John Wayne

Born: 1907-05-26 in Winterset, Iowa, USA

Died: 1979-06-11

Known For: Acting

Biography

Marion Mitchell Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison) (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed Duke, was an American actor and filmmaker. An Academy Award-winner for True Grit (1969), Wayne was among the top box office draws for three decades. Born in Winterset, Iowa, Wayne grew up in Southern California. He was president of Glendale High class of 1925. He found work at local film studios when he lost his football scholarship to the University of Southern California as a result of a bodysurfing accident. Initially working for the Fox Film Corporation, he appeared mostly in small bit parts. His first leading role came in Raoul Walsh's The Big Trail (1930), which led to leading roles in numerous B movies throughout the 1930s, many of them in the Western genre. Wayne's career took off in 1939, with John Ford's Stagecoach making him an instant star. He went on to star in 142 pictures. Biographer Ronald Davis said, "John Wayne personified for millions the nation's frontier heritage. Eighty-three of his movies were Westerns, and in them, he played cowboys, cavalrymen, and unconquerable loners extracted from the Republic's central creation myth." Wayne's other well-known Western roles include a cattleman driving his herd north on the Chisholm Trail in Red River (1948), a Civil War veteran whose young niece is abducted by a tribe of Comanches in The Searchers (1956), and a troubled rancher competing with a lawyer for a woman's hand in marriage in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He is also remembered for his roles in The Quiet Man (1952), Rio Bravo (1959), and The Longest Day (1962). In his final screen performance, he starred as an aging gunfighter battling cancer in The Shootist (1976). He appeared with many important Hollywood stars of his era, and his last public appearance was at the Academy Awards ceremony on April 9, 1979.

Filmography

2026

Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas as Ethan Edwards (archive footage) (uncredited)
Spiritual day in Minneapolis

2025

Breakdown: 1975 as Self (archive footage)
Elway as Self (archive footage)
Naughty America: Guns & Stripes as Self (archive footage)

2024

Remembering Gene Wilder as Self (archive photo)
Atomic People as Self (archive footage)
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout as Self (archive footage)

2013

Talking Pictures as Self (archive footage)
Dictator: One Crazy Job as Self (archive footage)
John Ford & Monument Valley as Self (archive footage)

2012

Christmas Around the World with Perry Como as Self

2010

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff as Self (archive footage)
Nuke 'Em, Duke as Self (archive footage)

2009

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year as Self (archive footage)

2004

Battleground as Self (archive footage)

2002

Edith Head: The Paramount Years as Self (archive footage)

2001

The Duke at Fox as Self (archive footage)
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On

2000

John Wayne-A Life on Film as Himself

1999

Television: The First Fifty Years as Self (archive footage)

1998

The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self - Roaster (archive footage)
JOHN WAYNE - AMERICAN LEGEND as Himself

1997

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender as Self (archive footage)

1993

La Classe américaine as George Abitbol (archive footage)
Young Duke: Making Of A Movie Star as Himself
The Making of 'Rio Grande' as Self (archive footage)
The John Wayne Story - The Later Years as Himself
The John Wayne Story: The Early Years

1992

John Wayne's 'The Alamo' as Davy Crockett

1991

Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire as Self (archive footage)
John Wayne - Eine amerikanische Legende as (archive footage)
Movie Tough Guys as Self (archive footage)

1990

John Wayne: American Hero Of The Movies

1988

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1987

Sacrée soirée as Self (archive footage)

1984

Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)

1982

Showbiz Goes to War as Self (archive footage)

1980

Hollywood as Self

1978

Western von gestern as John Wyatt aka John Allen (archive footage)
Perry Como's Early American Christmas as Self

1977

Johnny, weil Du Geburtstag hast as Self
That's Action as self
This Little Bullet as Host

1976

The Shootist as J.B. Books
Bob Hope's World of Comedy as Self (archive footage)
It's Showtime as Self (archive footage)
Hooray for Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years as Self
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch as Jerry Mason
Bob Hope's Comedy Christmas Special
Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend as Himself/Narrator

1975

Rooster Cogburn as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn
Brannigan as Lt. Jim Brannigan
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television as (archive footage)

1974

Spécial cinéma as Self (archive footage)
McQ as McQ
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1973

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
The Train Robbers as Lane
Cahill: United States Marshal as J.D. Cahill
The Man Behind the Star as Self
The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks as Self (archive footage)
Wayne Train as Self

1972

Maude as Himself
The Cowboys as Wil Andersen
Cancel My Reservation as Himself (uncredited)

1971

V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
Big Jake as Jacob McCandles
Directed by John Ford as Self (1969)
The American West of John Ford as Self - Narrator
The Selling of the Pentagon as Self (archive footage)

