All Movies John Wayne Appeared in That Weren’t Westerns—Ranked

Wayne’s character is Sean Thornton, a retired American boxer. He moves back to the Irish village of his birth hoping to buy his father’s land. Once there, he falls for a spirited local lady but her brother is dead set against the match.

The Longest Day (1962)

Set during World War II, the action sees Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort (played by Wayne) receiving several awards including the Distinguished Service Cross twice. This D-Day movie is unusual in that it shows the story from the perspective of the American forces.

Another war movie sees Wayne playing John Stryker. This strict tyrant soldier is disliked by his troops. However, after fighting the Battle of Iwo Jima together, the men begin to respect both him and his methods. This highly critically movie was a hit with reviewers.

The critics loved this Wayne movie. He plays the part of a construction company chief hired by the Navy. His task? To train the men to use heavy machinery.

Wayne continues his success in war movies with ‘They Were Expendable’ set during the battles against Japan during World War II. Wayne is one of two Navy commanders who prove that a new PT (patrol torpedo) boat can be useful. The movie was applauded for its richness and cinematography.

This Wayne movie from the early 1960s sees the actor playing a wild animal trapper in Africa. The plot is about a young, female photographer who initially fails but then succeeds in earning the respect of the rough crew. This one was more popular with audiences that critics.

This movie, set during Work War II stars Wayne as an airman. He crashes his plane whilst delivering supplies to England and finds himself in a remote part of Canada. The action is all about the stranded crew’s efforts to stay alive.

Once again, Wayne plays a military leader, this time he is an army colonel. He and his men are fighting against the Japanese in the Philippines during World War II. The critics were largely happy about this offering but audiences were less sure.

The plot is a little more unusual in ‘Flying Tigers’. Captain Jim Gordon, played by Wayne, is leading a group of American mercenary fighter pilots. They are called the Flying Tiger unit and are flying missions against the encroaching Japanese military prior to the Pearl Harbor attacks. The action intensifies when a reckless pilot threatens to tear the Tigers apart. The film received three Academy Award nominations.

In ‘Flying Leathernecks’ Wayne plays the stern Maj. Daniel Kirby as he is trying to instill discipline into the squadron he commands during World War II. The action takes place ahead of the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Wayne’s character is a 19th-century ship captain in this 1942 movie directed by Hollywood legend Cecil B. DeMille. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, and won for best special effects. The plot is about Wayne’s character falling for salvager Loxi Claiborne but there is another suitor on the scene.

Wayne also tried his hand at comedy during his long career and this is one of the attempts. Whilst the critics were not so impressed, 77% of fans liked it. It is set on a French Polynesian island where three veterans are trying to claim a large inheritance. Notably, this is the last collaboration between Wayne and director John Ford.

Here’s another military role for Wayne. He plays Naval officer Capt. Rockwell Torrey. Having survived Pearl harbor, he allows his ship to get damaged in a later battle. There are further complications in his private life! Starring with Wayne were Patricia Neal, Kirk Douglas, and Henry Fonda.

Assuming the role of a fighter pilot, Wayne plays real-life hero Frank “Spig” Wead who has a complicated relationship with his family. At first he puts his career first but is then paralyzed in an accident. When he becomes a screenwriter to share his experiences of the war, he also attempts to reconnect with his family.

This movie sees Wayne playing a police officer. In one of his final movies, he plays a Seattle police lieutenant called McQ. The officer makes a startling discovery connected with corruption and an underground narcotics operation with connections to his own department.

Another macho role for Wayne, this time as a fire chief. His crew is called in to tackle oil rig fires all over the world. Meanwhile, his marriage is on the rocks and he is falling for his colleague’s daughter! This one was not loved by critics – only 13% of them gave it a positive reaction.

This movie combines fighter pilot action with a tense espionage plot. The lead character, Air Force Col. Jim Shannon, is played by Wayne who is tasked to escort a Soviet jet in American airspace. The love interest is introduced by the female pilot, Anna Marladovna, but are her intensions honorable?

Another tough role for Wayne as his character leads a top secret mission. There have been hundreds of films about the Vietnam War (which Wayne supported) and this one puts a positive spin on it. Only 23% of critics liked it though.

Wayne takes on the role of Chicago police Lt. Brannigan in one of his last movies. He has the job of escorting a gangster from the U.K. back to America, but things go wrong. The gangster boss is snatched and a frantic manhunt through London follows.

