Pardner, you don’t have to go very far to find out that folks have some strong opinions about John Wayne. In fact, you can find some right in these here parts! But rather than get too deep in the weeds right away about The Duke’s off-camera persona and politics, let’s settle down and have a look at his movie career.
Do we judge him solely by the work he did in classics like The Searchers…and True Grit…and The Shootist? Or must we take into greater consideration his much-derided appearance as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror? Were two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor not enough…or too many…or just about right? Drumroll please…it’s time for Movie Irv to saddle up and summarize his ideas about where the iconic actor belongs in the pantheon of silver screen stars:
There you have it. Some movie fans are bound to be pleased with Irv’s verdict, others are sure to disagree. You are now free to submit your own verdict on the film career of John Wayne below…and then continue fighting over The Alamo.
Still not satisfied? Need some more places to contribute to the John Wayne discussion? We’ve got your polls right here: First, tell us Your Favorite John Wayne War Movie; next, select the best collaboration between John Wayne and John Ford; and finally, enjoy this extensive appreciation of Wayne’s life and films.