Editing John Wayne (section)

== Career ==

=== Early works and first lead role ===
As a favor to coach Jones, who had given silent Western film star [[Tom Mix]] tickets to USC games, director [[John Ford]] and Mix hired Wayne as a prop boy and extra.<ref name=hughes/><ref>{{cite book |last=Eyman |first=Scott |title=John Wayne: The Life and Legend. 2014, pp. 33–34.}}</ref> Wayne later credited his walk, talk, and persona to his acquaintance with [[Wyatt Earp]], who was good friends with Tom Mix.<ref name=hughes>{{cite book |last1=Hughes |first1=Johnny |title=Famous gamblers, poker history, and texas stories. |date=2012 |publisher=Iuniverse |isbn=978-1475942156}}</ref> Wayne soon moved to [[bit part]]s, establishing a longtime friendship with the director who provided most of those roles, John Ford. Early in this period, he had a minor, uncredited role as a guard in the 1926 film ''[[Bardelys the Magnificent]]''. Wayne also appeared with his USC teammates playing football in ''[[Brown of Harvard (1926 film)|Brown of Harvard]]'' (1926), ''[[The Dropkick]]'' (1927), and ''[[Salute (1929 film)|Salute]]'' (1929) and [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]]'s ''[[Maker of Men]]'' (filmed in 1930, released in 1931).<ref name=JWBio-TQL>{{cite web |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/21065/past/wayne/index.htm |title=Biography of John Wayne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013161021/http://library.thinkquest.org/21065/past/wayne/index.htm |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |publisher=Think Quest: Library}}</ref>[[File:The Big Trail (publicity photo - Wayne & Churchill).jpg|left|thumb|With [[Marguerite Churchill]] in the [[widescreen]] ''[[The Big Trail]]'' (1930); John Wayne's first role as a leading man]]While working for [[Fox Film Corporation]] in bit roles, Wayne was given on-screen credit as "'''Duke Morrison'''" only once, in ''[[Words and Music (1929 film)|Words and Music]]'' (1929). Director [[Raoul Walsh]] saw him moving studio furniture while working as a prop boy and cast him in his first starring role in ''[[The Big Trail]]'' (1930). For his screen name, Walsh suggested "Anthony Wayne", after [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] General [[Anthony Wayne|"Mad" Anthony Wayne]]. Fox Studios chief [[Winfield Sheehan]] rejected it as sounding "too Italian". Walsh then suggested "John Wayne". Sheehan agreed, and the name was set. Wayne was not even present for the discussion.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=84}} His pay was raised to $105 a week.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vallartatribune.com/john-wayne-the-duke/ |title=JOHN WAYNE – The Duke – Vallarta Tribune |date=May 19, 2016 |work=Vallarta Tribune |access-date=October 27, 2017 |language=en-US |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213201348/http://www.vallartatribune.com/john-wayne-the-duke/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

''The Big Trail'' was to be the first big-budget outdoor spectacle of the sound era, made at a then-staggering cost over $2&nbsp;million (over $32.8&nbsp;million equivalent in 2021),<ref>{{cite web |title=Inflation Calculator |url=https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |website=usinflationcalculator.com |access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref> using hundreds of extras and wide vistas of the [[American Southwest]], still largely unpopulated at the time. To take advantage of the breathtaking scenery, it was filmed in two versions, a standard [[35mm movie film|35 mm]] version and another in the new [[70 mm Grandeur film]] process, using an innovative camera and lenses. Many in the audience who saw it in Grandeur stood and cheered, but only a handful of theaters were equipped to show the film in its widescreen process, and the effort was largely wasted at the time. The film was considered a huge box-office flop at the time, but came to be highly regarded by modern critics.<ref name=Clooney195>{{cite book |last=Clooney |first=Nick |author-link=Nick Clooney |title=The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen |date=November 2002 |publisher=Atria Books, a trademark of Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=0-7434-1043-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/moviesthatchange00cloo/page/195 195] |url=https://archive.org/details/moviesthatchange00cloo/page/195}}</ref>

