Their presence in each other's cinematic legacy will never be forgotten. Before the days of Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and the modern-day filmmaking duos, there were the Johns. Director John Ford and acting icon John Wayne were genre forces to be reckoned with. Stepping onset together 14 times from 1939 to 1963, the Johns were a dynamite pair that produced more than just Wild West, trailblazing movies.
Six of their double-digit pictures were written or co-written by screenwriter Frank S. Nugent. Ford and Nugent were just two examples within the Duke's filmography where he collaborated multiple times. Wayne's repeated use of supporting cast actors is one of the relationships that inspired a practice that today's legendary filmmakers continue to be recognized for.
14 'The Wings of Eagles' (1957)
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Alongside his iconic leading lady Maureen O'Hara, Wayne stars as Frank "Spig" Wead, a real-life Naval aviator paralyzed after a spine injury. Following his injury, Wead takes pen to paper and begins to write pro-military films, but the attack on Pearl Harbor leads him to reenter the Navy under special permission.
Ford decided to helm the project honoring Wead after recognizing he didn't want anyone else to direct the project dedicated to his close friend. This project was a notable installment in Ford's and Wayne's careers.
13 'Donovan's Reef' (1963)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
The final film starring opposite each other, Lee Marvin and Wayne are pure entertainment in this breezy comedy. The pair star as two of three World War II Navy veterans, Donovan (Wayne), Doc (Jack Warden), and Gilhooley (Marvin), all of whom come to settle on a French Polynesian island as Doc's share in his shipping company becomes threatened.
It's a distance stretch from the past films Marvin and Wayne co-starred in, but Donovan's Reef is a relaxed break from the gun-slinging and wartime pictures their audiences were used to. Audiences appreciated Ford's light-hearted swing for his final collaboration with Wayne.
12 'The Long Voyage Home' (1940)
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Another feature centered on the backdrop of World War II, The Long Voyage Home finds the crew of an English cargo ship battling not only the loneliness of sailing but the thought that there may be a Nazi spy aboard their ship carrying dynamite. Wayne stars as Swedish crew member Olsen.
The supporting cast included actors like Ward Bond, whom fans would recognize in several later films Wayne would lead. This early partnership picture from Ford and Wayne earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but failed to take home a golden statue from the ceremony.
11 'Rio Grande' (1950)
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
A story where everything converges all at once upon its leading man, Rio Grande remains one of Wayne's memorable performances. Lieutenant Colonel Kirby Yorke's past comes back to bite him when his estranged son arrives as a recruit at Yorke's Texas cavalry post, and his equally estranged wife arrives to bring their son home. Furthering the trouble, Yorke is tasked with defending settlers against Apache raids across the river.
This movie is a follow-up from Fort Apache (further down the list) and features familiar faces and themes established in previous installments in the Johns filmography. Not the worst, not the best, Rio Grande is still a satisfactory Western.
10 'How the West Was Won' (1962)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Separated into five sequences directed by Ford, Henry Hathaway, and George Marshall, How the West Was Won is often not included when discussing the Johns Canon. With a big-name cast including stars like Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Carroll Baker, and Debbie Reynolds, to name a few, this feature is close to three hours long, detailing the westward expansion of the 19th century.
Wayne stars as General William Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War segment directed by Ford. Hollywood's greatest stars of the period, Wayne, Stewart, and Henry Fonda, only starred this one time altogether; however, they were never in the same scenes.
9 '3 Godfathers' (1948)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
A deep dive for surface-level Wayne fans, 3 Godfathers was the original Three Men and a Baby. Alongside Pedro Armendáriz and Harry Carey Jr., Wayne completes the trio of outlaws who stumble upon a dying woman and her newborn after robbing a bank. The three men risk their safety and vow to return the baby to safety as they try to outrun the sheriff hot on their trail.
Audiences remembered this Ford production as a retelling of the Three Wise Men and resonated with the religious symbolism throughout the movie. It isn't the pair's most memorable film, but it solidifies its entertainment value.
8 'The Horse Soldiers' (1959)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
The Horse Soldiers is set against the backdrop of the Civil War as Union Colonel John Marlowe (Wayne) and his unit attempt to carry out their mission to destroy a Confederate railroad depot. Marlowe's efforts become complicated after Miss Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers), a Southern belle, overhears the mission plans, forcing Marlowe to bring her along.