1970

Chisum as John Chisum
Rio Lobo as Col. Cord McNally
Raquel! as Self
Swing Out, Sweet Land as Self - Host
Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo as Self
No Substitute for Victory as Sekf

1969

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour as Self
True Grit as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn
The Undefeated as Colonel John Henry Thomas

1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as Self (uncredited)
The Green Berets as Colonel Mike Kirby
Hellfighters as Chance Buckman
The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage)

1967

The War Wagon as Taw Jackson
Dateline: Hollywood
A Nation Builds Under Fire as Narrator

1966

El Dorado as Cole Thornton
Cast a Giant Shadow as Gen. Mike Randolph
The Victory Squad as Self - Host

1965

The Greatest Story Ever Told as Centurion at crucifixion
The Sons of Katie Elder as John Elder
In Harm's Way as Capt. Rockwell Torrey
The Making of A Movie as Himself

1964

Circus World as Matt Masters
Choice as Host

1963

McLintock! as George Washington McLintock
Donovan's Reef as Michael "Guns" Donovan
Hollywood and the Stars as Self (archive footage)

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
The Lucy Show as John Wayne
The Beverly Hillbillies as John Wayne (uncredited)
The Merv Griffin Show as Self
The Longest Day as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort
How the West Was Won as William Sherman
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as Tom Doniphon
Hatari! as Sean Mercer
Flashing Spikes as Marine Sergeant

1961

The Mike Douglas Show as Self (archive footage)
Alcoa Premiere
The Comancheros as Jake Cutter
The 10 from Texas as (archive footage)
The Challenge of Ideas as Self

1960

The Alamo as Col. Davy Crockett
North to Alaska as Sam McCord
The Colter Craven Story

1959

Rio Bravo as Sheriff John T. Chance
The Horse Soldiers as Col John Marlowe

1958

The Barbarian and the Geisha as Townsend Harris
I Married a Woman as Actor in a Movie (uncredited)
The Western: A Lost TV Special as Self

1957

Wagon Train as Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
Tonight Starring Jack Paar as Self
Jet Pilot as Col. Jim Shannon
Legend of the Lost as Joe January
The Wings of Eagles as Frank W. 'Spig' Wead

1956

Cinépanorama as Self
The Searchers as Ethan Edwards
7 Men from Now ... (Producer)
The Conqueror as Temujin
Good-bye, My Lady ... (Producer)

1955

Gunsmoke as Self - Host, Introduction to the Series
Screen Director's Playhouse as Mike Cronin
The Sea Chase as Captain Karl Ehrlich
Blood Alley as Capt. Tom Wilder
Casablanca

1954

Producers' Showcase as Self
The High and the Mighty as Dan Roman
Track of the Cat ... (Producer)
Ring of Fear ... (Producer)

1953

The Oscars as Self
Hondo as Hondo Lane
Trouble Along the Way as Stephen Aloysius Williams
Island in the Sky as Captain Dooley
Three Lives as Self
You're the Star as Self

1952

The Quiet Man as Sean Thornton
Big Jim McLain as Jim McLain

1951

The Red Skelton Show as John Wayne
I Love Lucy as John Wayne
Operation Pacific as Duke E. Gifford
Flying Leathernecks as Maj. Daniel Xavier Kirby
Bullfighter and the Lady ... (Producer)
The Screen Director as Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)
Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen ... (Producer)

1950

What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
The Bob Hope Show as Self - Cameo
The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
The Jack Benny Program as John Wayne
Rio Grande as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke
Sands of Iwo Jima as Sgt. John M. Stryker
The Dangerous Stranger ... (Producer)

1949

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon as Capt. Nathan Cutting Brittles
The Fighting Kentuckian as John Breen

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
3 Godfathers as Robert Marmaduke Sangster Hightower
Red River as Thomas Dunson
Fort Apache as Capt. Kirby York
Wake of the Red Witch as Capt. Ralls

1947

Angel and the Badman as Quirt Evans
Tycoon as Johnny Munroe

1946

Without Reservations as Rusty Thomas
Desert Command as Tom Wayne

1945

They Were Expendable as Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan
Back to Bataan as Colonel Joseph Madden
Dakota as John Devlin
Flame of Barbary Coast as Duke Fergus

1944

Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee
Tall in the Saddle as Rocklin
The Fighting Seabees as Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan
Memo for Joe as Self

1943

In Old Oklahoma as Daniel F Somers
A Lady Takes a Chance as Duke Hudkins

1942

Reap the Wild Wind as Captain Jack Stuart
The Spoilers as Glennister
Flying Tigers as Jim Gordon
Reunion in France as Pat Talbot
In Old California as Tom Craig
Lady for a Night as Jackson Morgan
Pittsburgh as Charles 'Pittsburgh' Markham