=== Subsequent films, breakthrough, and war years ===
[[File:The Big Trail lobby card (5).jpg|right|thumb|''The Big Trail'' (1930) lobby card]]
[[File:Girls Demand Excitement lobby card.jpg|right|thumb|Lobby card for ''[[Girls Demand Excitement]]'' (1931)]]
[[File:His Private Secretary (1933) still 1.jpg|right|thumb|With [[Evalyn Knapp]] and [[Natalie Kingston]] in ''[[His Private Secretary]]'' (1933)]]
[[File:John Wayne in Riders of Destiny (1933) 02.png|thumb|right|Wayne as "Singin' Sandy" Saunders in ''[[Riders of Destiny]]'' (1933)]]
[[File:John Wayne in The Star Packer 2.jpg|right|thumb|{{center|''[[The Star Packer]]'' (1934)}}]]
[[File:Conflict (1936) 1.jpg|thumb|right|With [[Jean Rogers]] and [[Ward Bond]] in ''[[Conflict (1936 film)|Conflict]]'' (1936)]]
[[File:Born to the West (1937) 1.jpg|thumb|right|With [[Marsha Hunt (actress, born 1917)|Marsha Hunt]] in ''[[Born to the West]]'' (1937)]]
[[File:John Wayne - Joan Blondell - 1942.jpg|thumb|right|With [[Joan Blondell]] in ''Lady for a Night'' (1942)]]
[[File:Angel and the Badman 1947.jpg|thumb|John Wayne and [[Gail Russell]] in ''[[Angel and the Badman]]'' (1947)]]
After the commercial failure of ''The Big Trail'', Wayne was relegated to small roles in A pictures, including Columbia's ''[[The Deceiver (film)|The Deceiver]]'' (1931), in which he played a corpse. He appeared in the [[Serial film|serial]] ''[[The Three Musketeers (1933 serial)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (1933), an updated version of the [[Alexandre Dumas]] novel in which the protagonists were soldiers in the [[French Foreign Legion]] in then-contemporary North Africa. He played the lead, with his name over the title, in many low-budget [[Poverty Row]] Westerns, mostly at [[Monogram Pictures]] and serials for [[Mascot Pictures Corporation]]. By Wayne's own estimation, he appeared in about 80 of these [[horse opera]]s from 1930 to 1939.<ref>Clooney, p. 196.</ref> In ''[[Riders of Destiny]]'' (1933), he became one of the first [[singing cowboy]]s of film, albeit via dubbing.<ref name="peterson1997">{{cite book |title=Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity |author=Peterson, Richard A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J3zWpIOLB-MC&pg=PA84 |year=1997 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |pages=84–86 |isbn=0-226-66284-5 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316114643/https://books.google.com/books?id=J3zWpIOLB-MC&pg=PA84 |url-status=live}}</ref> Wayne also appeared in some of the ''[[Three Mesquiteers]]'' Westerns, whose title was a [[Word play|play]] on the Dumas classic. He was mentored by [[Stunt performer|stuntmen]] in riding and other [[Western (genre)|Western]] skills.<ref name=JWBio-TQL /> Stuntman [[Yakima Canutt]] and Wayne developed and perfected stunts and onscreen fisticuffs techniques that are still in use.<ref>Canutt, Yakima, with Oliver Drake, ''Stuntman''. University of Oklahoma Press, 1997, {{ISBN|0-8061-2927-1}}.</ref> One of the main innovations with which Wayne is credited in these early Poverty Row Westerns is allowing the good guys to fight as convincingly as the bad guys, by not always making them fight clean. Wayne claimed, "Before I came along, it was standard practice that the hero must always fight clean. The heavy was allowed to hit the hero in the head with a chair or throw a kerosene lamp at him or kick him in the stomach, but the hero could only knock the villain down politely and then wait until he rose. I changed all that. I threw chairs and lamps. I fought hard and I fought dirty. I fought to win."<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2019|title=On John Wayne, Cancel Culture, and the Art of Problematic Artists|url=https://lithub.com/on-john-wayne-cancel-culture-and-the-art-of-problematic-artists/|access-date=April 17, 2021|website=Literary Hub|language=en-US|archive-date=December 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223111211/https://lithub.com/on-john-wayne-cancel-culture-and-the-art-of-problematic-artists/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wayne's second breakthrough role came with John Ford's ''[[Stagecoach (1939 film)|Stagecoach]]'' (1939). Because of Wayne's [[B-movie]] status and track record in low-budget Westerns throughout the 1930s, Ford had difficulty getting financing for what was to be an A-budget film. After rejection by all the major studios, Ford struck a deal with independent producer [[Walter Wanger]] in which [[Claire Trevor]]—a much bigger star at the time—received top billing. ''Stagecoach'' was a huge critical and financial success, and Wayne became a mainstream star. Cast member [[Louise Platt]] credited Ford as saying at the time that Wayne would become the biggest star ever because of his appeal as the archetypal "everyman".<ref name="Louise Platt letter">[http://www.thenedscottarchive.com/hollywood/films/movie-stagecoach.html#platt2 Letter, Louise Platt to Ned Scott Archive, July 7, 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116234229/http://www.thenedscottarchive.com/hollywood/films/movie-stagecoach.html#platt2 |date=January 16, 2013 }} pp. 40:</ref>