A mid-tier segment in their cinematic history, Ford and Wayne hold the audience's attention despite having set such a high-bar standard for their films. Once again, audiences deliver the pair well-deserved respect for their efforts even if the plot left more to be desired.
7 'They Were Expendable' (1945)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Not only did Robert Montgomery co-direct the film (listed as uncredited), but he also starred as the leading man alongside Wayne. Taking place just before the attack on Pearl Harbor and carrying through to after, They Were Expendable finds Naval Lieutenants Ryan (Wayne) and Brickley (Montgomery) questioning the viability of the new PT boats, putting them to the test against Japanese planes.
Nominated for two technical Oscars, this wartime drama is a well-respected feature. It was also co-written by The Wings of Eagles inspiration, Frank Wead. They Were Expendable is an admirable, right choice for a well-deserved break from the desolate West.
6 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' (1949)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
An Oscar-winner for Best Cinematography, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon signaled that Ford's movies were worthy of critical acclaim. Just before retirement, Calvary Captain Nathan Brittles (Wayne) is tasked with mending relations between the Native American tribes after Custer's Last Stand. The mission is complicated as Brittles manages the safe passage of the wife and niece of his superior officer.
Wayne wasn't the only star Ford collaborated with consistently; She Wore a Yellow Ribbon also features Victor McLaglen, who starred in supporting roles for other films on this list like Fort Apache, Rio Grande, and The Quiet Man. Wayne fans also recognized stars Harry Carey Jr. and Ben Johnson from other movies led by the Duke.
5 'Fort Apache' (1948)
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Fort Apache features Wayne opposite legendary actor Henry Fonda. Young, level-headed Capt. Kirby York (Wayne) clashes with Civil War veteran Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Fonda) after Thursday returns to Fort Apache and begins to threaten war with the local tribes.
This installment in the Johns filmography also became the first in what came to be known as John Ford's Calvary Trilogy, the succession films were She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande. Fort Apache arguably was the best of the three according to audiences and its IMDb rating.
4 'The Quiet Man' (1952)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
An Oscar-winning feat for Ford (Best Director), The Quiet Man was a departure for both Johns from the usual gritty Western story. Wayne plays retired American boxer Sean Thornton returning to his family's homestead in Ireland. He falls for Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara) there despite her brother's refusal.
The movie is another excellent collaboration between Ford and Wayne and Wayne and his leading lady O'Hara. Like the title displays, The Quiet Man is a quiet romance beloved by critics and cinema-goers deserving of its seven Oscar nominations.
3 'Stagecoach' (1939)
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
The time-honored tale of strangers surviving circumstances, Stagecoach featured Wayne during his transition from B-list to A-list actor. An outlaw, Ringo Kid (Wayne) is among a group of passengers aboard a stagecoach traveling across the Wild West, the threat of Apache attacks looming over them all.
This is the first collaboration between Ford and Wayne. A career-evolving film for the pair, Stagecoach earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director (Ford's second directing nomination). At the time, this movie excited Western fans for a dynamic relationship that was about to unfold before Hollywood's eyes.
2 'The Searchers' (1956)
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
A dark installment for the cinematic duo, The Searchers still features the familiar faces of Wayne-film regular cast members. Determined to recover his kidnapped niece, Debbie (Natalie Wood), Ethan Edwards scours the Comanche nation after his brother's family is slain.
A Civil War veteran, Ethan is calloused and cold, a far cry from the upbeat disposition of Wayne's traditional roles, absent of the Duke's iconic ear-to-ear grin. The Searchers is a cinematic gem that Wayne-Ford fans return to time and time again.
1 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' (1962)
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Directed during the height of his career, Ford assembled a trio of Hollywood acting royalty for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. One of cinema's most revered westerns, this feature stars James Stewart as Senator Stoddard relives through flashbacks the story of Stoddard's unexpected friendship with Tom Doniphon (Wayne), recounting for a newspaper reporter their involvement and search for justice against local criminal Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin).
A feature about storytelling, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is concise and focused on the relationships between Stoddard and Doniphon rather than racing quests across a ruthless frontier. Highly revered within the genre, this is the best collaboration between Ford and Wayne.