John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit
John Wayne was a consummate Hollywood star all the way up to the end, and the last 10 westerns of his career offer some of The Duke's finest work. Beginning his movie journey back in the Silent Era of the 1920s, Wayne honed his craft until he was ready for the limelight in the 1930s.
The western genre made him an icon, and he never strayed far from his cowboy roots. Though he starred in various war, action, and cop dramas, The Duke always returned to brandish a big iron and wear his signature Stetson hat. Even as westerns began falling out of favor in the '60s and '70s, Wayne could still deliver a crowd-pleasing hit. John Wayne continued acting until the latter half of the 1970s, and only retired a few years before his eventual death in 1979. His last 10 western roles are marked by transformative performances and classic cowboy grit. It was also a period of highs and lows, with some of his last 10 westerns succeeding while others failed. 10 The Train Robbers The Train Robbers was a perfectly serviceable western, but by 1973, that wasn't going to cut it. It concerns a widow who enlists the help of a war veteran to return the gold her late husband stole so that she can clear her family's name. Ann-Margret leads a stellar cast that also includes Rod Taylor and Ben Johnson. Though the chemistry between Margret and Wayne is paternal and warm, the movie itself suffers from an abundance of cliches. The genre had already been transformed by the anti-western trend and Italian cinema, so The Train Robbers feels too quaint for its own good. It isn't terrible, but it doesn't have much worth remembering. 9 Cahill U.S. Marshall Perhaps the most forgettable of John Wayne's last 10 westerns, Cahill U.S. Marshall scores points for trying. After an Old West lawman neglects his sons, he must try to get them back when they fall in with a notorious outlaw. Behind the typical swaggering machismo is an interesting story about fatherhood and masculinity. That said, the oft-forgotten Wayne western does little with its intriguing concept and mostly resorts to tried and true tropes. There are some fun action sequences sprinkled throughout, but The Duke does a lot of phoning in. John Wayne called it his worst, but Cahill U.S. Marshall isn't quite that bad. 8 The Undefeated Released the same year as True Grit, The Undefeated is usually overlooked. Loosely based on a true story, the film follows a Confederate troop after the Civil War who flees to Mexico. The historical facts are changed quite a bit to fit the narrative, and the film is certainly guilty of perpetuating a lot of mythology about the Civil War. There is some depth to the characters not usually found in a bog-standard western, and John Wayne's Union colonel character gives The Duke a platform to stretch his dramatic range. Rock Hudson is the real star of the show, and turns in one of his best performances. Sadly, The Undefeated couldn't really live up to the ambition of its concept. 7 Rio Lobo Howard Hawks' final film, appropriately enough, was a western starring John Wayne. Rio Lobo is the story of an ex-Union colonel who goes on a mission to discover the person who sold out his men. Part mystery and part conventional revenge western, Rio Lobo has a bit of that Howard Hawks magic. While it isn't as good as it should have been, all the pieces are there. Wayne is his usual heroic self, and the movie's mystery plays out with enough thrills to keep it interesting. Hawks and Wayne's movies together are some of the best of their careers, and Rio Lobo is an appropriate swan song for the western filmmaking duo. 6 Chisum Despite being one of the most simplistic westerns of John Wayne's later days, Chisum is a charming little flick. Wayne plays the title character, a rancher who must protect his land from a greedy developer who will stop at nothing to steal it. Chisum is a good, old-fashioned cowboy movie from a time when they were increasingly rare. Chisum isn't a particularly complex character, but Wayne's natural charisma makes the paternal rancher all the more endearing. The movie draws loosely from history, and includes characters like Billy the Kid. This gives Chisum an aura of pastiche, and it works as a nice introduction to the genre for newcomers. 5 Rooster Cogburn John Wayne only made one sequel in his entire career, and Rooster Cogburn is still fondly remembered. The one-eyed lawman from True Grit returns to hunt down a group of bandits with help from the daughter of one of their victims. While not as thematic as its predecessor, Rooster Cogburn has a lot of humor and heart. It's clear that Wayne had fun, and he works well with co-star Katharine Hepburn. It isn't better than True Grit, but it is a worthy continuation of the character. Cogburn is different from his literary source, but it shows a clear evolution between the two films. If one word could be used to describe the sequel, it would be"pleasant." 4 The Cowboys The Cowboys doesn't get enough credit as one of John Wayne's last great westerns, and it remains an underrated gem. After his ranch hands abandon him, a rancher trains a group of young boys to assist him on a lengthy cattle drive. Though John Wayne is magnificent, Bruce Dern steals the show as the dastardly villain, Long Hair. From its quotable dialogue to its score by John Williams, there is little not to like about The Cowboys. It really showed off the depth of range that Wayne had achieved in the final few years of his career, and proves he could anchor nearly any western project. It would top any list if not for a few better films. 3 Big Jake John Wayne stars in Big Jake alongside his sons, and it's a gritty western vengeance story. The patriarch of the McCandles family goes on a mission to deliver ransom money in order to get back his kidnapped kin. Though the violence is more implied than explicit, there's a lot of excitement to be had. Subscribe to our newsletter for classic western insights Gain richer context on John Wayne's final westerns—subscribe to the newsletter for deep analysis, historical background, and curated recommendations that enhance your appreciation of classic western cinema. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. The Duke played more than a few anti-heroes in his career, and Big Jake falls somewhere in the middle. It delivers plenty of cool moments for die-hard western fans, and has hints of clever subversion sprinkled throughout. Big Jake was one of Wayne's last films that hearkened back to his early days as an iconic silver screen cowboy. 2 True Grit While True Grit is one of John Wayne's most famous movies, it isn't the best of his final 10 westerns. A teen seeks to avenge her father, so she hires an aging lawman to get the men responsible. The surly Rooster Cogburn allowed Wayne to show off his funny side, and the film is as idyllic as it is charming. It shaves off many themes from Charles Portis' novel, but keeps enough to preserve its essence. Wayne is the star attraction, and it's a later role that acknowledges the fact that he's aging. It was released in an era when westerns were being usurped by other genres, but True Grit reminds viewers just how good they can be. 1 The Shootist John Wayne ended his career with a bang, and The Shootist was the perfect finale. J.B. Books is dying of cancer, and the aging gunslinger spends his final days looking for a death with dignity. The film brilliantly parallels the death of Books with the final days of the Old West at the beginning of the 20th century. Though he was weighed down by time and his own illness, Wayne turned in a transformative performance that ranks among the best of his career. He appears alongside other Old Hollywood legends like Lauren Bacall and James Stewart, and The Shootist is a fitting farewell to John Wayne as well as an era of movie history.
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