America's entry into [[World War II]] resulted in a deluge of support for the war effort from all sectors of society, and Hollywood was no exception. Wayne was exempted from service due to his age (34 at the time of [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]]) and family status (classified as 3-A – family deferment). Wayne repeatedly wrote to John Ford saying he wanted to enlist, on one occasion inquiring whether he could get into Ford's military unit.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=212}} Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible), but [[Republic Pictures|Republic Studios]] was emphatically resistant to losing him, since he was their only A-list actor under contract. [[Herbert J. Yates]], president of Republic, threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract,{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=220}} and Republic Pictures intervened in the Selective Service process, requesting Wayne's further deferment.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=213}}

U.S. National Archives records indicate that Wayne, in fact, did make an application<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/press/press-kits/american-originals-traveling.html#wayne |title=Press Kits: American Originals Traveling Exhibit |date=October 25, 2010 |work=archives.gov |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-date=April 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424124230/https://www.archives.gov/press/press-kits/american-originals-traveling.html#wayne |url-status=live }}</ref> to serve in the [[Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS), precursor to the modern [[CIA]], but his bid was ultimately unsuccessful. Wayne toured U.S. bases and hospitals in the South Pacific for three months in 1943 and 1944,{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=253}} with the [[USO]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ozatwar.com/people/johnwayne.htm |title=John Wayne, in Australia during WWII |work=ozatwar.com |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129025806/http://www.ozatwar.com/people/johnwayne.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2013/12/19/john-wayne-spends-christmas-in-brisbane/ |title=John Wayne spends Christmas in Brisbane – John Oxley Library |work=slq.qld.gov.au |date=December 19, 2013 |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-date=February 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208143144/http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2013/12/19/john-wayne-spends-christmas-in-brisbane/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://jwayne.com/2010/03/01/john-wayne-world-war-ii-and-the-draft/ |title=John Wayne, World War II and the Draft |work=jwayne.com |date=March 2, 2010 |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-date=December 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215000755/http://jwayne.com/2010/03/01/john-wayne-world-war-ii-and-the-draft/ |url-status=live}}</ref> During this trip, he carried out a request from [[William J. Donovan]], head of the OSS, to assess whether General [[Douglas MacArthur]], commander of the [[South West Pacific Area (command)|South West Pacific Area]], or his staff were hindering the work of the OSS.<ref name="Munn"/>{{rp|88}} Donovan later issued Wayne an OSS Certificate of Service to memorialize Wayne's contribution to the OSS mission.<ref name="Munn"/>{{rp|88}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunsetters38bg.com/index.php/gallery/Military%20Life |title=Photo Gallery – Category: Military Life |work=sunsetters38bg.com |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907233735/http://www.sunsetters38bg.com/index.php/gallery/Military%20Life |url-status=live}}</ref>

By many accounts, his failure to serve in the military later became the most painful part of his life.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995|p=212}} His widow later suggested that his patriotism in later decades sprang from guilt, writing: "He would become a 'superpatriot' for the rest of his life trying to atone for staying home."<ref>Wayne, Pilar, ''John Wayne'', pp. 43–47.</ref>

Wayne's first color film was ''[[The Shepherd of the Hills (1941 film)|The Shepherd of the Hills]]'' (1941), in which he co-starred with his longtime friend [[Harry Carey (actor)|Harry Carey]]. The following year, he appeared in his only film directed by [[Cecil B. DeMille]], the [[Technicolor]] epic ''[[Reap the Wild Wind]]'' (1942), in which he co-starred with [[Ray Milland]] and [[Paulette Goddard]]; it was one of the rare times he played a character with questionable values.

