Best Duke era?

[plain old dave]

For this puropse, we'll call "early" John Wayne's debut up to about 1940, Middle/WW2 would be 1940-@1965 or so (the time of his lung operation) and Late would be 1965-1976. Waddayathink? Which era Duke is the best Duke> B-westerns and Stagecoach? She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Big Jim McClain and Fort Apache? Big Jake, True Grit and The Shootist? If you have a particular favorite Duke movie, post it too...

 

[AmateisGal]

I love the Duke in the WW2 movies. Man. He was the ultimate soldier, IMO.

 

[Tomasso]

I voted middle but I liked a few of the later films as well.

 

[Hondo]

I voted middle but I liked a few of the later films as well.

Same here, I like his war movies but mostly westerns like Stagecoach / Fort Apache / She Wore a Yellow Ribbon / 3 Godfathers / Searchers / and "Hondo" The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, of course Rooster Cogburn films were fun, some excellent outdoor scenes.

 

[dhermann1]

My hands down favorite John Wayne flick is "In Harm's Way". On another thread one of the ladies said she likes men who are 80% John Wayne with 20% Montgomery Clift (or something like that). In "In Harm's Way" you see Wayne showing a definite Cliftian sensitivity, even tho he may hide it in his inimitable Waynian way.
BTW, fftopic: One of my favorite moments in that movie is right before the big battle when Burgess Meredith says how scared he is. Simple, straightforward, real. The whole movie presents war in a very human light.

 

[plain old dave]

FWIW, most of my favorites are late. The Green Berets, Sons of Kate Elder, Eldorado, Rooster Cogburn, True Grit.... Some mid's too. Horse Soldiers, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Fort Apache....

 

[Sefton]

I didn't notice what forum this was posted in so I automatically assumed that the subject was

For "Duke E" I vote for his early years. For "The Duke" I vote middle. The Searchers and Red River period.

 

[freebird]

The Quiet Man has got to be my all time favorite, followed by The Searchers, Big Jake,The Cowboys, The Shootist.....oh, heck, I like em all.

 

[Twitch]

Ah, the WW II movies- Flying Tigers, Flying Leathernecks and all the rest. :eusa_clap

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Late

I prefer John Wayne's 1965-1976 period. Plus, EL DORADO (1967) is my favorite movie of all time. I like the fact that the Duke was virtually the only leading man from his era still reigning at the box office. Of course, it helped that he outlived a lot of those guys who made movies during the 1940s, too. I'm also a big fan of IN HARM'S WAY (1965), even if that movie gets slammed for its many anachronisms. THE SHOOTIST is a masterpiece and a heck of a sendoff and many other Wayne films from this period are proud, but guilty pleasures for me.

 

[Big Man]

My favorite Duke era is when they are loosing to Carolina.

Oh, you mean "The Duke". Well, in that case I'd have to say late. I especially like "Big Jake".

 

[Tomasso]

My favorite Duke era is when they are loosing to Carolina.

lol

 

[Twitch]

Just anothre quick. You know we appreciated the Duke while we had him, long before he died or was even ill. That's the thing I think I am most impressed with- he was a legend in his own time.