John Wayne's Best War Movies, Ranked

Movie Web ^ | 2/11/2023 | Vic Medina

[Saije]

John Wayne is a Hollywood icon with a presence so dominating, he defined two different American film genres: westerns and war films. While Hollywood's golden age may have produced better actors, few approached the charisma or screen presence of Wayne, who was the embodiment of America and masculinity on movie and television screens for nearly half a century.

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Of the more than 150 films Wayne made in his career, just over a dozen of them are non-western war films. Yet, he remains a war movie icon, because most of those films were box office hits and classic movies that still stand out more than 40 years after his death. Let's take a look at the 10 best war films from The Duke, with many available to stream online or purchase on physical disc.

5. The Longest Day

A number of film buffs don't consider The Longest Day a John Wayne film, as they call his role a glorified cameo. It's a valid argument, as the film is an ensemble piece featuring over two dozen high-profile stars, including Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Red Buttons, Robert Ryan, Roddy McDowell, and Peter Lawford. His screen time is limited, although it is one of the larger roles in the film, which chronicles the D-Day invasion from both sides of the conflict. His presence in the film, however, is pivotal, evidenced by his separate listing in the film's credits (as "and John Wayne").

Although The Longest Day romanticizes war at times, the film is excellent overall, with nice attention to the historic details. All the actors get a chance to shine, with Burton in particular getting some great scenes. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won two, for Best Cinematography and Best Special Effects.

[Saije]

This is the only one I've seen but it's also one of my favorite war movies. I love the scene where the German officer is in the bunker scanning the Channel with his bincolulars and all the ships materialize out of the mist heading towards him.

[Macho MAGA Man]

I’ve seen it several times and that’s the best scene. The guy who played the Bond villain Goldfinger is the Nazi on the horse carrying the pales of milk when the shells start hitting the beach at the same time the bunker Nazi sees the ships.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

They Were Expendable (1945) is a terrific film on many levels. The fact that it is a "war movie" is practically irrelevant. It is just a flat out good movie. Of course it helps to like director John Ford's style. Many remember his greatest movie The Searchers.

As a love interest there's Donna Reed in her prime. Who doesn't adore Donna Reed? Can't help falling in love! Robert Montgomery stars alongside the Duke. Montgomery in real life is the father of Elizabeth Montgomery of Bewitched Fame John Ford's stalwart "go to guy" Ward Bond rounds out the cast.

Time well spent.

[laplata]

I was very disappointed in Wayne’s performance in the Longest Day. His worst performance and I’ve seen most of his moves and some many times.

[DesertRhino]

Rio Grande, sands of Iwo Jima.

[kiryandil]

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=OFzdleJarI0

[kiryandil]

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=lhH6yCQU5fI

[Rockingham]

Released months after the war was over, the gritty, downbeat theme of They Were Expendable led to poor performance at the box office. Yet the film has endured well in giving a taste of the dismal circumstances that America faced in the early months of the war in the Pacific.

The subject of war movies is burdened by the considerable dislike of actual combat veterans for screen heroics. For example, when John Wayne appeared in person as a surprise guest at movie night before a hospital audience of wounded Marines in 1945 in Hawaii, he stepped out in a cowboy outfit with all the works, from 10-gallon hat to pistols and spurs.

Wayne grinned and said, ‘Hi ya, guys!’ He was met by a stony silence and then booed off the stage. Men who knew and had been severely wounded in combat had little regard for screen heroes. Even the best and most realistic of war movies barely conveys the brutal reality of combat.

[jmacusa]

Gert Frobe. I like how for a brief moment he makes a grab for his rifle.

[Macho MAGA Man]

That’s right!

[Adder]

My 2 favs are In Harms Way and Sands of Iwo Jima.

Wayne brought something to the screen others did not. Gary Cooper did the same thing...just something about him, no matter the role.

[fella]

I think one of Wayne's best war films was "The Long Voyage Home" about the merchant marine at the start of WW II.

[clearcarbon]

"I think one of Wayne's best war films was "The Long Voyage Home" about the merchant marine at the start of WW II."

Never saw "The Long Voyage Home," but the description brought to mind another Wayne movie, "The Sea Chase" (1955) in which he plays a German captain of a freighter at the start of WW II fleeing the British navy while trying to return to Germany.

[Rummyfan]

That's a great flick and historically very accurate although some of the names have been changed. Montgomery's character is based on Lt John Bulkeley who was awarded the MOH.

John D. Bulkeley

[Rummyfan]

They Were Expendable and The Wings of Eagles....

[Rummyfan]

I was very disappointed in Wayne’s performance in the Longest Day.

Frankly he was too old for that part.

The real Colonel whom Wayne portrayed was still younger than Wayne when the film was released!

[nathanbedford]

John Wayne, perhaps unfairly, stands as the archetypal actor whose screen persona is confused by the viewing public with real life.

John Wayne was not a war hero, he never served anywhere near combat. Yet he is a symbol, even today, of the heroic American combat soldier.

John Wayne was not a great horseman, contrary to the opinion often expressed in this forum, he hated horses and rode only when absolutely required. He was not possessed of a good "seat."

Just as confused conservatives attribute superhuman heroism to John Wayne and other actors when that is not necessarily worthy of attribution, so do leftists quite unfairly attack John Wayne because they see him as one regarded as a patriot and they this viscerally despise what his cinematic image stands for.

They hate John Wayne for what he stands for so they traduce the man off the screen and criticize his on film acting as well as his films themselves. Typical of leftists, they often denigrate the film not because it is actually artistically wanting but because it's message is conservative.

Leftists are more to be criticized than conservatives because they act out of venom while conservatives act out of love of country.

[alexander_busek]

Excellent posting! Only wish that I could see the image you attempted to display!

Regards,

[BradyLS]

It seems every published list needs a contentious entry and The Longest Day plays the part. Everyone can think of another movie not on the list that Wayne was more memorable/better in and replace The Longest Day with that.

[Fury]

Re: 8 - I did not know that about Wayne meeting wounded Marines. Interesting.

They Were Expendable was a very good movie. There was not a happy ending - the nurse played by Donna Reed was ostensibly stranded at Bataan, as when she says goodbye to Rusty, that was it. Nothing more. In fact, the Captain who was talking with Rusty at the airfield opined that maybe she was prisoner. I thought that was a very real and sobering admission to be made in what was still considered a wartime movie.