Like most Hollywood stars of his era, Wayne appeared as a guest on radio programs, such as: ''The [[Hedda Hopper]] Show'' and ''The [[Louella Parsons]] Show''. He made a number of appearances in dramatic roles, mainly recreations for radio of his own film roles, on such programs as ''[[Screen Directors Playhouse]]'' and ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]''. For six months in 1942, Wayne starred in his own radio adventure series, ''Three Sheets to the Wind'', produced by film director [[Tay Garnett]]. In the series, an international spy/detective show, Wayne played Dan O'Brien, a detective who used alcoholism as a mask for his investigatory endeavors. The show was intended by Garnett to be a pilot of sorts for a film version, though the motion picture never came to fruition. No episodes of the series featuring Wayne seem to have survived, though a demonstration episode with [[Brian Donlevy]] in the leading role does exist. Wayne, not Donlevy, played the role throughout the series' run on [[NBC]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dukefanclub.blogspot.com/2011/12/john-waynes-forgotten-radio-show.html |title=The New Frontier: John Wayne's Forgotten Radio Show |first=The New |last=Frontier |date=December 9, 2011 |access-date=May 27, 2017 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041939/http://dukefanclub.blogspot.com/2011/12/john-waynes-forgotten-radio-show.html |url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Angel and the Badman 1947 John Wayne.ogv|thumb|Wayne (right) acting in a short clip from ''[[Angel and the Badman]]'' (1947) (click to play)]]
[[File:Gail Russell-John Wayne in Wake of the Red Witch trailer.jpg|thumb|[[Gail Russell]] and John Wayne in ''[[Wake of the Red Witch]]'' (1948)]]
Director [[Robert Rossen]] offered to Wayne the starring role in ''[[All the King's Men (1949 film)|All the King's Men]]'' (1949), but Wayne refused, believing the script to be "un-American in many ways."{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995}} [[Broderick Crawford]], who was eventually cast in the role, won the 1949 Oscar for Best Actor, ironically beating out Wayne, who had been nominated for ''[[Sands of Iwo Jima]]'' (1949).

=== 1950s ===
He lost the leading role of Jimmy Ringo in ''[[The Gunfighter]]'' (1950) to [[Gregory Peck]] due to his refusal to work for Columbia Pictures because its chief, [[Harry Cohn]], had mistreated him years before when he was a young contract player. Cohn had bought the project for Wayne, but Wayne's grudge was too deep, and Cohn sold the script to [[Twentieth Century Fox]], which cast Peck in the role Wayne badly wanted, but for which he refused to bend.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995}}<ref>Hyams, J. ''[https://archive.org/details/lifetimesofweste0000hyam/page/109/ The Life and Times of the Western Movie]''. Gallery Books (1984), pp. 109–12. {{ISBN|0831755458}}</ref>

[[Batjac Productions|Batjac]], the production company co-founded by Wayne in 1952, was named after the fictional shipping company Batjak in ''[[Wake of the Red Witch]]'' (1948), a film based on the novel by [[Garland Roark]]. (A spelling error by Wayne's secretary was allowed to stand, accounting for the variation.){{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995}} Batjac (and its predecessor, Wayne-Fellows Productions) was the arm through which Wayne produced many films for himself and other stars. Its best-known non-Wayne productions were ''[[Seven Men From Now]]'' (1956), which started the classic collaboration between director [[Budd Boetticher]] and star [[Randolph Scott]], and ''[[Gun the Man Down]]'' (1956) with contract player [[James Arness]] as an outlaw.

One of Wayne's most popular roles was in ''[[The High and the Mighty (film)|The High and the Mighty]]'' (1954), directed by [[William Wellman]], and based on a novel by [[Ernest K. Gann]]. His portrayal of a heroic copilot won widespread acclaim. Wayne also portrayed aviators in ''[[Flying Tigers (film)|Flying Tigers]]'' (1942), ''[[Flying Leathernecks]]'' (1951), ''[[Island in the Sky (1953 film)|Island in the Sky]]'' (1953), ''[[The Wings of Eagles]]'' (1957), and ''[[Jet Pilot (1957 film)|Jet Pilot]]'' (1957).

