John Wayne, a towering figure in 20th-century cinema, epitomized the rugged, tough-talking archetype in numerous Westerns and war films, often directed by his close collaborator John Ford. Despite his imposing physique (6’4″ with square shoulders), Wayne’s screen presence stemmed from more than just his build; it was his demeanor that captivated audiences. His nickname, “The Duke,” was derived from his childhood companion, an Airedale Terrier named Duke.
Throughout his five-decade career, Wayne portrayed characters characterized by unwavering masculinity, a strong sense of honor, and varying attitudes towards women. Off-screen, he was a prominent conservative and staunch anti-communist, beliefs that occasionally surfaced in his film roles, such as portraying a fervent anti-communist in “Big Jim McLain” (1952) and advocating for the Vietnam War in “The Green Berets,” a film he co-produced and co-directed. (These are the best and worst John Wayne movies that aren’t Westerns.)
To assemble a collection of some of the most memorable lines Wayne delivered in his movies, 24/7 Tempo consulted the “Quotes” sections for many of his films on IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, as well as other online collections of quotations.
The selected quotes span 36 years of Wayne’s career, reflecting aphorisms, humor, and a macho stance characteristic of his cinematic persona. They offer glimpses into Wayne’s personality and enduring presence on screen.
Here is a list of the 25 memorable John Wayne movie quotes:
“It takes a good fire to burn down the weeds…to let the flowers grow.”
- Character: Bob Seton
- Film: “Dark Command” (1940)
“I figure a man’s only as good as his word.”
- Character: Rocklin
- Film: “Tall in the Saddle” (1944)
“Never trust a woman or a government.”
- Character: Quirt Evans
- Film: “Angel and the Badman” (1947)
“Sometimes you have to lose before you win.”
- Character: Johnny Munroe
- Film: “Tycoon” (1947)
“We brought nothing into this world and it’s certain we can carry nothing out.”
- Character: Thomas Dunson
- Film: “Red River” (1948)
“Chawin’ tobacco is a nasty habit. It’s been known to turn a man’s stomach.”
- Character: Captain Nathan Brittles
- Film: “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” (1949)
“Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.”
- Character: Major Daniel Kirby
- Film: “Flying Leathernecks” (1951)
“Oh, it’s a fine game, football – noble game. Originated in England in 1823.”
- Character: Steve Williams
- Film: “Trouble Along the Way” (1953)
“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
- Character: First Officer Dan Roman
- Film: “The High and the Mighty” (1954)
“Every man should spend a night with a lady who has no illusions about him.”
- Character: Captain Karl Erlich
- Film: “The Sea Chase” (1955)
“Love is a fire. It burns all but the blue sea.”
- Character: Genghis Khan
- Film: “The Conqueror” (1956)
“I don’t believe in surrenders.”
- Character: Ethan Edwards
- Film: “The Searchers” (1956)
“Life is a battle, but you can’t fight it with your fists. You got to fight it with your heart.”
John Wayne interacting with two little girls in a kitchen in a scene from the film The Wings Of Eagles, 1957. (Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images)
- Character: Frank “Spig” Wead
- Film: “The Wings of Eagles” (1957)
“In this world, you turn the other cheek, and you get hit with a lug wrench.”
- Character: Joe January
- Film: “Legend of the Lost” (1957)
“No quarter. No mercy for the loser.”
- Character: Sheriff John T. Chance
- Film: “Rio Bravo” (1959)
“You have to be a man first before you’re a gentleman.”
- Character: George Washington “G.W.” McLintock
- Film: “McLintock!” (1963)
“Berlin, Madrid, Paris, Vienna, Budapest. They got a nice sound.”
John Wayne, Rita Hayworth and Miles Malleson have breakfast in a scene from the film Circus World, 1964. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)
- Character: Matt Masters
- Film: “Circus World” (1964)
“All battles are fought by scared men who’d rather be someplace else.”
- Character: Captain Rockwell W. “Rock” Torrey
- Film: “In Harm’s Way” (1965)
“There’s right and there’s wrong. You got to do one or the other.”
- Character: Colonel John Henry Thomas
- Film: “The Undefeated” (1969)
“Looking back is a bad habit.”
- Character: Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn
- Film: “True Grit” (1969)
“I ain’t butted into somebody else’s business since I was seventeen year old, at which time it almost got me killed.”
- Character: Jacob “Big Jake” McCandles
- Film: “Big Jake” (1971)
“Every man wants his children to be better than he was.”
- Character: Wil Andersen
- Film: “The Cowboys” (1971)
“If a buzzard bites you, he’d never eat meat again.”
- Character: J.D. Cahill
- Film: “Cahill US Marshall” (1973)
“When I start plying a woman with whiskey, it’s time to throw the key in the water bucket and ride on.”
- Character: Lane
- Film: “The Train Robbers” (1973)
“I won’t be wronged. I won’t be insulted. I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”
- Character: J.B. Books
- Film: “The Shootist” (1976)