The 60+ Best Ward Bond Movies

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Updated April 15, 2024 63 items
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List of the best Ward Bond movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Ward Bond's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Ward Bond movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Ward Bond movies will be at the top of the list. Ward Bond has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Ward Bond movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Ward Bond films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Ward Bond role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Ward Bond performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

List features films like Hondo, The Time of Your Life and more!

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Ward Bond movies?" and "What are the greatest Ward Bond roles of all time?"

Notable directors that worked with Ward Bond include names like John Ford, Cecil B. DeMille and Jean Renoir. Movie fans who love Ward Bond have also been known to enjoy films starring Edgar Buchanan and Warren Oates.

Most divisive: Fighting Shadows
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 60+ Best Ward Bond Movies
  • The Searchers
    1
    John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Natalie Wood
    46 votes
    In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.
  • The Quiet Man
    2
    John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald
    38 votes
    After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, boxer Sean Thornton leaves America and returns to his native Ireland, hoping to buy his family's homestead and live in peace. In doing so, he runs afoul of Will Danaher, who long coveted the property. Spitefully, Will objects when his fiery sister, Mary Kate, begins a romance with Sean, and refuses to hand over her dowry. Mary Kate refuses to consummate the marriage until Sean retrieves the money.
  • Wagon Master
    3
    Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru, Ward Bond
    22 votes
    When a group of Mormons are run out of town for their religious beliefs, Elder Wiggs (Ward Bond) searches for a wagon master to guide the outcasts to the San Juan Valley. Happening upon horse traders Travis Blue (Ben Johnson) and Sandy (Harry Carey Jr.), Wiggs convinces the men to take the position due to their intimate knowledge of the area. Despite Blue and Sandy's guidance, the travelers experience numerous setbacks, especially when the Clegg family outlaws take refuge in their wagon train.
  • Mister Roberts
    4
    Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, James Cagney
    24 votes
    Bittersweet film about a supply officer aboard a decrepit cargo ship during World War II who yearns for a transfer into a combat zone but is thwarted by the ship's captain, a petty tyrant. Forced to endure various humiliations in exchange for privileges, the crew engage in minor acts of resistance, and look to Mr. Roberts for inspiration and moral support. Based on the hit Broadway play.
  • Fort Apache
    5
    John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple
    24 votes
    When arrogant and stubborn Civil War hero Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) arrives in Arizona with his daughter, Philadelphia (Shirley Temple), to assume command of the Fort Apache outpost, he clashes with level-headed Captain Kirby York (John Wayne). Viewing the local Native Americans through an ignorantly negative lens, Thursday is determined to engage them in battle for his own glory, despite the warnings of York -- an act of folly that will have dire consequences.
  • Sergeant York
    6
    Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie
    24 votes
    Prize-winning Tennessee marksman Alvin York (Gary Cooper), a recent convert to Christianity, finds himself torn between his non-violent beliefs and his desire to serve his country when recruited to fight in World War I. Kindly Major Buxton (Stanley Ridges) convinces York to engage in battle, where the pacifist's prowess with a rifle earns him honors as he continues to struggle with his decision to kill. Howard Hawks directs this adaptation of the real York's memoirs.
  • Operation Pacific
    7
    John Wayne, Patricia Neal, Ward Bond
    11 votes
    In the South Pacific, submarine officer Duke Gifford (John Wayne) and the crew of the "Thunderfish" are attacked by the Japanese during a rescue mission, and their torpedoes malfunction. Returning safely to Pearl Harbor, Duke meets his ex-wife, Mary (Patricia Neal), who still feels strongly for him but is engaged to a pilot, the brother of Duke's commander, Pop Perry (Ward Bond). Determined to win Mary back, Duke is sidetracked when he and the crew are ordered on a mission with new torpedoes.
  • Gone with the Wind
    8
    Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard
    33 votes
    Gone with the Wind is a sweeping saga of love and loss in the Civil War-era South. Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), the headstrong daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, nurses an unrequited love for Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). When handsome rogue Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) enters her life, a tumultuous romance unfolds against the backdrop of war and societal change. This 1939 epic won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and stands as one of cinema's most enduring classics. Its vivid portrayal of historical events complements the complex dynamics between its unforgettable characters.
  • The Wings of Eagles
    9
    John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Dan Dailey
    15 votes
    Frank "Spig" Wead (John Wayne) is a pilot trying to improve the Navy's aviation program. His military posts often require him to move his wife (Maureen O'Hara) and children. On the night he decides to spend more time with his family, Spig falls down the stairs and breaks his back. During his recovery, buddy "Jughead" Carson (Dan Dailey) convinces Spig to start writing pro-military films. Although he is successful, the Pearl Harbor bombing moves Spig to rejoin the Navy despite his paralysis.
  • Rio Bravo
    10
    John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson
    22 votes
    When gunslinger Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) kills a man in a saloon, Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) arrests him with the aid of the town drunk, Dude (Dean Martin). Before long, Burdette's brother, Nathan (John Russell), comes around, indicating that he's prepared to bust his brother out of jail if necessary. Chance decides to make a stand until reinforcements arrive, enlisting Dude, an old cripple named Stumpy (Walter Brennan) and baby-faced cowboy Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) to help.