He appeared in nearly two dozen of John Ford's films over 20 years, including ''[[She Wore a Yellow Ribbon]]'' (1949), ''[[The Quiet Man]]'' (1952), and ''[[The Wings of Eagles]]'' (1957). The first movie in which he called someone "Pilgrim", Ford's ''[[The Searchers]]'' (1956), is often considered to contain Wayne's finest and most complex performance.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KftACgAAQBAJ&pg=PT140|title=Not Thinkin'... Just Rememberin'... The Making of John Wayne's "The Alamo"|last=Farkis|first=John|date=March 25, 2015|publisher=BearManor Media|language=en|access-date=October 18, 2020|archive-date=March 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316114757/https://books.google.com/books?id=KftACgAAQBAJ&pg=PT140|url-status=live}}</ref>

On May 14, 1958, [[Hal Kanter]]'s ''[[I Married a Woman]]'' starring [[George Gobel]] and [[Diana Dors]] had its Los Angeles opening. In it, Wayne had a cameo as himself.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/52604-I-MARRIED-A-WOMAN?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 12, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On October 2, [[John Huston]]'s ''[[The Barbarian and the Geisha]]'', in which Wayne played the lead and clashed with his director all the way, had its New York opening.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/52474-THE-BARBARIAN-AND-THE-GEISHA?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 12, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

[[Howard Hawks]]'s ''[[Rio Bravo (film)|Rio Bravo]]'' premiered on March 18, 1959. In it, Wayne plays the lead with a supporting cast including [[Dean Martin]], [[Ricky Nelson]], [[Angie Dickinson]], [[Walter Brennan]] and [[Ward Bond]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/53001-RIO-BRAVO?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 12, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> John Ford's ''[[The Horse Soldiers]]'' had its world premiere in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]] on June 18. Set during the Civil War, Wayne shares the lead with [[William Holden]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/52920-THE-HORSE-SOLDIERS?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 12, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

Wayne notoriously portrayed [[Genghis Khan]] in ''[[The Conqueror (1956 film)|The Conqueror]]'' (1956), which was panned by critics.

=== 1960s ===
[[File:The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (publicity photo - Wayne & Stewart).jpg|right|thumb|275px|Wayne and James Stewart in ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' (1962)]]
In 1960, Wayne directed and produced ''[[The Alamo (1960 film)|The Alamo]]'' portraying [[Davy Crockett]], with [[Richard Widmark]] as [[Jim Bowie]]. Wayne was nominated for an Oscar as the producer in the [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] category.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/53074-THE-ALAMO?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> That year Wayne also played the lead in [[Henry Hathaway]]'s ''[[North to Alaska]]'' also starring [[Stewart Granger]] and [[Ernie Kovacs]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/53235-NORTH-TO-ALASKA?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> In 1961, Wayne shared the lead with [[Stuart Whitman]] in [[Michael Curtiz]]'s [[The Comancheros (film)|''The Comancheros'']].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23776-THE-COMANCHEROS?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

On May 23, 1962, Wayne starred in John Ford's ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' with James Stewart.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23755-THE-MAN-WHO-SHOT-LIBERTY-VALANCE?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> May 29 marked the premiere of Howard Hawks's ''[[Hatari!]]'', shot on location in Africa with Wayne playing the lead capturing wild animals from the beds of trucks; all the scenes with animals in the film are real.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/19931-HATARI?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On October 4, [[The Longest Day (film)|''The Longest Day'']] started its theatrical run, with Wayne memorably acting with an ensemble cast.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23731-THE-LONGEST-DAY?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> Although the other top-level actors in the film accepted a token payment of only $10,000 each to play their roles, making the all-star cast feasible for the budget, Wayne was paid a quarter of a million dollars due to an earlier dispute with producer [[Darryl F. Zanuck]]. During this time, the cast of the television drama, ''[[Combat!]]'', were preparing for the inaugural season. The principal cast (including [[Vic Morrow]]) were to go through a week of basic training at the Army's Infantry Training Center at [[Fort Ord]] in northern California.<ref name="Penton">{{cite news |last1=Penton |first1=Edgar |title=Combat: Unit Is Mythical, But GIs Got 'Basic,' Just the Same |access-date=August 21, 2019 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |date=January 27, 1963 |url=http://newspapers.com}}</ref> Morrow noted that the instructors who worked with the cast at Fort Ord had one common request: not to act like John Wayne. "Poor John," Morrow told a reporter. "I wonder if he knows he's almost a dirty word in the Army."<ref name="Penton"/>

