Which John Wayne and WWII movie to introduce my kids to westerns and classic American films.

[Sparticus]

So I was watching a movie with my kids (10 and 13) the other day and was thinking about how different the media is that they consume than from the stuff I was raised on.

I would like to get them interested in older movies with positive messages. Which John Wayne and which WWII movies are your favorites and which would think would grab kids' attention?

I'm thinking "The Cowboys" would be good, but what else would everyone suggest?

[Mollypitcher1]

You forgot Gene Autry!

[buffaloguy]

John Wayne has 178 movies and etc. Listed on Imdb. He was prolific.

[Sparticus]

I would add the Band of Brothers series.

Definitely not going to be something my 10 year old daughter is going to be able to handle.

[mad_as_he$$]

Maybe at 11..;-)

10yo girl would probably enjoy Grant in Operation Petticoat.

[vigilante2]

Rio Lobo is a good movie..The Tall Men staring Clark Gable & Jane Russell is a good movie. I like Rory Calhoun and Randolph Scott movies..

[fatman6502002]

John Wayne movies:
True Grit
The Shootist
The Cowboys
The Searchers
El Dorado

War Movie:
Kelly’s Hero’s
The Dirty Dozen
The Sands of Iwo Jima (John Wayne)

[fatman6502002]

I forgot about another couple war movies:
Father Goose (great comedy)
The Hunt for Red October
Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (Bob Mitchum, Deborah Kerr)
Mr. Roberts
The Cain Mutiny
The Enemy Below
Tora Tora Tora

[Savage Beast]

Stagecoach is the best John Wayne movie.

[newbie 10-21-00]

The Cowboys. Kids your age have to fill the breach when there dads run off with silver fever. Saw it for the first time in ages just a few weeks ago.

[newbie 10-21-00]

Oops, kids the ages of yours have to fill the breach. Forgot about the change in the ending it had been so long

[tanknetter]

Of course it is.

Thats why you have them watch Battle of Britain, Tora Tora Tora, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Midway.

[matt1234]

“The Searchers” is probably Wayne’s best western, though not necessarily the best for kiddies

Agree. I have seen The Searchers many, many times. Wayne's character is not a pure protagonist. He is admirable in many ways but also flawed. I am not sure a kid could separate the bad from the good.

[FreedomForce]

The Searchers is my favorite John Wayne movie, but Big Jake or True Grit is what I’d suggest for kids.

FWIW, Shane is my favorite Western. I loved that one as a kid and still do.

[Retain Mike]

I will have to add Red River and The Alamo, But I would not argue with your choices

[FerociousRabbit]

I almost went Alamo.

[Retain Mike]

I am with you when it comes to westerns. I had to go through 44 posts before it was mentioned for the first time. For westerns I would choose The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance also.

[Retain Mike]

I am with you there. I find it hard to believe it is only listed twice in the first 85 posts. In another year it could have won best actor for him, but I heard that year was the best ever for movies.

[Retain Mike]

Amen.

[MotorCityBuck]

Funny thing. I came across both Red River, and Liberty Valance a few years back on TCM. Great stuff. Like most of The Dukes work.

[clearcarbon]

"The Shepherd of Kingdom Come ? Think that is the name of it."

The Shepherd of the Hills (1941)

Very good movie, but I think Harry Carey took it away from John Wayne.