  • The Maltese Falcon
    11
    Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre
    25 votes
    In the intricate web of The Maltese Falcon, private detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) finds himself entangled in a dark mystery. A femme fatale, Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor), hires him for what appears to be a simple case. But when his partner is murdered, things take a sinister turn. The plot thickens as an elusive artifact - the titular Maltese Falcon - comes into play. John Huston directs this noir classic, which was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1942. Amidst shadowy allies and treacherous enemies, Spade navigates deception and danger in this gripping tale of greed and betrayal.
  • Hondo
    12
    John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond
    18 votes
    An embittered Indian scout attempts to escort a homesteader's wife and her son back to safety after her cowardly husband deserts her during an Apache attack. When she refuses to go, the scout stays on to help for a while and, over time, forms a strong bond with both her and her son.
  • The Fighting Sullivans
    13
    Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle
    14 votes
    In this dramatization of a true story, five brothers from Iowa (James Cardwell, John Campbell, George Offerman Jr., John Alvin, Edward Ryan) grow up in an inseparable family during the Great Depression. When World War II strikes the country, the brothers feel compelled to serve their nation in its time of need. After joining the Navy, the siblings request to serve on the same ship -- a decision that turns out to be devastating for the family when their vessel is attacked at Guadalcanal.
  • It's a Wonderful Life
    14
    James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
    34 votes
    In the heartwarming film It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey (James Stewart) teeters on the brink of despair. His small-town existence, full of missed opportunities and financial struggles, seems unbearable. Luckily, his guardian angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) steps in, showing George what life would be like if he'd never been born. This 1946 classic, directed by Frank Capra, brilliantly blends elements of drama and fantasy. It won an Academy Technical Achievement Award and has been lauded for its enduring message about the value of every individual life.
  • They Were Expendable
    15
    Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed
    21 votes
    After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan (John Wayne) frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley (Robert Montgomery) are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.
  • Tall in the Saddle
    16
    John Wayne, Ella Raines, Audrey Long
    17 votes
    Cowboy Rocklin (John Wayne) rides into a dusty western township where he's been promised work on a ranch. But when he finds that his future boss has been gunned down, he's forced to find work elsewhere. Despite his sexist attitudes, Rocklin charms the fiery Arly (Ella Raines) with his cavalier bravado and lands a job at her family's ranch. There, however, he learns that Judge Garvey (Ward Bond) was involved in his original employer's murder and is now trying to steal the dead man's land.
  • My Darling Clementine
    17
    Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature
    22 votes
    In the middle of a long cattle drive, Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) and his brothers stop off for a night in the town of Tombstone. The next morning they find their cattle stolen, and one of the brothers is dead. Earp suspects the Clanton family, owners of the O.K. Corral, but wants his revenge to be legal. He becomes sheriff of Tombstone and forges a rough peace with an alcoholic gambler, Doc Holiday (Victor Mature). Earp also takes a liking to Holiday's former girlfriend, Clementine (Cathy Downs).
  • Gentleman Jim
    18
    Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson
    21 votes
    Jim Corbett (Errol Flynn) is a bare-knuckles boxer, who is determined to rise above his station. Jim and his friend, Walter Lowrie (Jack Carson) are befriended by Vicki Ware (Alexis Smith), whose father, Buck Ware (Minor Watson) runs the elegant Olympic Boxing Club. Ware, impressed by Jim, invites the fighter to become a member. Jim grows as a boxer, but when his boasting estranges him from the club, he sets out to prove himself in a match against boxing's reigning champion.
  • Young Mr. Lincoln
    19
    Henry Fonda, Alice Brady, Marjorie Weaver
    18 votes
    In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore), to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Lincoln's law skills are put to the test when he takes on the difficult task of defending two brothers who have been accused of murder.
  • Drums Along the Mohawk
    20
    Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, John Carradine
    19 votes
    The year is 1776, and newlyweds Gilbert (Henry Fonda) and Lana Martin (Claudette Colbert) have decided to take up a rural lifestyle. However, following the onset of the American Revolutionary War, the couple's quiet life in the Mohawk Valley is interrupted by violent attacks from Native Americans and Tories. The Martins refuse to succumb to the difficulties of their new life, though, as Lana takes on the responsibility of raising a child while Gilbert joins the colonists' militia.
  • The Long Voyage Home
    21
    John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter
    15 votes
    In the early day of World War II, the crew of English cargo ship the SS Glencairn -- including Swede Olsen (John Wayne), Englishman Smitty (Ian Hunter), American Yank (Ward Bond), and Irishmen Driscoll (Thomas Mitchell) and Cocky (Barry Fitzgerald) -- is sailing from the West Indies to Baltimore. Upon their arrival, their new cargo -- a load of dynamite -- puts the men ill at ease, as does the chance that there may be a Nazi spy on board and the general loneliness of seafaring.
  • 3 Godfathers
    22
    John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carey
    20 votes
    Thieves and rustlers Robert Hightower (John Wayne), Pete Fuerte (Pedro Armendáriz) and the Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Jr.) rob a bank in a small Arizona town. Pursued across the desert by the indefatigable Sheriff Buck Sweet (Ward Bond), the trio lose their horses, suffer injuries, and come across a stranded woman (Mildred Natwick) who is dying while giving birth. Promising to carry the woman's newborn to safety, the repentant criminals struggle to reach the village of New Jerusalem.
  • Hellgate
    23