On February 20, 1963, Wayne acted in a segment of [[How the West Was Won (film)|''How the West Was Won'']]<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23992-HOW-THE-WEST-WAS-WON?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> directed by John Ford. On June 12, Wayne played the lead in his final John Ford film, ''[[Donovan's Reef]]'', co-starring [[Lee Marvin]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/22926-DONOVANS-REEF?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On November 13, another film starring Wayne premiered, [[Andrew V. McLaglen]]'s ''[[McLintock!]]'', once again opposite [[Maureen O'Hara]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/21556-MCLINTOCK?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

In 1964, Wayne played the leading role in Henry Hathaway's [[Circus World (film)|''Circus World'']] with [[Claudia Cardinale]] and [[Rita Hayworth]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/18529-CIRCUS-WORLD?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

On February 15, 1965, Wayne played the brief cameo role of a centurion in [[George Stevens]]'s ''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/22336-THE-GREATEST-STORY-EVER-TOLD?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On April 6, he shared the screen with [[Kirk Douglas]] and [[Patricia Neal]] in [[Otto Preminger]]'s ''[[In Harm's Way]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/22425-IN-HARMS-WAY?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On June 13, he acted in Henry Hathaway's ''[[The Sons of Katie Elder]]'' with [[Dean Martin]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/18772-THE-SONS-OF-KATIE-ELDER?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

In 1966, Wayne appeared in a cameo role for [[Melville Shavelson]]'s ''[[Cast a Giant Shadow]]'' starring Kirk Douglas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/22317-CAST-A-GIANT-SHADOW?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

On May 24, 1967, Wayne played the lead in [[Burt Kennedy]]'s ''[[The War Wagon]]'' with Kirk Douglas as the second lead.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23130-THE-WAR-WAGON?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> His second movie that year, Howard Hawks's [[El Dorado (1966 film)|''El Dorado'']], a highly successful partial [[remake]] of ''Rio Bravo'' with [[Robert Mitchum]] playing Dean Martin's original role, premiered on June 7.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23714-EL-DORADO?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

In 1968, Wayne co-directed with [[Ray Kellogg (director)|Ray Kellogg]] ''[[The Green Berets (film)|The Green Berets]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23668-THE-GREEN-BERETS?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> the only major film made during the [[Vietnam War]] in support of the war.<ref name="jwayne.com" /> Wayne wanted to make this movie because at that time Hollywood had little interest in making movies about the Vietnam War.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television|date=1991|publisher=Temple University Press|jstor = j.ctt14btcb5|isbn=978-0-87722-861-5}}</ref> During the filming of ''The Green Berets'', the [[Degar]] or Montagnard people of Vietnam's Central Highlands, fierce fighters against communism, bestowed on Wayne a brass bracelet that he wore in the film and all subsequent films.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995}} Also that year, Wayne played the lead in Andrew V. McLaglen's [[Hellfighters (film)|''Hellfighters'']], a film about the crews who put out oil rig fires.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/19430-HELLFIGHTERS?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> [[Katharine Ross]] played a supporting role.

On June 13, 1969, Henry Hathaway's ''[[True Grit (1969 film)|True Grit]]'' premiered. For his role as Rooster Cogburn, Wayne won [[Academy Award for Best Actor|the Best Actor Oscar]] at the [[Academy Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23723-TRUE-GRIT?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> In November of that year another film starring Wayne was released, Andrew V. McLaglen's ''[[The Undefeated (1969 film)|The Undefeated]]'' with [[Rock Hudson]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/20617-THE-UNDEFEATED?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

=== 1970s: later career ===
[[File:JohnWayneRichardBooneKBF1971.jpg|thumb|right|Wayne and [[Richard Boone]] at ''[[Big Jake]]'' screening, 1971]]
On June 24, 1970, Andrew V. McLaglen's ''[[Chisum]]'' started to play in cinemas. Wayne took the role of the owner of a cattle ranch, who finds out that a businessman is trying to own neighboring land illegally.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/20696-CHISUM?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On September 16, [[Howard Hawks]]' ''[[Rio Lobo]]'' premiered. Wayne played Col. Cord McNally, who confronts Confederate soldiers who stole a shipment of gold at the end of the Civil War.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/20676-RIO-LOBO?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> This was another remake of ''[[Rio Bravo (film)|Rio Bravo]]'' albeit without a second lead the box office caliber of Dean Martin or Robert Mitchum.

