and without hesitation choose it as my number one John Wayne picture of all time, but for the film that imo made him a legend I would go for Red River or Sands of Iwo Jima, preferably Red River. This film set the mould after which no one, including John Ford, was left in any doubt that Wayne could carry off any range of parts.


Regards

Arthur

Red River was the first film with John Wayne that I remember seeing, so for me personally, it's the one that made him a star. I suspect in the end when he became a legend will elicit many varied responses. I love The Searchers, Stagecoach, The Quiet Man and many other films with the Duke, but for many different reasons. There is variety, a film for most any mood, and so many with fine acting and direction that make them a joy to own and John Wayne a legend.

My original choices for this were incorrect as I misunderstood the question I originally thought it was Dukes most important movies in helping to shape his career. By the time the 1950 came about Duke was on the road to becoming a legend but it was the movies he made at the end of the 40's that sealed his status. These movies were Red River, She wore a Yellow ribbon and Sands of Iwo Jima. The characters he played in these three movies had a mythical auroa about them that Quirt Evans did not have or even York in Fort Apache. His role in Fort Apache was not good enough to establish himself as a legend and by the time The Searchers came about he already was a legend. On a side note I think one of Dukes most important roles of the 40's was that in the flying Tigers because it began the development of his all American image.

:agent: