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John Wayne made a secret appearance on famed Western series Wagon Train - though his voice still gave him away. There's a persistent rumor John Wayne turned down Gunsmoke, one of the longest-running TV shows in history. While major stars regularly cross over from movies to television now, this was almost unheard of back in the 1950s, and an actor of Wayne's stature would never have even considered fronting a TV show. Still, Wayne recorded an intro to Gunsmoke as a favor to leading man James Arness.

Aside from Gunsmoke, another of the major Western shows from this period was Wagon Train. Running for eight seasons, this followed the misadventures of the titular wagon train as it made its way to California and encountered guest stars like Charles Bronson, Leonard Nimoy and Bette Davis along the trail. Wagon Train itself was partly inspired by John Wayne's first major film The Big Trail...

1939 was a massive year for Hollywood, in that it offered a long list of now-iconic movies and career stepping stones for some of the biggest stars of this era. This was especially true for the Western genre and two of its biggest icons in cinematic history. In that year alone, both James Stewart and John Wayne had their breakthrough Westerns, Destry Rides Again and Stagecoach, that shaped their images in the medium going forward.

There's no disputing Wayne and Stewart's significance to the genre. Of the two, Wayne obviously has the better resume, with leading roles in an impressive number of movies now considered to be among the greatest Westerns of all time. But Stewart, for his part, has also contributed his fair share of worthwhile entries into the world of Westerns. After all, James Stewart's Westerns also account for a few of the genre's best, with Winchester '73 being a notable example.

The iconic Western that made John Wayne a movie star gave him an all-timer character introduction. John Wayne fronted 80 Westerns throughout his career and became inextricably tied to the genre. This typecasting was perfectly fine with Wayne, who still led everything from romantic comedies to war movies in between his "Oaters." Wayne may have evolved into one of the biggest stars of his era, but it took him a long time to get to that point. In fact, Wayne's The Big Trail set his career back a decade, despite marking his first leading role.

This 1930 Western was an expensive bomb, and Wayne spent years making Western B-movies in the aftermath. It was his collaborations with John Ford and Howard Hawks that transformed his career, and there was a time when Wayne appearing in a film all but guaranteed its success. John Ford and John Wayne Westerns are considered some of...

Western films give viewers a sense of traveling back in time to the American Frontier in the 19th century, providing a glimpse into a specific era and location. Some Western films, such as Heaven's Gate and The Big Trail, are not only painstakingly crafted with costumes and locations, but also accurately depict real historical events. Westerns, despite their dwindling popularity in the 1970s, remain influential and have experienced a resurgence in recent years, with movies like The Assassination of Jesse James gaining a large fan following.

In the early years of cinema the Western genre was beloved for how it romanticized the Old West, but, despite that idealistic approach, a number of Westerns are actually quite accurate to real historical events. They were among the first movies ever made with the technology of filmmaking, starting with the short The Great Train Robbery in 1903. Despite the genre’s popularity dwindling by the 1970s,...

John Wayne is best known for his roles in Western films and is considered the most famous movie star in the genre. Among the top 20 John Wayne movies, 16 of them are Westerns, with one specific Western movie being named the greatest of all time. John Wayne stars in three of the top 10 Western movies listed by the American Film Institute, proving his dominance in the genre.

When it comes to one particular film genre, John Wayne was the most famous movie star of them all, and unsurprisingly a 15-year-old American Film Institute poll named his 1956 masterpiece the greatest Western ever made. While John Wayne made some great movies that are not Westerns, the actor is mostly known for playing cowboys in the quintessentially American genre. His first big movie role was in a failed 1930 Western titled The Big Trail, and his star-making success came by the end of the decade...

John Wayne's involvement in the controversial film "Baby Face" played a significant role in the revision and enforcement of Hollywood's Production Code. The original uncensored version of "Baby Face" was discovered in 2004, leading to its restoration and recognition as a culturally significant film. "Baby Face" challenged societal norms by discussing sex and female sexuality, contributing to the end of the Pre-Code era in Hollywood.

Though John Wayne is immediately associated with Westerns and war movies, he was, surprisingly, in a 90-year-old sex drama that was so shocking at the time that it completely rewrote Hollywood's censorship laws. Though most tend to think of his career in the era of the 1950s-60s, Wayne's Hollywood career started much earlier than that. His first feature film, Men Without Women, came all the way back in 1930, but it wasn't until 1939's Stagecoach that he really broke out and became a mainstream star.

John Wayne, known as "The Duke," starred in Western and war movies, leaving behind iconic quotes that continue to inspire generations. From his humble beginnings as a prop boy to becoming one of the greatest male stars of classic American cinema, Wayne's career spanned over five decades. Wayne's quotes address various themes such as courage, respect, living in the present, and the importance of family, leaving a lasting impact on viewers.

Known as "The Duke" in the Golden Age of Hollywood, John Wayne starred in Western and war movies and television shows, delivering iconic quotes that have inspired generations. He performed from 1926 until his last role in 1976 as an aging gunfighter fighting cancer in The Shootist. Over the course of his career, John Wayne set a precedent for the industry and was later pronounced one of the greatest male stars of classic American Cinema by the American Film Institute.

While...

Actor John Wayne had many famous sayings over the course of his life. He went down in history for the legacy that he left on the silver screen, but his importance extends beyond his performances. Wayne had many life quotes that he accumulated over his lifetime, many of which came from the mentors in his life, including his father. The movie star had a motivational saying that talked about the “most important thing in life.”

John Wayne came from humble beginnings John Wayne | Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Wayne didn’t always live the life of a star in Hollywood. He came from humble beginnings under the name Marion Robert Morrison from Winterset, Iowa. However, his family moved to Southern California, where he ultimately found his love for entertainment. He started as a prop man at Fox, but he had a look meant for the silver screen. As a result, he landed some minor roles.

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,...

Movie star John Wayne and The Lone Ranger actor Clayton Moore both held a strong foothold in the Western genre. One operated in film, while the other was recognized for his television appearance. Nevertheless, Wayne and Moore strongly agreed when it came to their criticisms of how Hollywood pushed entertainment to meet audience expectations.

John Wayne and Clayton Moore represented a Western era of the past L-r: John Wayne and Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger | John Springer Collection/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images, Lmpc via Getty Images

Wayne first entered the scene when he started working in the props department on the Fox lot. It allowed him to cross paths with film directors, such as John Ford and Raoul Walsh. He earned his first leading role in 1930’s The Big Trail, which later granted him 1939’s Stagecoach. Wayne’s popularity went sky-high, becoming the face of the Western genre.

John Wayne and Montgomery Clift were both monumental actors that had a true impact on Hollywood and the field of cinema. However, they had contrasting images and represented an entirely different type of movie star. It played out wonderfully on the silver screen in Red River, but one of the most surprising behind-the-scenes facts is that they were each paid the same amount in a “startling” sum for a newcomer.

John Wayne and Montgomery Clift faced off in ‘Red River’ L-r: John Wayne as Thomas Dunson and Montgomery Clift as Matt Garth | United Artists/Getty Images

Howard Hawks’ Red River hit theaters in 1948, putting Wayne and Clift against one another with their opposing characters. The story follows a stubborn Texas cattle ranch owner named Thomas Dunson (Wayne). He takes his job quite seriously, and has the help of his trailhand (Walter Brennan) and his protégé, Matt Garth (Clift), who Dunson...

Actor John Wayne was an inspiration for many movie stars around the world seeking to achieve his level of success. Some critics attacked his performances, claiming that he couldn’t act. Nevertheless, he continued to build the on-screen persona that Western and war genre audiences came to love. Wayne once explained that there was one actor that was an “enormous” impact on his career.

John Wayne had a signature walk and talk John Wayne | Getty Images

Wayne initially provided inspiration for filmmakers, such as John Ford and Raoul Walsh, who saw something in him. He was working in the props department at Fox before he landed his first leading role in 1930’s The Big Trail. However, Wayne didn’t develop his acting chops overnight, as he initially had difficulty finding the rhythm that became unique to him.

Red River and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance demonstrated some of the...

When it comes to classic collaborations between actors and directors, few can compete with John Ford and John Wayne. The two made movies together for most of their working careers. Even though Ford had a complicated working relationship with Wayne according to most accounts, bullying and belittling him when the cameras were off, they shared a great affection for each other between movies. And at their best, those movies are unbeatable.

Ford had a bit of a reputation for his behavior on sets, coming from his tendency to yell or roughhouse. If Ford could be a bit of a heel on set, a tyrannical bully with a megaphone, he was beloved to many of his longtime actors, the wide-ranging community that became known as the John Ford Stock Company. In many ways, his behavior was probably excused as a lot of masculine ribbing, men ridiculing each other in the tradition...

Movie stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara shared electric chemistry on the silver screen that had audiences swooning. They had a special relationship in real life, but that friendship meant more to the Duke than many people realized. Wayne once called O’Hara his only female friend, exclaiming that she’s “definitely my kind of woman.”