1941

The Shepherd of the Hills as Young Matt Matthews
A Man Betrayed as Lynn Hollister
Lady from Louisiana as John Reynolds

1940

Dark Command as Bob Seton
The Long Voyage Home as Ole Olsen
Seven Sinners as Dan
Three Faces West as John Phillips

1939

Stagecoach as The Ringo Kid
The Night Riders as Stony Brooke
Allegheny Uprising as Jim Smith
New Frontier as Stony Brooke
Three Texas Steers as Stony Brooke
Wyoming Outlaw as Stony Brooke

1938

Red River Range as Stony Brooke
Pals of the Saddle as Stony Brooke
Overland Stage Raiders as Stony Brooke
Santa Fe Stampede as Stony Brooke

1937

Born to the West as Dare Rudd
Hell Town as Dare Rudd
Adventure's End as Duke Slade
Idol of the Crowds as Johnny Hanson
California Straight Ahead as Biff Smith
I Cover the War! as Bob Adams

1936

Winds of the Wasteland as John Blair
The Lonely Trail as Captain John Ashley
The Lawless Nineties as John Tipton
Sea Spoilers as Bob Randall
King of the Pecos as John Clayborn
The Oregon Trail as Capt John Delmont
Conflict as Pat Glendon
The Stagecoach Race as John Blair

1935

The Desert Trail as John Scott / John Jones
Texas Terror as John Higgins
Lawless Range as John Middleton
Westward Ho as John Wyatt
Paradise Canyon as John Wyatt
Rainbow Valley as John Martin
Avenging Angel as John Mason
The New Frontier as John Dawson
The Dawn Rider as John Mason
Guns Along The Trail as John Wyatt
On the Run as John Jones
Cowboy G-Man as John Wyatt

1934

The Trail Beyond as Rod Drew
Blue Steel as John Carruthers
'Neath the Arizona Skies as Chris Morrell
Randy Rides Alone as Randy Bowers
West of the Divide as Ted Hayden aka Gat Ganns
The Star Packer as U.S. Marshal John Travers
The Lucky Texan as Jerry Mason
The Man from Utah as John Weston
The Lawless Frontier as John Tobin
Claim Jumpers as Jerry Mason
Rodeo Rocketeers as John Weston
The Shadow Gang as U.S. Marshal John Travers
Vengence is Mine as John Tobin
Klondike Gold as Rod Drew
The Drifter as Randy
Next Of Kin as Ted Hayden aka Gat Ganns
Bandits of the Badlands as John Carruthers

1933

Baby Face as Jimmy McCoy Jr.
Sagebrush Trail as John Brant
Central Airport
The Life of Jimmy Dolan as Smith
The Three Musketeers as Lt. Tom Wayne
Riders of Destiny as Singin' Sandy Saunders
Somewhere in Sonora as John Bishop
The Telegraph Trail as John Trent
Fugitive as John
His Private Secretary as Dick Wallace
The Man from Monterey as John Holmes
College Coach as Football player (uncredited)

1932

Ride Him, Cowboy as John Drury
Haunted Gold as John Mason
Texas Cyclone as Steve Pickett
The Big Stampede as Deputy Sheriff John Steele
The Hurricane Express as The Air Pilot
The Shadow of the Eagle as Craig McCoy
Running Hollywood as Emcee
Two-Fisted Law as Duke
Lady and Gent as Buzz Kinney
The Hollywood Handicap

1931

Three Girls Lost as Gordon Wales
The Range Feud as Clint Turner
Arizona as Lt. Bob Denton
The Deceiver as Reginald Thorpe as a corpse
Girls Demand Excitement as Peter Brooks
Maker of Men as Dusty Rhodes

1930

The Big Trail as Breck Coleman
Men Without Women as Radioman on Surface (uncredited)
Born Reckless as Extra (uncredited)
Cheer Up and Smile as Roy
Rough Romance as Lumberjack (uncredited)

1929

Salute as Midshipman Bill
The Black Watch as Black Watch Soldier (uncredited)
Words and Music as Pete Donahue (as Duke Morrison)
Speakeasy as Extra

1928

Noah's Ark as Flood Extra (uncredited)
Four Sons
Hangman's House as Horse Race Spectator / Condemned Man in Flashback
A Home Made Man as Man on Stool

1927

Mother Machree
Annie Laurie
The Drop Kick as Football Player / Extra in Stands
The Draw-Back as Opposing Football Player

1926

Bardelys the Magnificent as Guard (uncredited)
The Great K&A Train Robbery as Extra (uncredited)
Brown of Harvard as Yale LIneback Player