re: Was John Wayne a good actor?

There is a major problem here as many here today look at his career and all of the movies he made at once.

John was a mid level actor at the start as he was a stun man for a while and then broke into B grade movies.

The movie Stagecoach (1939) is his breakout role, he had already been in movies for 13 years at this point. His huge leap to stardom took a long time and was still 2 years away in 1939.

Allegheny Uprising in 1940 put him in the raising stars of Hollywood list. But the films that made him a star were Lady from Louisiana and The Shepherd of the Hills both from 1941, which got the vehicle for him Reap the Wild Wind and there was no looking back.

From that date until 1956's The Searchers, John Wayne was one of the better actors on the screen.

John at the point had learned everyone wanted to see John Wayne as John Wayne and most of his later movies Wayne is playing John Wayne on screen.

He should have won Best Actor of Sands of Iwo Jima and Big Jake (not True Grit).

Yes John Wayne was a great actor, but remember the best actor ever is not remembered by many and he was just to good....Paul Muni....

as said by one famous person I would rather have 10 Betty Davis than one Paul Muni.

Acting is just part of one brings to the table, other things are only God given (see Errol Flynn)

Everyone remembers Betty Davis how many Paul Muni?

John Wayne is still one of the top grossing actors today and well-remembered.