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara met through John Ford L-r: John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

Wayne and O’Hara both had big Hollywood dreams of becoming the next hot actor in the film industry. She made her leading role debut in 1939’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Meanwhile, he accomplished the same in 1930’s The Big Trail, but 1939 was also the year that marked his launch into stardom with Stagecoach. From there, his career transformed into one of the faces of the Western and war movie genres,...

Actor John Wayne didn’t always have stardom on the brain, especially when he was in high school. He had several passions, involving himself in several areas, involving journalism, debate, and sports. However, Wayne was undeniably a prankster who found a way to embarrass an actor in a way that caused the audience to erupt into a sea of laughter.

John Wayne worked with props in high school John Wayne | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Before Wayne developed his passion as an actor, he found enjoyment working in the Stage Society as a prop boy. There, he built sets and helped with production design and anything else required to pull off the school’s latest productions. According to Carolyn McGivern’s book, John Wayne: A Giant Shadow, he thought the school productions were “a source of never-ending amusement.”

The movie star developed a strong understanding of sets before heading into a career in acting.

Movie star John Wayne had an iconic walk that helped amplify his on-screen presence in Western and war films. He became the face of an entire era of Western filmmaking, entering the popular culture canon in more ways than one. However, Wayne didn’t entirely understand how his walk was much different from any other. Therefore, he didn’t get how that added to the sex appeal that he had earlier in his career.

John Wayne became a masculine icon John Wayne | Jean Claude Pierdet\Ina via Getty Images

Wayne got his big break thanks to his fateful meeting with director John Ford on the Fox lot, where the young eventual actor started working in props. However, he received his first leading role in Raoul Walsh’s 1930 adventure film The Big Trail. Wayne slumped into B-movies for quite some time before he got another shot at fame in 1939’s Stagecoach,...

Movie star John Wayne took his career very seriously. He starred in a wide assortment of Western and war movies, but they weren’t all winners. Wayne wasn’t afraid to admit when a movie role wasn’t the right one for him. However, he always took it personally when a bad one came across his desk. It once went so far that he threatened to fire his agent when he read a script that he found offensive. Nevertheless, it went on to win big at the Academy Awards.

John Wayne wanted to play strong movie roles John Wayne | Rdb/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Wayne made his first box-office disaster with 1930’s The Big Trail, which was directed by Raoul Walsh. He didn’t get the opportunity to explode into stardom until 1939’s Stagecoach, which was his first leading collaboration with his mentor, John Ford. The movie star had...

Movie star John Wayne was no stranger to Westerns. He starred in some of the greatest films ever to grace the genre, but he also starred in his share of war and drama movies. Wayne talked about the importance of Westerns to moviegoing audiences when the genre was at its peak. Fans of all ages went to the theaters to see a wide assortment of such films. The Oscar-winning actor once explained why countries around the world had such a firm understanding of Westerns.

John Wayne became the face of Westerns John Wayne | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Wayne started his acting career in Westerns with 1930’s The Big Trail, thanks to director Raoul Walsh. He starred in a variety of B-movies after his first film bombed at the box office. However, Wayne had another shot at stardom with John Ford’s Stagecoach in 1939, which made him a roaring success.

John Wayne had a strong passion for the movies that he made. He carefully selected the roles that he accepted once he reached stardom. However, Wayne grew tired of playing the same type of characters his critics denounced his talents. The movie star once recalled the moment when he got over the fact that he kept getting typecast.

John Wayne couldn’t escape Western movies John Wayne | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Wayne first made a name for himself in Western movies with 1930’s The Big Trail. Raoul Walsh gave him his first shot at making it big, but the film was a box office flop. Next, he had a disappointing contract with Columbia Pictures and a line of B-movies that left him feeling unfulfilled. Wayne played Singin’ Sandy Saunders, which he went as far as to call “embarrassing.”

The movie star finally found his stride with 1939’s Stagecoach, thanks to his mentor,...

Actor John Wayne starred in Western and war movies that filled his filmography. However, he didn’t initially get his start in front of the camera. First, Wayne worked at Fox in the props department on several films before getting his first leading role in Raoul Walsh’s 1930 Western adventure called The Big Trail. Here are the eight movies Wayne worked on in the props department before he was famous.

