John Ford is one of the greatest directors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, most famous for his Western films, for which Ford often collaborated with John Wayne. Ford is one of the most influential American directors, and he played a pioneering role in Hollywood's transition from silent films to talkies. In a career spanning over 50 years, he made more than 100 films, and is often considered the first auteur in Hollywood.

Critically acclaimed, Clint Eastwood's favorite John Ford movie isn't, surprisingly, a Western. A true master of his craft, Ford dabbled in almost every genre, and was consistently successful at making good films in them all.

25 The Whole Town's Talking (1935)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6

Based on a comical premise of an ordinary man looking similar to a crooked criminal, The Whole Town's Talking features Edward G. Robinson in two roles. The criminal steals a from the ordinary man who was given the to prevent prosecution, since the two's resemblance would otherwise make such a mistake inevitable. While the premise is hilarious, the film is unfortunately tonally inconsistent because the crime drama side of things is much too somber to properly blend with the comedy, irrespective of how dark the latter is.

24 Mister Roberts (1955)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6

Following the crew of a navy cargo ship, Mister Roberts tells the story of a frustrated lieutenant who's desperately looking for a placement in an action-heavy location during the final days of World War II. The ship's captain regularly clashes with him, and the work environment is made decidedly toxic due to the controlling strictness of this captain. The screenplay seems like the script for a play and the main performers all use the space around them and their abilities as actors to create a compelling dramatic narrative. However, the film might have benefited from leaning more into the humor.`

23 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6

John Wayne plays a cavalry veteran who's days away from retirement in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Set in a picturesque location that's filmed in a beautifully vibrant color palette, the film follows Wayne's character as he attempts to quell a rebellion and safely escort two across a perilous land on his final day before retirement. The racist tones in the depiction of the "Indians", that is to say, the Native Americans, may have been acceptable as representation when She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was made, but it makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience today.

22 The Long Voyage Home (1940)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6

The Long Voyage Home chronicles the adventures of a motley crew on board a British tramp streamer as they attempt to cross the Atlantic during the Second World War. A gritty drama, it explores how the hardships of being at sea for long periods of time can disillusion even the most foolhardy, heavy-drinking group of people. John Wayne's Swedish accent is a mistake that could've been avoided, but despite him being underutilized, and a little unevenness in the screenplay's mix of hard-hitting dramatic turns and comic relief moments of optimism, it's critically acclaimed and received six Academy Award nominations.

21 The Iron Horse (1924)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7

A silent era Western of epic proportions, The Iron Horse tells the story of a young prospector who sets out to avenge his father's murder and bring to life his deceased father's dream of a transcontinental railroad across the plains of the United States of America. The story explores the concept of workers' rights, and presents a villain in a capitalist who refuses to optimize the plans for the railroad to increase his profits. The Iron Horse is Ford's first narrative epic and the polished versions of the ideas he explores in it can be found in his later Westerns.

20 Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7

Practically a romcom, although the genre hadn't really yet taken shape back when it was released, Steamboat Round the Bend follows a grifter as he attempts to win a steamboat race and hunts down a witness who can protect his nephew from unfair execution by the law. The charming dates where the central couple of the film get to work optimizing the steamboat for the race and also creating a wax museum on board set up the climactic race, which is a treatise on the harms of conforming to regressive social norms.

19 The Informer (1935)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7

The first film to win John Ford the Best Director Academy Award, The Informer tells the story of a cynical and dysfunctional man who lives in Dublin. He betrays his best friend's trust for the promise of a better tomorrow where he might live out the American dream, away from his drab existence in Ireland. The film is a stylistic journey through a man's psychosis that's unfortunately not very well-placed, with the time period and the world around him barely fleshed out. However, that makes the journey even more emotional, and that ultimately works in the film's favor.

18 Four Sons (1928)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7

A sentimental drama about the life of a woman and her four sons set in the First World War, Four Sons is one of the earliest films in history to involve the use of sound. It's not exactly a talkie because there's no audible dialogue played back for audiences, just a score in the background. There's a bit of propaganda as America is portrayed as idyllic in opposition to , but the film's control of the narrative elements to focus on human tenderness even in the face of war makes it a heartening melodrama.

17 The Last Hurrah (1958)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.7

A nuanced political drama about the role played by televised media in politics, The Last Hurrah explores how politicians not used to the television and not adept at manipulating the audiovisual medium for their needs, started falling behind when televisions entered everyday life. It's an eternally relevant drama because the manipulation of media by politicians for personal gain is an ever-happening phenomenon. The only flaw of The Last Hurrah is perhaps that there are so many unresolved subplots.

16 Sergeant Rutledge (1960)

Letterboxd rating: 3.8

A harrowing courtroom drama about an African American military man accused of raping a white woman, Sergeant Rutledge is a scathing look at the inherent racism in the justice system and in the American populace. It provides the black man with the narrative agency and thus actively takes an anti-racism stance. However, that stance is undermined by its treatment of the native American characters in the film. The Apaches are present, but their treatment as characters, both within the film and in the way the film deals with them, smacks of racist prejudice as their victimhood is never acknowledged.