Isn't That John Wayne? Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Sons of Katie Elder

This is the tale of four brothers who reunite for their mother's funeral. While the mother had been much loved in the town, the boys were seen as having let her down. They discover that their mother's ranch had been, supposedly, gambled away by their father who was then shot. The boys suspect foul play. As they search for the truth they are framed for another murder and the town turns against them.

John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr. are the four brothers in this 1965 film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film was put on ice for a period of time while Wayne underwent surgery for lung cancer but, judging from his performance, you would never have known.

Answer: The Alamo

This 1960 effort was directed by John Wayne. The project had been a passion of the Duke's as far back as 1945. He had an explicit vision as to how he wanted it to look that he chose not to act in it and took on board the roles of both director and producer. In this manner there wouldn't be anyone to change or challenge the plan. The big issue for him became the funding and he struggled to find suitors. Eventually United Artists came to the party but conditioned their involvement on Wayne starring in the film to ensure that it had box office appeal.

The film re-tells the tale of a small group of volunteers defending the Alamo against the might of Santa Anna and his Mexican army. The aim was to buy time so that Sam Houston could gather his own army and repel the forces. Wayne is the larger than life Colonel Davy Crockett who brings his fabled Tennesseans to the battle. He is supported by Jim Bowie, a strong performance from Richard Widmark and Colonel Travis (Laurence Harvey) who is charge of the Alamo defense.

The film received several Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture and the climactic battle at the end is a sight to see. The film's biggest downfall is the long-winded script which, at times, is almost more of a sermon than dialogue.

Answer: Hatari

Wayne is full of derring-do as Sean Mercer, the leader of a group of wild game hunters, who capture beasts to be exported to zoos, circuses and museums. A task that comes with a lot of risk. Mercer has a skilled team which includes, among others, a German race car driver, Kurt Muller, played by Hardy Kruger and a New York cab driver, "Pockets" played by Red Buttons, who, strangely, suffers from zoophobia. This all boys club is broken up by the arrival "Dallas" D'Alessandro (Martinelli), a photographer who winds up capturing Sean Mercer's heart.

Howard Hawks has worked with John Wayne numerous times to produce some classic films and this 1962 effort is no exception. John Wayne proves that he can not only play the action hero but is also adept in both comedic and romantic roles. The film was shot on location in what is now known as Tanzania and the landscape provided cinematographer Russell Harlan with an amazing backdrop to work with. Unsurprisingly, he was nominated for an Oscar but lost out to Freddie A. Young and his work on David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia".

Answer: The Longest Day

This 1962 epic, with five directors at the helm, would set the standard for a squadron of war films that would follow. Filmed in black and white, and shot in a docudrama style, the movie is a retelling of the horrific events at the D-Day landings in Normandy during World War II. The film, which depicts the events from both the German soldiers' point of view and those of the Allies, was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Amidst a massive ensemble, John Wayne plays the real life soldier, Colonel Benjamin H. Vandervoort, Fonda is Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Ryan is Brigadier General James M. Gavin. However, it is Wayne's charisma that carries this film and helped propel it toward box office success.

Answer: El Dorado

There have been a number of derisive comments about this 1967 Howard Hawks film, the main one being that it is simply "Rio Bravo" (1959) taken out of the can and had the title changed. In many respects they are similar. There's the same director and the same leading man. The writer of both stories (Leigh Brackett) is the same. There's a drunken sheriff (Robert Mitchum takes the place of Dean Martin) and a wise cracking upstart (James Caan's "Mississippi" replaces Ricky Nelson's "Colorado").

This time, however, the Duke, as Col Thornton, a professional gunman, teams up with the sheriff to help out a rancher (R.G. Armstrong) fend off a rival (Ed Asner) who is looking to get their hands on the farm's water supply. Yes there are similarities but this is a cracking yarn and a fitting tribute to another great pairing of director and movie star that were a large part of Hollywood's golden age.