John Wayne | ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images ‘The Great K & A Train Robbery’ (1926) L-r: Dorothy Dwan as Madge Cullen and Tom Mix as Tom Gordon | Fox

A detective poses as a bandit in an undercover mission to stop a streak of train robberies from continuing. Meanwhile, he falls in love with the railroad president’s daughter.

The Great K & A Train Robbery is a silent film directed by Lewis Seiler and written by John Stone from Paul Leicester Ford’s novel.

John Wayne was a Hollywood legend for decades, and his rugged individuality was a big part of his image. It's hard to imagine a guy best known for playing a lonesome cowboy as a ladies' man, but before he starred in Westerns, studios hadn't quite nailed down Wayne's image. The actor found his brief stint as a romantic comedy actor so embarrassing that he almost hung up his cowboy hat for good before ever becoming a household name.

Before he was America's movie cowboy, the Duke's early work like "Brown of Harvard" and "Girls Demand Excitement" featured a sports edge. "I should've been playing on the National Football Team in 1928," Wayne explained in a 1976 interview, per The Bobby Wygant Archive.

Wayne starred in his first feature-length cowboy film in 1930, titled "The Big Trail," but the studio wasn't sure that they saw him as a cowboy just yet. Here's what he...

Movie star John Wayne and legendary filmmaker John Ford made one of the most iconic actor-director duos ever. However, the director was infamously harsh on the actor, frequently coming down hard on him in front of entire movie sets. Ford didn’t open up about his positive feelings toward Wayne’s performances until after he won an Oscar.

John Wayne and John Ford first collaborated on ‘Stagecoach’ John Wayne | Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Before Wayne and Ford officially teamed up, the actor earned his first leading role from Raoul Walsh in 1930’s The Big Trail. It failed to catch on at the box office, which delayed the movie star’s climb to fame. Nevertheless, Wayne shined in the Ford-directed ensemble called Stagecoach, which hit theaters in 1939.

The duo worked on another 13 movies over the course of their careers, creating some of the best films ever made.

The John Wayne his fans know and love didn't really show up until John Ford's "Stagecoach" in 1939. Though the director and silent Western star Tom Mix saw tremendous potential in the USC football washout when they took him on as a prop boy in the mid-1920s, his screen presence was purely physical. At 6'4", the Iowa-born lad cut a formidable figure on the big screen, but he had miles to go as an actor. If you asked Ford (and many did), he was happy to tell you that Wayne needed a decade's worth of seasoning in Poverty Row Westerns before he could topline a major Hollywood production.

It was unwise to argue with the cantankerous Ford, but Wayne had a shot at undermining his mentor when Raoul Walsh cast the young man as the star of 1930's "The Big Trail," an early, wildly pricey epic that sought to...

Movie star John Wayne and director John Ford became one of the most iconic filmmaker and actor duos ever to move through Hollywood. It all started with their fateful meeting when Wayne worked as a prop man at Fox, where their personalities quickly hit it off. They would later go on to collaborate on 14 movies together, although the list would be longer if one was to count the times they helped one another in lesser capacities.

‘Stagecoach’ (1939) L-r: Claire Trevor as Dallas and John Wayne as Ringo Kid | Getty Images

A group of unlikely travelers find themselves on a stagecoach headed for Lordsburg, New Mexico, in the 1880s. The arrival of an escaped outlaw named the Ringo Kid (Wayne) shakes up their adventure, as they face riding through dangerous Apache territory.

Wayne played his first leading role in Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail in 1930, but the actor’s career...

Movie star John Wayne and television actor James Arness were Western icons, but their images grew in vastly different directions. Some viewed Wayne as an American hero, while others criticized him for not serving in World War II during the draft. However, Wayne made several classics, such as The Quiet Man and The Searchers, in collaborations with legendary filmmakers like John Ford.

Meanwhile, Arness served during WWII, earning a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart. He made a name for himself playing U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, one of the longest-running shows ever to air on television with 20 seasons. He had a much more positive legacy than Wayne left after his death, even though the movie star was once the television actor’s employer before they became good friends.

Nevertheless, Arness was essentially the Wayne of television.

James Arness and John Wayne were underestimated L-r: James Arness...

John Wayne became a movie star due to his signature acting style that connected with audiences around the world. He came to represent the U.S. itself, using the film medium to instill what he considered to be positive messaging that the whole family could enjoy. Wayne also had specific ideas for what he considered a “real man” to be, which he brought to every character.

