Quotes from famous John Wayne movies have been inspiring others to reach for goodness and greatness for decades. Here are the 20 best quotes.
- John Wayne, known as “The Duke,” starred in Western and war movies, leaving behind iconic quotes that continue to inspire generations.
- From his humble beginnings as a prop boy to becoming one of the greatest male stars of classic American cinema, Wayne’s career spanned over five decades.
- Wayne’s quotes address various themes such as courage, respect, living in the present, and the importance of family, leaving a lasting impact on viewers.
Known as “The Duke” in the Golden Age of Hollywood, John Wayne starred in Western and war movies and television shows, delivering iconic quotes that have inspired generations. He performed from 1926 until his last role in 1976 as an aging gunfighter fighting cancer in The Shootist. Over the course of his career, John Wayne set a precedent for the industry and was later pronounced one of the greatest male stars of classic American Cinema by the American Film Institute.
While John Wayne went on to achieve worldwide fame, he began humbly as a prop boy and then an uncredited extra, born Marion Robert Morrison. It wasn’t until director Raoul Walsh cast him in The Big Trail (1930) that he landed his first starring role. With Fox Studios chief Winfield Sheehan, Walsh decided on John Wayne as Morrison’s new professional pseudonym and the rest was history. One hundred seventy-nine movies and television shows later, quotes from John Wayne are still motivating and inspiring generations.
20, “You Take Chances, My Friend.” (Rio Bravo)
A film starring Wayne as a sheriff in the American West has him team up with a drunk, a young gunfighter, and a disabled man to help keep law and order in their small town after someone threatens to break a murderer out of jail. Already an inspiring call to duty and morality, this line comes after a quarrel between Carlos Robante (Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalelz) and Conseulo Robante (Estelita Rodriguez) which Carlos follows up with a patronizing speech that “she will be mad or she will be sorry.” John Wayne’s one-liner is cutting and perfectly timed to remind viewers of what Consuelo is capable of.
19, “Courage Is Being Scared To Death But Saddling Up Anyway.” (True Grit)
Remade in 2010 by the Coen Brothers starring Hailee Steinfield and Jeff Bridges, the original 1969 True Grit stars Wayne as a U.S. Marshal hired by a teen girl to hunt down her father’s killer. This quote from John Wayne extends beyond the film to encompass daily life for a lot of people and has become a line that many hold onto. Ahead of its time in terms of encouraging people to accept fear instead of repressing it, this line from Wayne is one of his most universal and certainly one of the most inspiring. It’s okay to be scared. Courage is about doing it anyway.
18, “Well Son, Since You Haven’t Learned To Respect Your Elders, It’s Time You Learned To Respect Your Betters.” (Big Jake)
Jacob “Big Jake” McCandle (John Wayne) is a retired gunfighter who is forced on one last mission when a gang holds his grandson to ransom. Not only does this Western adventure film include a trusty dog sidekick, but it includes lines as kick-in-the-teeth as this. 1964 when this movie was released, John Wayne delivered this line with all the weight of someone who has been in the business for decades, and it certainly stayed with a lot of people.
17, “Looking Back Is A Bad Habit.” (True Grit)
The lead of an outlaw gang, “Lucky” Ned Pepper, survives a skirmish with Marshal Cogburn (Wayne) while several of his gang are killed, saving him. Afterward, Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) exclaims, “That man gave his life for him and he didn’t even look back,” to which Wayne gives her this line. It’s a firm reminder that, no matter who a person is, it’s living in the present and not focusing on what’s been that keeps us alive. A good rule to live by in an age of constant worry for the future and fear of the past.
16, “Sorry, Don’t Get It Done, Dude.” (Rio Bravo)
After Dude (Dean Martin), taunted as “town drunk,” hits John T. Chance (Wayne) for the second time, Wayne tells him firmly, “Sorry, don’t get it done, Dude.” While he might’ve been giving a stone warning that Dude never hit him again, this line has stuck with some viewers as a better way of showing others remorse. Words and “sorry” don’t get it done, but actions do. Ensuring it never happens again will get it done.
15, “Monsewer, Words Are What Men Live By.” (The Comancheros)
Ranger Captain Jake Cutter (Wayne) finds himself teaming up with recently arrested gambler Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) to take down a renegade arms merchant. Speaking to Regret about swearing oaths, Regret cries, “Words!” which inspires this iconic line from Wayne. “Words they say and mean,” he adds, a lesson in the power of the things we tell ourselves and each other.
14, “All Battles Are Fought By Scared Men Who’d Rather Be Some Place Else.” (In Harm’s Way)
This time starring as a naval captain at the bombing of Pearl Harbor, John Wayne is speaking to a Commander in this scene who confesses, “I’m so scared, my bones are clicking like dice.” In a reply as compassionate as it is humanizing, Wayne tells the commander this. He asks Wayne, “Does that include admirals?” and Wayne tells him simply, “Yes.” This is both a reminder that people in the military and at war are often in the last place they’d like to be, they’re still human, and they’re scared. And it’s also a reminder for daily battles against illness or trauma or a hard day’s work. Everyone’s scared, and that’s okay.
