In Which Year Played The Duke His Best Roles

[larrybusch]

It is nice to see the really old ones, I go for the 50s, 60s,70, yaah 40s also.
Larry

[arthurarnell]

Hi Larry

Red River, Fort apache Three Godfathers Sands of Iwo Jima, Jet Pilot but then you go into the fifties with Rio Grande The Searchers Rio Bravo as you say any decade was good.



Regards

Arthur

[Jay J. Foraker]

It's resurrection time once more -
For me, it's a toss-up between the films of the 50s and 60s. JW made some excellent films and had some of his best roles in the 50s, but also made a few bummers during the same period (though still watchable simply for the presence of Duke). For the 60s, JW didn't have as many peaks, but he also didn't make anything that could be given much in the way of negative marks. This was a more consistent period for him, IMO.
For me, "Flying Leathernecks," "The Quiet Man," "The Searchers," "Hondo" and "Rio Bravo" help give the 50s the edge by a very narrow margin.
Cheers - Jay ^_^

[Emmanuel]

Hi all

It has to be the 50's THE QUIET MAN, HONDO, THE SEARCHERS, RIO BRAVO.

need I say more?

Emmanuel. :

[Baby Sister]

I guess I'm just like everyone else ...I find it very hard to narrow it down to just one decade. I guess I would have to say the 40's and 50's. It is when he made some of my favorites.

Rio Grande
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
The Quiet Man
The Searchers

and so on.........


Baby Sis

[erscolo]

The 1950s gave us The Quiet Man, The Searchers and many other films in a variety of film genres. John Wayne got the chance to play in a wide variety of roles at the time he was always near the top of the charts. Not all the films proved stellar, but those that did truly shine.

Roger.

[Cole Thornton]

Wow! I never realized there were so many polls around here! And now I'm voting in them!;) Seriously!

I was thinking of this very question and I think the 1960s was Duke's best decade. The films have already been mentioned here, so I'll just relay this thought: Duke had perfected his rugged, individualist persona he had been forging for twenty years. He embodied these values to many of his viewers and to the world at large Not only that, it was now at odds with the changing world (i.e. rampant Liberalism), Making Duke even more representative of the beliefs he extolled on screen.

[Moonshine_Sally]

He played his best roles in the 60's but he did look at his best in the 50's

[DukePilgrim]

This is a hard one.

I think of the 1940s and the Ford Trilogy Red River Sands of Iwo Jima

The 1950's he was definitely in his prime with The Quiet Man, Hondo The Searchers

The 1960's were his icon days Alamo War Wagon Sons of Katie Elder Green Berets True Grit etc

On final consideration I will go for 1960s!!!

[Jay J. Foraker]

I'll go for the sixties as well. Duke mellowed nicely in his later years.
Cheers - Jay

[ethanedwards]

All of them!!!

[DakotaSurfer]

That's a hard vote... he's done so many good movies his last 20 years, but his last 15 years he did with some very serious health conditions and half a lung missing. I don't think anyone could ever do what he did with what he was going through. He was a man above men.

[chester7777]

We agree with Keith, All of them ! ! !

Chester

[Tbone]

I would say it's hard to limit him to just one decade, but if I had to I'd say the 50's.

[chris roberts]

I have voted for the 50's, it was a hard choice as i like westerns the best, and unfortunatly there were only 5 - Rio Grande, Hondo, The Searchers, Rio Bravo and The Horse Soldiers - only 5 but what a great 5. Plus of course other great movies like The Quiet Man, Flying Leathernecks, Trouble Along the Way, The High and the Mighty etc.

Two of my all time favourites however are from the 40's Red River and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. My best 60's western is The Commancheros - great fun and favourite 70's is The Cowboys,

Chris.