Movie star John Wayne has over 180 acting credits John Wayne as Col. Mike Kirby | Screen Archives/Getty Images

Wayne was a movie star with an expansive filmography largely consisting of Westerns and war films. It all started with filmmaker Raoul Walsh seeing something special enough in him to cast him in the leading role of 1930’s The Big Trail. The film was a massive box-office disappointment, but it gave him further experience that he would take with him to other projects.

The actor’s...

Western movie legend John Wayne developed the genre in a way that cemented him in film history forever. He wasn’t shy in acknowledging his own impact on the Western hero’s definition in the media, as he described exactly what separated him from the pack. Wayne pushed the Western genre forward in a way that no one else ever could.

John Wayne defined an era of Western movies John Wayne | Fox Photos/Getty Images

Wayne went from working in props to ultimately becoming a Western and war movie star. He always had the look to play a cowboy, transforming from the young, clean hero to the tough representation of masculinity. It all started with his first leading role in Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail that hit theaters in 1930. However, it was his collaboration with John Ford on 1939’s Stagecoach that pushed him into stardom.

The actor defined an...

Actor John Wayne starred in a wide assortment of movies primarily rooted in the Western and war genres. He had a signature walk and a slow, booming voice that commanded moviegoers’ attention. However, only nine of Wayne’s movies were selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” They select 25 film each year for this high honor. However, the Wayne films that made the cut aren’t all the obvious picks.

‘The Big Trail’ (1930) L-r: John Wayne as Breck Coleman and Marguerite Churchill as Ruth Cameron | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail follows Breck Coleman (Wayne), as he leads an adventure with hundreds of settlers seeking to travel from the Mississippi River out West for greater opportunities. However, there are many potentially fatal dangers along the way.

The 1930 feature marked the actor’s first leading role,...

Actors John Wayne and Ronald Regan both know what it’s like to be a star in Hollywood. The Western actor was undeniably the bigger movie star, but they both understood what it felt like to receive good and bad headlines in the press. As a result, Wayne kindly went out of his way to ensure that Reagan and his wife, Nancy, had a cheerful phone call to warm their hearts.

Ronald Reagan took heat over a Hollywood strike L-r: John Wayne, Nancy Reagan, Gina Lollobrigida, and Ronald Reagan | Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Reagan was once the president of the Screen Actors Guild, where he made quite some noise in a showdown with major studio executives over the residual payment system that remains in place. He had difficulty getting them to even engage in the conversation, let alone have any sort of intelligent negotiations.

Movie star John Wayne drew the attention of many international figures, including former Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Various prominent figures didn’t all share positive sentiments for him, but none of them questioned his star power with American moviegoers. Emperor Hirohito and Wayne had a private conversation that a journalist asked about, although the Western legend wasn’t having any of it.

John Wayne drew international attention John Wayne | Screen Archives/Getty Images

Wayne first hit the silver screen in a leading role in Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail in 1930, but it bombed at the box office. As a result, he wouldn’t see his first glowing success until 1939’s Stagecoach. It was an ensemble piece that still allowed him to shine. The Western adventure was one of many collaborations that the movie star had with legendary filmmaker John Ford.

Many critics didn’t consider Wayne a real actor at the time,...

Movie star John Wayne starred in over 165 films over the course of his career. Unfortunately, they didn’t all necessarily make him proud. He had plenty of bad roles, some of which resulted from his performance and others because of casting. Nevertheless, there was one Wayne movie that was so traumatic that he “visually shuddered” when anybody would mention the title.

John Wayne admitted that he played some bad movie roles John Wayne | ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Wayne had his first chance to make it in the movie business with Raoul Walsh’s The Big Trail in 1930. Unfortunately, audiences underappreciated it at the time, and it flopped at the box office. However, that didn’t mark the end. He was thrust into B-movie Westerns for many years, many of which he wasn’t too happy to be a part of. Nevertheless, he was lucky to have consistent work as an actor.

Actor John Wayne starred in over 165 movies over the course of his successful career. He starred in several legendary Western films, including Stagecoach and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but there was one that he turned down. As a result, he lost the “top Western star of the year” award, which sent him into a frustrated spiral.

John Wayne had personal drama with Columbia studio head John Wayne | Archive Photos/Getty Images

Filmmaker Raoul Walsh gave Wayne his first opportunity to star in a leading role in 1930’s The Big Trail, which ultimately bombed at the box office. The actor moved to low-budget Western flicks, which offered him consistent work, but they didn’t give him the chance to grow in the way he wanted.

Wayne almost lost it all when he had a contract with Columbia studio head Harry Cohn. The actor acted politely toward a female actor on the studio lot,...

