John Wayne’s favourite movie of all time: The Duke’s number one
Possessing rugged charm and unbridled masculinity, John Wayne encapsulated the spirit of the American hero on screen across a truly brilliant career. He far surpassed the status of celebrity into a genuine icon and traversed the many paths of the cinematic medium, from his beloved western movies to wartime epics.
It was the frontier of America that saw Wayne crop up the most, though, and he’s been forever tied to the western movie genre. Having given excellent performances in some of the greatest western movies of all time, including The Searcher and True Grit, Wayne’s name is one that rings true in the echoing halls of cinema history.
It’s fair to say that many of Wayne’s films have become many cinephiles favourite movie moments, and Wayne himself was no stranger to thinking about his most cherished movies. Not only had he stated the works he was most proud of making, but he also jotted down his favourite movies of all time from other actors and directors.
In The People’s Almanac Volume II, a book that collects facts about cultural and historical figures, John Wayne’s entry sees ‘The Duke’ lay down his top choice movies. He begins with two of his own movies, the 1952 John Ford romantic comedy-drama The Quiet Man and another Ford film, 1956’s epic western The Searchers.
Such films are indeed considered some of Wayne’s best-ever work, but it was at that point in the list that he began to detail the films of others that he admired the most. The 1921 silent epic war film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, directed by Rex Ingram, was one that The Duke was said to watch consistently throughout his youth.
Next was the legendary 1939 epic historical romance Gone with the Wind, directed by Victor Fleming, a surprising take, perhaps given Wayne’s overtly masculine reputation. However, the aforementioned films could not stand up next to Wayne’s ultimate favourite movie of all time, the 1966 British historical drama film A Man for All Seasons, directed by Fred Zinneman.
The film was adapted by Robert Bolt from his play of the same name and told of the final years of Sir Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor of England, who, in the early 1500s, refused to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, while also refusing to accept Henry as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.
Paul Scofield had played More in the West End version of the play and reprised his role for the film version, giving an excellent performance alongside Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw, Susannah York and Orson Welles, who played Cardinal Wolsey. A Man for All Seasons also saw one of the earliest screen roles of John Hurt.
The film ended up winning six Academy Awards, including ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Actor’ for Scofield’ and Best Adapted Screenplay. John Wayne’s favourite movie is an interesting choice and reveals a deep interest in British history that we might never have learned of. In More, perhaps Wayne found a man who had stood by his principles and was subsequently persecuted for them, just as Wayne had often been criticised for his overly conservative views.
Check out the trailer for A Man for All Seasons below.