In June 1971, [[George Sherman]]'s ''[[Big Jake]]'' made its debut. Wayne played the role of an estranged father who must track down a gang who kidnapped his grandson.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54053-BIG-JAKE?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> The film was a critically acclaimed hit.

In 1972, Wayne starred in [[Mark Rydell]]'s ''[[The Cowboys]].'' [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'', who did not particularly care for the film, wrote: "Wayne is, of course, marvelously indestructible, and he has become an almost perfect father figure".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent|date=January 14, 1972|title=' The Cowboys':Wayne Stars in Rydell Work at Music Hall|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/14/archives/the-cowboyswayne-stars-in-rydell-work-at-music-hall.html|access-date=June 3, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The same year, he was selected in the last round of the [[1972 NFL Draft|NFL draft]] by the [[Atlanta Falcons]] for his past football experience, though the pick was disallowed by league officials as he was 64 years old at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shepard|first=Will|date=April 20, 2021|title=John Wayne 'of Fort Apache State' Was Selected in the Final Round of 1972 NFL Draft at 64-Years-Old|url=https://outsider.com/news/entertainment/john-wayne-fort-apache-state-selected-final-round-1972-nfl-draft-at-64/|access-date=February 18, 2022|website=Outsider|language=en-US}}</ref>

On February 7, 1973, Burt Kennedy's ''[[The Train Robbers]]'' opened; Wayne appeared alongside [[Ann-Margret]], [[Rod Taylor]] and [[Ben Johnson (actor)|Ben Johnson]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/55068-THE-TRAIN-ROBBERS?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On June 27, Andrew V. McLaglen's ''[[Cahill U.S. Marshal]]'' premiered, with Wayne, [[George Kennedy]] and [[Gary Grimes]]. It was a box office failure.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/54883-CAHILL-UNITED-STATES-MARSHAL?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

In 1974, Wayne took on the role of the eponymous detective in [[John Sturges]]'s crime drama ''[[McQ]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/67614-MCQ?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

On March 25, 1975, [[Douglas Hickox]]'s [[Brannigan (film)|''Brannigan'']] premiered. In it, Wayne played a Chicago police lieutenant named Jim Brannigan on the hunt in London for an organized-crime leader.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/55519-BRANNIGAN?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> On October 17, ''[[Rooster Cogburn (film)|Rooster Cogburn]]'' started its theatrical run; Wayne reprised his role as [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshal]] Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn<ref>{{Cite web|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/55625-ROOSTER-COGBURN?cxt=filmography|access-date=June 3, 2021|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> with strong elements of the plot of ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]'' along with [[Katharine Hepburn]] as his leading lady.

In 1976, Wayne starred in [[Don Siegel]]'s ''[[The Shootist]]'', also starring [[Lauren Bacall]], [[Ron Howard]] and [[James Stewart]]. It was Wayne's final cinematic role, whose main character, J. B. Books, was dying of cancer, to which Wayne himself succumbed three years later. It contains numerous plot similarities to ''[[The Gunfighter]]'' of nearly 30 years before, a role which Wayne had wanted, but turned down.{{sfn|Roberts|Olson|1995}} Upon its theatrical release, it grossed $13,406,138 domestically. About $6 million were earned as US [[Gross rental|theatrical rentals]].<ref>[http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1975/0SHT.php Box Office Information for ''The Shootist''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525213959/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1975/0SHT.php|date=May 25, 2014}} The Numbers. Retrieved September 18, 2013.</ref> The film received positive reviews.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shootist/ Movie Reviews for ''The Shootist''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519052017/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shootist/|date=May 19, 2008}} [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. Retrieved September 18, 2013.</ref> It was named one of the Ten Best Films of 1976 by the National Board of Review. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' ranked ''The Shootist'' number 10 on his list of the 10 best films of 1976.<ref>[http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/eberts-10-best-lists-1967-present Roger Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967 to present.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113224948/http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/eberts-10-best-lists-1967-present|date=January 13, 2014}} [[Roger Ebert]]'s Journal. Retrieved September 18, 2013.</ref> The film was nominated for an Oscar, a [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe]], a [[BAFTA Film Award|BAFTA film award]], and a [[Writers Guild of America]] award.