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Most film fans know that John Ford gave John Wayne his big break with 1939's "Stagecoach," much to the young actor's surprise. Having met in the 1920s when Wayne was working as a prop man (a meeting at which Wayne literally knocked over Ford) the pair would work together sporadically over the ensuing years, but only with the Duke in small non-speaking roles. Ford actually waited well over a decade to bring Wayne into the big leagues with "Stagecoach" and after that his acting career and life in general was never the same.

But that's only part of how the legend of John Wayne began. The actor, whose real name was Marion Robert Morrison, received the backing of yet another influential director early in his career when Raoul Walsh gave him his first starring role in "The Big Trail." This 1930 widescreen epic was designed to celebrate the centennial of the Oregon Trail,...

When it comes to classic movie stars from Hollywood's golden age in the '40s and '50s, few cast a shadow larger than John Wayne. In a five-decades-long career, Wayne became an iconic western hero -- landing close to 200 performances in film and television. Wayne is one of those rare movie cowboys whose work has lived on past the genre's peak popularity -- making Wayne himself one of the most enduringly rugged stars in history.

Though we've already covered the greatest films in Wayne's career, there are scores of films viewers haven't seen. From bringing the American war effort to the silver screen at the height of World War II to dramatic turns that expanded Wayne's range, Wayne has shown a surprising amount of acting skill. Here we'll explore the underrated movies across Wayne's filmography. Some titles were overshadowed by his more high-profile work whereas others have endured the...

Considering his wise breadth of Westerns over the span of about 50 years, one might think that John Wayne worked with just about everybody, and, for the most part, you'd be right. But there’s one Western star whom the Duke, quite surprisingly, only ever worked with once: Roy Rogers. Rogers was known as “the King of the Cowboys” in the same vein that Elvis Presley was the King of Rock & Roll, and so it’s surprising that the two only ever appeared in one film together: 1940’s Dark Command. If you haven't heard of this black-and-white rural crime drama, then consider this your sign to check out this feature.

Western legends John Wayne and Roy Rogers only made one movie together with a 1940 Civil War classic called Dark Command. Wayne is one of the most famous Western stars of the 20th century and is largely responsible for shaping the genre in American film industry and beyond. Wayne starred in several groundbreaking Western movies including John Ford's breakthrough hits Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956).

While Wayne's legacy speaks for itself, Roy Rogers was also a pivotal figure in the Western genre as well. Often dubbed the "King of the Cowboys", Rogers became an icon of Western mysticism and entertainment as an actor, singer, television host, and rodeo performer. Although Wayne and Rogers represent different aspects of the Western genre, they were bound to both appear in the same Western film at some point. This ended up being Dark Command, which is more of a classic war romance drama but still has Western elements,...

Although it's hardly as famous as Stagecoach or some of the later Westerns he made, Tall in the Saddle is crucial to John Wayne's transformation into a movie icon. Despite having worked in the genre for years ahead of his role in Stagecoach, the 1939 film is widely credited for putting John Wayne on the map in Hollywood and setting him up as its top Western star. Both of these things are true of Stagecoach's role in John Wayne's storied film career, but it alone didn't carve his image.

Following Stagecoach's release, Wayne's popularity grew, allowing him to amass leading roles in bigger-budget films than what he was accustomed to in the 1930s. In the early 1940s, Wayne headlined numerous movies, including Westerns like The Spoilers with Randolph Scott, In Old California, and Dark Command with Roy Rogers. Among the most memorable of his projects from this era in his...

John Wayne is frequently cited as the most popular and influential Western star of his generation, alongside other figures such as Clint Eastwood and James Stewart. The actor appeared in hundreds of films throughout his extensive career, frequently collaborating with directors such as John Ford and Howard Hawks. He became known for his stoic, macho performances, and many of John Wayne’s best movies have gone down in history as the best in the genre.

Throughout his career, John Wayne worked alongside many other stars and became known for his reliable collaborations with other actors. However, there was one particular star of the Western genre whose path didn’t cross with Wayne’s until one project in 1940, which saw them finally share the screen. This actor was Roy Rogers, an American actor nicknamed King of the Cowboys for his frequent appearances in Western movies. He only worked alongside John Wayne once,...

Before John Wayne became a staple name that we associate with Westerns, he was just Marion Robert Morrison, or to those close to him, his childhood moniker, Duke. It was the legendary director Raoul Walsh who spotted him as a prop man carrying furniture across soundstages who laid the ground for his fame. Handing him his first big lead role in the 1930 Western The Big Trail, Walsh would also be the one who gave him the iconic name John Wayne. It would be a decade before the two greats would collaborate again, this time on the unflinching, Oscar-nominated crime Western Dark Command. The movie is an adaptation of William Riley Burnett's 1938 novel of the same name. It is in Dark Command, which is partly inspired by a true story, that Wayne would team up with another fine talent of his generation, "the King of the Cowboys," singer, actor, radio,...

Though their respective careers aren't exclusive to the genre, there are great actors who are known only for their Western movies. Typically, this is because they've starred in more Westerns than any other type of films. Apart from movies, some have also starred in Western television series, or even featured in Western-themed comic books, radio shows, and other media.

While the stars of the most influential Western movies ever are usually also known actors in other genres, there are several reasons why they are mostly remembered by history as gunslinging cowboys from the Wild West. Many of these actors made their mark as the iconically rugged, handsome, and frontier-dwelling leading men of classic Western films from the 20th century. There are also great actors only known for their Western movie roles because of their more unusual performances and unique contributions to the genre and the era. Here are 10 actors who,...

Singing in Western movies is as old as the genre itself, and many famous singers have starred in Western movies with one of their biggest stars, John Wayne. The Duke was a titanic figure in the genre ever since his star-making role in Stagecoach in 1939, and he dominated the box office throughout the '40s and well into the '50s, but as the '60s approached, his star power had waned a little. Studios decided to pair him up with some of the most popular singers of the day in an effort to get their fans to the theater as well, and these movies were very successful.

At one point in 1969, even Elvis and John Wayne almost made a Western when he was also looking for a comeback. Elvis's first movie was a Western in 1956 called Love Me Tender, and though John Wayne was embarrassed by a few of...

Receiving one coveted 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes is a massive achievement in itself, with two actors being tied for having the most entries in the 100% club. Unsurprisingly, due to their influence on cinema, many of the films on Rotten Tomatoes with a Fresh 100% rating are considered classics, which means most of the actors with the highest number of 100% critic scores were at their height in the golden age of Hollywood. Many actors whose movies boast multiple 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores are also Oscar winners, suggesting their screen presence influences the films’ continued acclaim.

Beginning with 1920’s The Golem as the oldest movie with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, an increasing number of films have joined the desired list over the years, with the prospect of achieving a 100% score shockingly being easier to attain than a 0% score. Hollywood legends like Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Henry Fonda, and James Stewart boast between nine and 11 Fresh 100% scores each,...

When it comes to classic movie stars from Hollywood's golden age in the '40s and '50s, few cast a shadow larger than John Wayne. In a five-decades-long career, Wayne became an iconic western hero -- landing close to 200 performances in film and television. Wayne is one of those rare movie cowboys whose work has lived on past the genre's peak popularity -- making Wayne himself one of the most enduringly rugged stars in history.

Though we've already covered the greatest films in Wayne's career, there are scores of films viewers haven't seen. From bringing the American war effort to the silver screen at the height of World War II to dramatic turns that expanded Wayne's range, Wayne has shown a surprising amount of acting skill. Here we'll explore the underrated movies across Wayne's filmography. Some titles were overshadowed by his more high-profile work whereas others have endured the...