John Wayne's first lead role in The Big Trail was supposed to be his big break - but it set him back nearly a decade. While trying to find his way in the movie business, Wayne spent his early days making uncredited acting appearances or being a prop man. While he later became one of the Western genre's defining leading men - thanks to his unmistakable voice and walk - this wasn't always his career plan. Wayne even attempted to break out of Westerns during the '30s when he became a leading man in b-movies, but after appearing in a series of box-office duds, he literally got back on the horse.

A then 23-year-old Wayne was cast by Raoul Walsh (White Heat) to be the lead in his 1930 widescreen epic The Big Trail. This saw Wayne's Coleman leading a group of settlers along the Oregon Trail, and he...

From “The King of Kings” to “The Northman,” hundreds of films have premiered within the storied walls of the Tcl Chinese Theatre, which celebrates its 95th anniversary May 18.

Indeed, as early as 1933, the famed movie house appeared in other media as a boilerplate for how a premiere should, and often does, look like. Since then, the theater played itself in dozens of television shows and movies, some of which went on to debut on its iconic screen. The forecourt holds the signatures and imprints of concrete immortalization.

The former Grauman’s Chinese Theatre will fete its 95 years by launching a full year of programming, while also navigating premieres for first-run films and special events including the annual TCM Film Festival. It repertory programming was scheduled both in the big house and at its sister location, the Tcl Chinese 6.

“We’re going to be having screenings of seminal movies that have...

In these rare excerpts of a 1976 interview, Bobbie Wygant discusses John Wayne's career with the Duke himself. Wayne discusses being in on the advent of widescreen movies with the 1929 production of "The Big Trail" and also talks about the background of making his latest (and final) film "The Shootist", going into some details about how he wanted to make significant changes to the source novel. It's all rather tantalizing and we wish the entire interview was available.

Over the years there have been movies and TV series examining the trials and tribulations of settlers traveling together on wagon trains hoping to find a new life in the West such as Raoul Walsh’s 193o widescreen “The Big Trail” starring a young John Wayne; John Ford’s 1950 “Wagon Master”; and the 1957—65 series “Wagon Train,” which hit No. 1 in the ratings. And now there’s Paramount +’s rugged, gritty and bloody “1883,” which debuted last December attracting 4.9 million viewers. The series, which concludes on Feb 25, has been renewed for a second season.

“1883,” which stars Tim McGraw, his wife Faith Hill, Sam Elliott and Isabel May, is a prequel to Paramount’s uber-popular contemporary Western “Yellowstone,” starring Kevin Costner as the powerful landowner John Dutton. Just as “Yellowstone,” “1883” was created by Taylor Sheridan and follows Costner’s great-great grandfather James Dutton (McGraw) and great-great-grandmother Margaret (Hill) as they make the arduous,...

In an age of television where nothing is more attractive to networks than established I.P., it’s not enough to build a solidly performing drama on a humble plot of land. It’s all about the hydra-headed franchise these days, with even a series like “Law & Order” clawing back its territory following a decade of austerity measures. So it was only a matter of time before “Yellowstone,” Paramount Network’s superlatively popular nouveau Western, began manifest destiny.

The first such expansion comes in the form of “1883,” a far-flung prequel series focused on the forebears of John Dutton (Kevin Costner), the beleaguered cattle rancher at the center of “Yellowstone.” Decades before defending their massive Montana ranch from rapacious developers, they were settlers hoping for just enough luck and fortitude to survive the long journey west. The titular time period means hot-streak creator Taylor Sheridan going from a neo-Western to a proto-Western,...

Daniel Radcliffe may've been a child star, but that doesn't mean he missed out on a major '90s kid rite of passage. We're, of course, talking about playing the educational computer game, The Oregon Trail. The Harry Potter star revealed this nostalgic tidbit in an exclusive chat with E! News while promoting season three of his TBS anthology series, Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail. "It was definitely a thing," he told E! News about playing the game as a child. "I think I discovered it the exact same way that everyone else did, which was like, in some sort of computer class." As he continued, the 31-year-old star remembered being allowed to play either Oregon...

Remember how hard it was to beat computer games in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s? Just when you thought you were doing great on The Oregon Trail, your entire family would die of dysentery or some other floppy-disk catastrophe. Now, imagine what that gameplay would be like if it were set in the Star Trek universe, complete with old-school 8-bit computer graphics. You’ve just imagined a new web-based Star Trek game you can play right now, called, appropriately, Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru. In the new trailer for the game, George Takei calls it an “all you can eat buffet of pain.” He’s not wrong! The game is hard.