13, “I’m Proud Of Ya. All Of Ya. Every Man Wants His Children To Be Better Than He Was. You Are.” (The Cowboys)
A 1971 triumph of Western drama, The Cowboys follows Will Anderson (Wayne) as he hires schoolboys to train as cowboys, embarking on an adventure to get his herd to market in time. Giving his cowboys this heart-warming speech, John Wayne gave viewers everywhere a movie quote to remember that the greatest gift a parent (biological or otherwise) can give their children is to help them become better than themselves.
12, “Don’t Try To Win This War All By Yourself.” (Flying Tigers)
A black-and-white drama released during WWII, Flying Tigers follows Jim Gordon (Wayne), captain of an American pilot squadron. While critics weren’t impressed by “
11, “Put It In A Nutshell? You Couldn’t Put It In A Barrel Without A Bottom.” (The Shootist)
From Wayne’s last starring movie before his death three years later, this line is one of the few comic moments that John Wayne had on screen that is remembered as much as his motivational lines. But, delivered with the dry wit of a man who’s seen it all and is ready for death, this instantly popular idiom is a sudden jerk of a laugh in an otherwise morbid film that keeps it light and reminds viewers that a bit of sarcastic humor can keep the soul alive for a while longer.
10, “Well, It’s Not How You’re Buried. It’s How You’re Remembered.” (The Cowboys)
In response to Cimarron (A Martinez) complaining, “They didn’t even dig him a decent grave,” Wayne’s character Wil Anderson replies with this line. There are many movie quotes from John Wayne that stay with their viewers, but this one is certainly one of the most memorable and important to live by. Anderson points out that the state of a grave doesn’t matter so long as you’re remembered for the right reasons.
9, “You’re The Guy We’re Fighting This War For.” (Back to Bataan)
A film released in the final year of WWII, Back to Bataan hits hard. In this scene, Colonel Joseph Madden (Wayne) meets a young boy and tells him, with this iconic line, why the American army is fighting on behalf of the Philippines. A mix of fictionalized and true events, this film is a wrenching portrayal of war. This quote resonates decades afterward because it spotlights the individuals who suffered during WWII and the people who fought for them.
8, “You Look Like The Vermin-Ridden Son Of A Bitch You Are.” (The Cowboys)
There are a lot of “son of a bitch”s thrown around in this heartwarming film about found families, but this is one of the best (and certainly one of the funniest). Endlessly quotable, this is a line to keep in the back pocket for arguments.
7, “What You Need In These Parts Is A Marshal That’s Better At Smelling Than Spelling.” (Dark Command)
“I don’t know much about the law. Ain’t had much book learning,” Wayne’s character says. “But the good Lord gave me a nose for smelling a horse thief a mile off. And what you need in these parts is a marshal that’s better at smelling than spelling.” A person is worth more than their education; this line explains that with a succinct, even rhyming, success.
6, “Well, There Are Some Things A Man Just Can’t Run Away From.” (Stagecoach)
One of Wayne’s earliest films, Stagecoach, is a journey tale about a group of people sharing a stagecoach. This line from John Wayne, starring as Ringo Kid, is a pin-on-the-wall lesson about life. There are some things people can’t run away from and must face with dignity and courage.
5, “Get Down Off Them Horses. I Don’t Favor Looking Up To The Likes Of You.” (Red River)
A film about one of the world’s greatest cattle herds, John Wayne, as Thomas Dunson greets deserters of the cattle drive with this none-too-warm welcome. Not only is this an iconic display of Wayne’s characteristic self-confidence and commitment to law and order, but this is a line to boost a person’s own confidence in what they’re owed and what they owe others.
4, “It Takes A Good Fire To Burn Down The Weeds… To Let The Flowers Grow.” (Dark Command)
“We got a saying down in Texas,” Wayne tells Fletcher ‘Fletch’ McCloud after a tense moment and drops this saying. It’s important to take out the rough patches, the weeds, but it’s as important to make sure it leaves a place where flowers can grow.
3, “When He’s In Love, He Suffers Knowing It’s A Dead End.” (The Shepherd of the Hills)
“The bigger the man, the deeper the imprint. And when he’s in love, he suffers knowing it’s a dead end,” John Wayne says in this mesmerizing drama about a man hunting down the father who abandoned his mother. A seemingly romantic line for a dark film, this quote could be a song lyric for its poetry. It served as a reminder to viewers that love can hurt, that love is much more dimensional, involving much more hard work, than romance and honeymoons.
2, “Now I Don’t Hold Jail Against You, But I Hate A Liar.” (The Cowboys)
From the film that almost pioneered the found family trope, this line from John Wayne’s character was a welcome respite of not judging a person based on their pasts, particularly not their past mistakes. However, it reminds society that a) anyone can be a liar and b) liars are seldom trusted, whereas people who admit their mistakes can be.
1, “Young Fella, If You’re Looking For Trouble, I’ll Accommodate You. Otherwise, Leave It Alone.” (True Grit)
Finally, this last quote closes the ranking because it’s a real mic drop moment. It’s almost Shakespearean in its very dangerous warning and couldn’t be anywhere but the top of the list for its quotability for arguments and lessons for life. If a person is looking for trouble, they’ll find it. If they’re not, they shouldn’t stir things up.
One of Hollywood’s greatest actors, John Wayne, left a stirring impression on the world, and these are some of the quotes that still stick in the minds of fans everywhere.