    Hellgate

    Sterling Hayden, Joan Leslie, Ward Bond
    8 votes
    After the Civil War, ranch owner Gil Hanley (Sterling Hayden) helps a stranger in desperate need of medical attention. Soon he is questioned by Union soldiers about the stranger, who turns out to be an ex-Confederate soldier. Hanley, also an ex-Confederate, is unjustly convicted as a conspirator and sentenced to life in a brutal desert prison in New Mexico. After battling his tough cellmate and a sadistic guard (Ward Bond), Hanley tries to stop a plague from overwhelming the prison.
  • Unconquered
    24
    Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Howard Da Silva
    8 votes
    To avoid execution on a trumped-up charge, Abby (Paulette Goddard) agrees to be enslaved in the British colonies of North America. The captain of the transport ship, Martin Garth (Howard da Silva), has his eye on her, but he is outbid by Capt. Chris Holden (Gary Cooper), a Virginian. After setting Abby free on shore, Holden learns that Native Americans are plotting to attack the settlers. Holden, suspecting that Garth is in on the scheme, aims to stop them before all the colonists are killed.
  • Only the Valiant
    25
    Gregory Peck, Gig Young, Lon Chaney
    8 votes
    Only the Valiant also known as Fort Invincible is a 1951 western film produced by William Cagney, directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Gregory Peck and Barbara Payton. The screenplay was written by Edmund H. North and Harry Brown, based on the 1943 novel of the same name by Charles Marquis Warren.
  • Dakota
    26
    John Wayne, Vera Ralston, Walter Brennan
    14 votes
    In the 1870s, Sandy Poli (Vera Hruba Ralston), the daughter of a railroad magnate, marries professional gambler John Devlin (John Wayne) against her father's wishes. From Chicago, the couple head west, intending to buy land in the Dakotas that will increase in value once the railroad arrives. Along the way, they meet Jim Bender (Ward Bond), a saloon keeper who reveals his intention to force out farmers in the territories in order to claim their land. The Devlins realize they must make a stand.
  • It Happened One Night
    27
    Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Walter Connolly
    14 votes
    In Frank Capra's acclaimed romantic comedy, spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) impetuously marries the scheming King Westley, leading her tycoon father (Walter Connolly) to spirit her away on his yacht. After jumping ship, Ellie falls in with cynical newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who offers to help her reunite with her new husband in exchange for an exclusive story. But during their travels, the reporter finds himself falling for the feisty young heiress.
  • China Doll
    28
    Victor Mature, Li Hua Li, Ward Bond
    7 votes
    Pilot Cliff Brandon (Victor Mature) flies missions from China in support of troops in the Pacific Theater, but is depressed by his situation and takes to excessive drinking. After one late-night binge, he finds that a young woman named Shu-Jen (Li Hua Li) has been either sold or betrothed to him. Brandon is reluctant to acknowledge the relationship, but he finds himself increasingly eager to return to Shu-Jen. When she becomes pregnant, his priorities change dramatically.
  • A Man Alone
    29
    Ray Milland, Mary Murphy, Ward Bond
    9 votes
    Stranded in the desert, gunfighter Wes Steele (Ray Milland) comes across the gory aftermath of a stagecoach robbery in which all the victims were murdered in cold blood. Taking one of the stagecoach's horses to ride into the next town, Steele finds himself accused of the robbery by the hotheaded sheriff's deputy (Alan Hale) while the sheriff (Ward Bond) is ill with yellow fever. With the help of the sheriff's daughter (Mary Murphy), Steele fights to clear his name.
  • The Long Gray Line
    30
    Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Robert Francis
    11 votes
    High-spirited Irish immigrant Marty Maher (Tyrone Power) is an awkward misfit at West Point until he's taken in as an assistant by kindly athletic director Capt. Herman J. Koehler (Ward Bond). A budding romance that turns into a happy marriage to a fellow Irish immigrant, housemaid Mary O'Donnell (Maureen O'Hara), also helps Maher mellow into a beloved and long-standing fixture at the military academy, where his career as an officer and mentor spans 50 years. This film is based on a true story.