Free to play online, Star Trek: Kobayashi Maru has just been released from Scopely, the makers of the popular mobile game Star Trek: Fleet Command. To be clear, Kobayashi Maru is not an extension of Fleet Command. It’s web-based (not mobile) and,...

The reunion of Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray for the new A24/Apple release “On the Rocks” comes 17 years after their first collaboration on the Oscar-winning “Lost in Translation.” Such repeated pairings between directors and actors have been mainstay a in Hollywood since the earliest days of cinema. In the silent era, there were multiple films from D.W. Griffith and Lillian Gish and Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance.

One of the great partnerships during the Golden Age of Hollywood was John Ford and John Wayne. Ford had actually befriended Wayne when the young man was doing odd jobs as well as extra work-including in few of the director’s films-at Fox Studios in the late 1920s. Wayne made his official film debut starring in Raoul Walsh’s 1930 epic western “The Big Trail.”

The film wasn’t a hit and Wayne found himself spending the decade doing “B” westerns including 1938’s...

The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Above: The Great Train RobberyThe western has been around since nearly the advent of cinema. Some of Thomas Edison’s earliest films incorporated standard conventions of the genre, established in preceding works of popular fiction, and other key tropes were solidified in Edwin S. Porter’s pioneering The Great Train Robbery (1903). Primarily originating on the East Coast, American motion picture production soon made its general migration west where the geographic consequences only amplified the form, enticing the likes of producers and directors including Thomas Ince and Cecil B. DeMille. The western swiftly flourished as an exuberant, manifold survey of idealized, often exaggerated themes concerning heroism, progress, and the myth of the American dream. The genre became a beloved compendium of cultural dichotomies, iconic symbols, locations, and character types, evincing countless variations alongside the tried and true.

As Disney quietly disappears huge swathes of film history into its vaults, I'm going to spend 2020 celebrating Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Film Corporation's films, what one might call their output if only someone were putting it out.And now they've quietly disappeared William Fox's name from the company: guilty by association with Rupert Murdoch, even though he never associated with him.***Sometime in '28 or '29, Raoul Walsh saw his first talking picture. He didn't like it. The stuff and stuffy theatrical performances, airless studio atmosphere and rigid, immobile staging and camerawork was all profoundly off-putting to this cinematic man of action. But on the same program was a Fox Movietone newsreel, and Walsh was dazzled by the way the small crew captured a noisy union meeting. He rushed to the studio and pitched an idea...All he needed was a western script and a newsreel van...

The legendary director Raoul Walsh hits The Big Trail one more time for a CinemaScope & stereophonic ‘big star’ cattle drive movie, dodging most cliches but taking a few squarely between the eyes. Star chemistry is what keeps them dogies movin’, with Clark Gable making it look all too easy. Frisky Jane Russell fares well, but not our favorite Robert Ryan: despite the high-profile billing, he pulls S.O.B. duty yet again. There’s no doubt about it, pilgrim … I see a whole lotta cows in this one.

The Tall Men

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date September 17, 2019 / Available from Twilight Time Movies / 29.95

Starring: Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Robert Ryan, Cameron Mitchell, Juan García, Harry Shannon, Emile Meyer, Argentina Brunetti, Chuck Roberson, Will Wright.

Cinematography: Leo Tover

Editing: Louis R. Loeffler

Original Music: Victor Young

Written by Sydney Boehm, Frank Nugent from the novel by Clay...

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” marks Joel and Ethan Coen’s deepest dive into Western mythology, wrapped around the inevitability of death. The six-part Netflix anthology about a singing cowboy, a wannabee bank robber, a pair of travelling performers, a gold prospector, a wagon train, and a final carriage ride contains a wide range of looks inspired by illustrations in a book that opens each segment.

However, when it came to the production and costume design, the challenge was to push the limits of authenticity for Coen Brothers’ regulars Jess Gonchor and Mary Zophres. “When I read the script, I tried to figure out how I was going to put my art director stamp,” said Gonchor. “It was like six different movies and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because there was nothing off the shelf. Everything had to be manufactured, down to the nails and the hardware.

by Nathaniel R

John Wayne in "The Big Trail (1930)" and in "True Grit (1969)"

This day in history is a big one of Hollywood's most popular stars, John Wayne. His career began, as most did in the early days of Hollywood, with uncredited parts in silent films but he became a leading man once the talkies hit. Perhaps he needed that distinctive slow-crawl dirt road voice to stand out? He had his first leading role at just 23 years of age with The Big Trail. True stardom didn't hit, though, until Stage Coach (1939) after which, he was top-billed for the remainder of his career. On this very day in 1969 True Grit premiered in Los Angeles. The role of Rooster Cogburn would net him his third Oscar nomination and prove to be something of a career capper when he took home the Best Actor Oscar. (Jeff Bridges would later be Oscar-nominated for the...

