The Longest Day (1962)

It's somewhat fitting that a film titled The Longest Day should have a long running time. And while its 178 minutes don't exactly fly by, because a great many tiny dramas exist within the larger one (i.e. the World War II D-Day landings at Normandy in June, 1944) it rarely drags its heels.
Also noteworthy is the cast. It's packed with famous faces but many have little more than a cameo role. The closest it has to a leading man is either John Wayne or Robert Mitchum, but even they feature only occasionally because the binding thread is the event itself, not any one person or squad. That means we get scenes not just from the Allied side but the French and German sides, too, and in each case it's in the nation's native tongue, like it ought to be.

4 tough nuts out of 5

The Searchers (1956)

John Wayne plays a man on a mission, a former Confederate soldier named Ethan Edwards who's searching for kidnapped members of his own family. He's aware that time is of the essence, aware that his search might have to end in tragedy, but his determination nevertheless remains unwavering.
Separate from its overwhelming reputation, the beauty of the film is perhaps foremost in the (overused) Monument Valley landscape, but it goes much deeper than that and it's something that you might not be wholly aware of on first viewing. Enjoy it as a story the first time, but use repeated viewings to pick out the all-important details: the letter that plays with time, the reasons for the conflicting emotions that burn like a fire in Wayne's eyes, the way Dir. John Ford uses frames within the frame, etc, because below the surface is where the film's more complex considerations are to be found.

4 blanket trades out of 5

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

An ageing US senator has an 'old west' story to tell, one that he's been holding onto for decades, from before railroads connected the civilised parts of the country with the lawless parts. The majority of the film details it in flashback.
Stewart is an outsider lawyer who advocates non-violence. Wayne is a weathered cowboy who advocates gunfire if the situation calls for it. One is a talker, the other a doer. They nevertheless develop a strong respect for each other over time, but their differences remain.
The physical threat isn't as mean as he could've been, perhaps by way of avoiding overshadowing the emphasis placed on the relationships? I don't know. I do know that the comedy moments weakened the established tone a little too often for my liking. But the wrap up is excellent, and it's Wayne and Stewart in the same film! That makes it more than worth anyone's time.

3½ cactus roses out of 5

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

The four sons reunite for the first time in years, returned to the town of Clearwater to pay their respects. The Eldest (Wayne) is the most feared. Upset at the changes he finds in the town, he digs for answers, but they aren't forthcoming and not everyone is happy with the questioning, particularly one shady ranch owner who hires a trigger-happy gunman to protect him.
It's an enjoyable couple of hours for fans of the Duke or Martin, but it's really nothing special as far as genre pictures go. The mystery is a nice touch but runs out of steam pretty quickly, and because the majority of the action scenes are held back until the last half hour the pacing may even leave some non-fans bored. In short, if you're not already itching to see it because of the cast, then you can probably live without it just fine.

3 brotherly punches out of 5

Rio Lobo (1970)

Howard Hawks' last ever film was yet another western with John Wayne in the lead role. The Duke plays an authoritative military colonel in charge of an army payroll that doesn't make it to its destination. He's pissed off about that, understandably, but what really irks him is the consequences to men under his command. He makes it his duty to redress the situation, however long it takes.
It's a variation on a theme with scenes and situations similar to some of Hawks' previous works, but it's more than just a carbon copy. It entertains on its own merits, some of the relationships are unconventional, the plot moves at a decent pace, and the trio of ladies play a helpful role in how the day is won.

3½ busy hornets out of 5

The Shootist (1976)

John Wayne plays an ageing shootist whose life is winding down. It was his final film and served as a fitting tribute to the big man while simultaneously marking the end of an era in style.
Wayne gives an understated performance filled with empathy because the same disease that plagues his on-screen character was killing him slowly in real life. When he looks tired, it's probably because he was.
It was The Shootist that convinced me The Duke was the 'Giant' that folks said he was when I first saw it over twenty years ago, and of all the classic John Wayne films that I've watched since it's still my favourite.

4 streaks of kindness out of 5

Rio Bravo (1959)

Sitting down to watch John Wayne in a Howard Hawks Western means you’re in for a good time, but I admit I’m not in love with this one as much as the film world seems to think I should be.
Wayne as Sherriff is fantastic as always. Dean Martin had a tough job but he did it well. Ricky Nelson looked at home with a guitar but less so with a gun; it was early in his acting career and he was still inexperienced. The Feathers character (Angie Dickinson) was a square peg in a round hole; she didn't bring enough to the clique to warrant inclusion.
Everything else works and by the end we know why each unequivocal decision was made.

3½ sing-songs in the jail-house out of 5

True Grit (1969)

John Wayne plays an eye-patch wearing U.S. Marshal with a tough façade and a love of the bottle, or more precisely what's in the bottle. There's an attempt to give him a dual nature, but Wayne's abundant charisma is impossible to hide and even when he's being mean he's likeable.
Similarly, Kim Darby has two sides to her but it too is surface deep.
It's a typical American tale that moves from A to B to C with no great surprises, but it's a great film, nonetheless, full of humour and charm.
The 2010 Coen Bros version is equally as good.

4 corks popped out of 5

Chisum (1970)

The Duke gets a stupid name and a ranch the size of my ex's ass to watch over, so he hires Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid to help him. The usual Hollywood old West relationships and gunfights ensue. Wayne made over two hundred films in his time. Chisum is one of the good ones. Recommended, but be warned there's an awful theme tune that had me in stitches.

4 it's John Wayne, pilgrim out of 5