Answer: Donovan's Reef

Three former US Navy veterans have found themselves on a Polynesian island over the years; Michael "Guns" Donovan (John Wayne), Thomas "Boats" Gilhooley (Lee Marvin) and William "Doc" Dedham (Jack Warden). The three friends have set up an idyllic life for themselves, Donovan owns the local bar and the Doc is only medical practitioner on the island. Enter Amelia Dedham (Elizabeth Allen), Doc's daughter, whom he has never met and is currently the controlling officer of a shipping company. What the Doc doesn't know is that he has inherited a large parcel of shares in the company and it effectively gives him control. His daughter is looking to invoke an old morality clause in the will that would see the shares go to her and she would retain control. The three men cook up a scheme to deceive Amelia but it all goes awry when Donovan falls head over heels in love with her.

This 1963 outing is the last time that John Ford (the director) and John Wayne would collaborate on a film. The pair had combined on nearly two dozen projects over the decades and whilst this won't rank as one of their finest pieces of work it certainly is a joyous romp and a gentle reminder of the wonderful cinematic partnership this pair made.

Answer: How the West Was Won

There were three directors at the helm of this sprawling 1963 epic; Henry Hathaway, who directed three of the five chapters, John Ford and George Marshall. The story unfolds through the lives of four generations of the Prescott family who set out for the western frontier from Illinois. The five chapters; "The River", "The Plains", "The Civil War", "The Railroad" and "The Outlaws", cover the period of US history from 1839 to 1889 and encompasses almost every stereotype from America's wild west.

The cast for this film was huge and finding your favourite star among this lot might have been a task. Gregory Peck is professional gambler Cleve Van Valen, who falls for one of the Prescott daughters and appears in the second chapter. John Wayne is William Tecumseh Sherman during the "Civil War" episode and Eli Wallach is in the final chapter as the outlaw Charlie Gant, who holds a grudge against one of the Prescott siblings.

Answer: The Comancheros

Stuart Whitman is Paul Regret who is on the run after killing a judge's son in a duel. He stops for a romantic interlude with Pilar Graile (Ina Balin) and that's where Jake Cutter (John Wayne) catches up with him. On the return journey they are coerced into joining the fight against a band called the Comancheros, a criminal gang selling guns and whiskey to the Comanche. When Cutter and his group are attacked by the Comanche, Regret takes the opportunity to do a runner but, instead of taking flight, he returns with a team of Texas Rangers to save the day. He (Regret) assists Cutter to infiltrate the Comancheros, where they also find Pilar, who turns out to be the daughter of the gang's leader. There's a gunfight, bad guys lose, John Wayne's character commits perjury, which allows Regret to ride off into the sunset with Pilar.

This 1961 film was initially directed by Michael Curtiz, who is best known as the Oscar winning director of the film "Casablanca" (1942) but, midway, he became terminally ill and stood down. Though uncredited, John Wayne then stepped into the director's role.

Answer: True Grit

John Wayne is "Rooster" Cogburn, a US Marshall who is hired by a fourteen year old girl (Kim Darby) to track down and arrest her father's killer. They are joined in the hunt by a young Texas Ranger, named La Boeuf (Glen Campbell). They track down the killer, played by Jeff Corey, but he's joined forces with a group of bad guys (among them are characters played by Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper). However, they prove to be no match for Rooster, despite the fact that he's aging, one eyed and carrying a bit of pot belly.

Director Henry Hathaway, who directed this 1969 film, has teamed up again with Wayne. They had previously worked on the 1965 film "The Sons of Katie Elder". The film is also noteworthy for, what has become a classic John Wayne line, "Fill your hand, you son-of-a- (Expletive)!" and the Duke, after 150 films, finally earning a Best Actor Oscar.

Answer: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." This 1962 masterpiece by John Ford, in which he examines the blurred edge between truth and myth, is already seen as one of the great American western films. He manages to push both Stewart and Wayne to find different shades in characters of a type they have played before. Despite this, the film could only manage one Oscar nomination and that was for Edith Head's work on the costumes.

James Stewart is US Senator Ransom Stoddart who has returned to the town of Shinbone to attend the funeral of a friend, Tom Doniphon, played by Wayne. It was here that the Senator rose to fame for facing up to and killing the brutal outlaw Liberty Valance (a superb performance by Lee Marvin). Ford then uses a series of flashbacks to reveal the truth of the matter.

(Footnote) This is believed to be the first film in which Wayne uses the sobriquet of "pilgrim" to another whom he's giving a warning or a smart remark.