In this military movie, John Wayne plays the role of Lt. Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford, the commander of a submarine called Thunderfish. The 1951 movie plot sees the submarine have trouble with its torpedoes yet still complete a successful rescue mission in the Pacific. Meanwhile, the commander’s reunion with his ex-wife is disrupted by another call of duty.

In an unusual role for Wayne, he plays the romantic lead in one of the earliest romantic comedy films. His character is Captain, Rusty Thomas, who falls in love with famous author Kit Masterson. The plot typically involves a lot of confusion and comedic moments as Thomas is offered the part of a film adaption of the author’s latest novel.

The overriding problem with this movie for the critics who reviewed it was that Wayne was cast to play a German Captain! Nevertheless, he made a pretty good job of playing an opponent of Nazi ideology at the beginning of World War II. The plot required him to travel from Australia back to Germany in order to help a German spy. At the same time, he had to evade Allied warships.

This is another of Wayne’s historic sea captain roles. He plays Captain Ralls and the action joins him on his search for sunken treasure. Before he can reach the loot, he has to encounter gigantic sea monsters and hostile natives. There is also a love interest in the form of the partner of another sea captain. When all the main characters are shipwrecked on a small island things get tricky!

In this movie, Wayne concedes the leading male part to Kirk,Douglas, who plays David Marcus. The action centers around preparing the newly formed Israeli army for battle. Further stars in this movie include Frank Sinatra and Angie Dickinson.

Set in the mid-1800s, Wayne takes on the character of Townsend Harris. He has recently been appointed as U.S. Consul General to Japan. He lists the help of a local Geisha to help him allay the initial reservations of the Japanese government.

In this action movie, an American engineer is tasked with building tunnels through the Andes mountains, with all of the associated risks and dangers. Wayne’s character falls in love with the daughter of the boss, which makes things even more complicated.

This is another treasure hunting movie, but this time the loot is hidden somewhere in the Sahara desert. Wayne’s character is Joe January, a gruff treasure hunter, who is joined by a kindhearted prostitute on his quest.

One of Wayne’s earlier movies is ‘The Long Voyage Home’, which follows a merchant ship sailing from the West Indies to Baltimore. Aboard is a cargo of dynamite and potentially a Nazi spy! This is a highly acclaimed movie that the critics loved and was nominated for six Oscars.

Another pilot role for Wayne but this time he is a commercial airline copilot named Dan Roman. The movie received six Academy award nominations and won the best score of dramatic or comedy picture award. The plot unfolds as the plane’s engines fail over the ocean and disaster looms.

The plot here is the looming bankruptcy of a Catholic College, who are struggling to train their football team. Wayne is the hero character, a former football coach, who looks as if he is going to save the day. However, things are complicated when an investigation is launched into his recruiting strategy.

The central character of this plot is a saloon singer played by Marlene Dietrich. She has a reputation for stirring up trouble, and Wayne plays the character of Navy officer Dan Brent, who is one of her many love interests.

Another of Wayne’s earlier works, and his second movie of 1939. Wayne plays a local trader in Colonial America, who becomes suspicious that a corrupt trader is supplying Native Americans with weapons.

Wayne had a very busy year in 1942 and released seven films, this is one of them! He stars alongside Joan Crawford in a typical war plot. He is an American pilot who has been shot down near Paris during the German occupation. He turns to a wealthy French woman to hide him from the Nazis but things are complicated because her fiancé is a Nazi sympathizer.

Set in China, Wayne plays Capt. Tom Wilder, a successful merchant. However, his ship gets seized by the Communists, and he ends up in prison. All is not lost because he is broken out by nearby villagers and they all sail to Hong Kong and safety.

Another of Wayne’s movies on the theme of Communism, this one is set during the Cold War. Wayne’s character is an investigator for the House Un-American Activities Committee. He finds himself in Hawaii trying to root out Communists, but gets targeted by a Communist party boss.

The critics were unimpressed with this Wayne offering from 1956. It was filmed close to a nuclear bomb test site in the Utah desert, although the filmmakers did not know that at the time! Sadly, nearly half of the cast and crew went on to develop cancer, including Wayne who died of stomach cancer in 1979. No one will ever know if these deaths were connected with the filming location. Wayne plays Mongolian leader Genghis Khan, who falls in love with the daughter of an enemy. The combination of his American accent, and his dark make up did not go down well.