In the late 1970s, actor John Wayne received a letter from The People’s Almanac, who had a question: what is John Wayne‘s favorite movie? The actor, who many people think starred in some of the best Westerns of all time, was known for his cowboy roles.
As such, it’s understandable that people would think he would name a gritty action-adventure set in the American West, but his response was from it. According to Wayne, one of the best movies of all time is A Man For All Seasons, followed by drama movies like Gone with the Wind.
The above image is the actual written response, signed by the actor. Amusingly, Wayne also included movies he himself starred in, like The Searchers. Now that’s self-confidence. The full list is below.
John Wayne’s favorite movies ranked:
1. A Man For All Seasons
2. Gone with the Wind
3. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
4. The Searchers
5. The Quiet Man
A Man For All Seasons is not a Western, it’s a British historical drama film about the final years of Sir Thomas More, “the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England who refused to sign a letter asking Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII of England’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon and to take an Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church of England.” as clarified by Wikipedia (we like movies, not history books).
He also named his favorite actors:
1. Spencer Tracy
2. Elizabeth Taylor
3. Kathrine [sic] Hepburn
4. Laurence Olivier
5. Lionel Barrymore
Interesting stuff, and we’re curious what the other best actors of all time throughout the years would have answered. While we do some digging, check out all the new movies coming in 2023, or Kevin Costner‘s Western with the Horizon release date.