John Wayne’s Forgotten Action Phase: A Deep Dive into His Non-Western Legacy
If you take a step back and think about it, John Wayne’s career is often reduced to two things: cowboy hats and war films. But what many people don’t realize is that The Duke had a fascinating—and largely overlooked—stint in the action thriller genre during the 1970s. Personally, I think this phase of his career is one of the most underrated chapters in Hollywood history. It’s not just about the films themselves; it’s about what they reveal about Wayne’s versatility and the cultural shifts of the era.
The 'Dirty Harry' Effect: Why Wayne Went Rogue
One thing that immediately stands out is how Wayne’s late-career action roles were clearly influenced by the success of Dirty Harry. But here’s the twist: Wayne actually turned down the role of Harry Callahan because Frank Sinatra was offered it first. From my perspective, this decision says more about Wayne’s ego and his long-standing rivalry with Sinatra than it does about his taste in scripts. What this really suggests is that Wayne wasn’t just chasing trends—he was chasing validation in a genre he felt was his to conquer.
Enter Brannigan, a film that feels like Dirty Harry on a transatlantic vacation. Wayne plays a Chicago cop who brings his trigger-happy, bar-brawling style to London, clashing with the genteel British police. What makes this particularly fascinating is the cultural collision at its core. Wayne’s character isn’t just a fish out of water—he’s a bull in a china shop, and the film leans into that tension with a surprising amount of charm.
'McQ': The Darker Side of Wayne’s Action Experiment
If Brannigan is Wayne’s lighthearted take on the rogue cop, McQ is its brooding counterpart. Here, Wayne plays a detective uncovering corruption within his own force, a role that feels more in line with the gritty, morally ambiguous thrillers of the 1970s. What many people misunderstand about this film is that it’s not just a Dirty Harry knockoff—it’s a reflection of Wayne’s willingness to explore darker, more complex material late in his career.
In my opinion, McQ is the more intriguing of the two films because it pushes Wayne out of his comfort zone. There’s a vulnerability to his performance that you don’t see in his Westerns or war films. It’s as if he’s acknowledging, subtly, that the world is changing—and so is he.
Why These Films Matter: Beyond the Machismo
What’s often missed in discussions of Wayne’s filmography is how these action thrillers fit into the broader narrative of his career. By the 1970s, Wayne was a Hollywood institution, but he was also a man out of time. These films aren’t just cash grabs; they’re a statement. Personally, I think Wayne was trying to prove that he could still hold his own in a genre dominated by younger, grittier stars like Clint Eastwood.
But there’s also a deeper question here: What does it mean for an icon to reinvent himself? Wayne’s action phase isn’t just about guns and grit—it’s about adaptability, about an actor refusing to be defined by his past. If you take a step back and think about it, that’s a pretty universal theme.
The Legacy of Wayne’s Action Experiment
Sadly, Brannigan and McQ are footnotes in Wayne’s filmography, overshadowed by his Westerns and war epics. But that’s what makes them so compelling. They’re reminders that even the biggest stars have layers, and sometimes those layers are found in the most unexpected places.
A detail that I find especially interesting is how these films reflect the anxieties of their time. The 1970s were a decade of disillusionment, and Wayne’s rogue cops feel like relics of a bygone era trying to make sense of a changing world. In that sense, these films aren’t just action thrillers—they’re time capsules.
Final Thoughts: Rediscovering the Duke
If there’s one takeaway from Wayne’s action phase, it’s this: icons are never just one thing. Personally, I think these films deserve a second look, not just as curiosities but as legitimate entries in Wayne’s body of work. They’re flawed, they’re fascinating, and they’re a testament to an actor’s willingness to take risks.
So, the next time someone tells you John Wayne was just a cowboy, point them to Brannigan or McQ. Because what this really suggests is that even the most familiar faces can surprise us—if we’re willing to look beyond the hat.