Wagon Tracks

Blu-ray

Olive Films

1919 / B&W / 1:33 Silent Ap / 64 min. / Street Date January 24, 2017 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98

Starring William S. Hart, Jane Novak, Robert McKim, Lloyd Bacon, Leo Pierson, Bert Sprotte, Charles Arling.

Cinematography: Joseph H. August

Art direction: Thomas A. Brierley

Titles: Irvin J. Martin

Written by: C. Gardner Sullivan

Produced by: William S. Hart, Thomas H. Ince

Directed by: Lambert Hillyer

Last year we were gifted with an excellent Blu-ray of a silent John Ford western, 3 Bad Men, which turned out to be a satisfying sentimental action tale. This month we get a much older silent western that’s almost as interesting. Its star is William S. Hart, the silent icon most of know through a still of a man in a ten-gallon hat brandishing two pistols in a barroom. Hart frequently played gunslingers, but not always. Olive’s presentation of Wagon Tracks sees him...

This early John Wayne oater displays the natural star quality and winning personality that sustained him through the 1930s -- it's a naïve, charming western that features some of The Duke's closest early associates. 'Neath Arizona Skies Blu-ray Olive Films 1934 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 52 min. / Street Date July 19, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 24.95 Starring John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Shirley Jane Rickert, Jack Rockwell, Yakima Canutt, Weston Edwards, Jay Wilsey, Earl Dwire, George 'Gabby' Hayes. Cinematography Archie Stout Film Editor Charles Hunt Original Music Billly Barber Written by Burl R. Tuttle from his story. Produced by Paul Malvern Directed by Harry L. Fraser

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Want to see where our western film heritage really came from? Big studios made giant wagon train movies, epics about the railroad and star-driven biographies of Billy the Kid, but the genre was sustained by a steady diet of six reel 'oaters,...

Los Angeles, Calif. (October 2, 2015) – In 1915 William Fox founded Fox Film Corporation and forever changed the course of cinema. Over the next century the studio would develop some of the most innovative and ground-breaking advancements in the history of cinema; the introduction of Movietone, the implementation of color in partnership with Eastman Kodak, the development of the wide format in 70mm and many more. Now in honor of the 100th anniversary of the studio, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will celebrate by releasing some of their most iconic films that represent a decade of innovation.

Starting today, five classic films from the studio will be made available digitally for the first time ever – Sunrise (1927), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), Man Hunt (1941), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). Throughout the rest of the year a total of 100 digital releases will follow from Fox’s extensive catalog, including 10 films...

Burbank, Calif. May 19, 2015 – On June 2, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will release The John Wayne Westerns Film Collection – featuring five classic films on Blu-ray™ from the larger-than-life American hero – just in time for Father’s Day. The Collection features two new-to-Blu-ray titles, The Train Robbers and Cahill U.S. Marshal plus fan favorites Fort Apache, The Searchers and a long-awaited re-release of Rio Bravo. The pocketbook box set will sell for $54.96 Srp; individual films $14.98 Srp.

Born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, John Wayne first worked in the film business as a laborer on the Fox lot during summer vacations from University of Southern California, which he attended on a football scholarship. He met and was befriended by John Ford, a young director who was beginning to make a name for himself in action films, comedies and dramas. It was Ford who recommended Wayne to director Raoul Walsh for the male lead in the 1930 epic Western,...

Not one approach, but two...

Documentary:

And melodrama:

Surrounding these lovers in longing are people in movement, pilgrims in search of a new place to call home.

Dreamers working day and night to make their dreams come true:

And there are horses:

And herds of other animals:

All trudging forward to an uncertain future with nothing to lose:

Even when a primary villain dies—

—it’s back to work; life must go on.

Some stay behind:

But everyone else has to keep moving on. Individuals propel history forward.

In the meantime, a man can still sit and brood over his fate, and a woman can still suddenly pop into a frame and become a miracle:

Six years later, Raoul Walsh would begin his own odyssey set even earlier in history.

Melodrama returns too:

And it’s still possible for lovers to reunite in the midst of an unbroken movement forward:...