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Of the seemingly endless movies John Wayne starred in, only a hanfdul of them stood out as his favorites.
One of those was The Searchers — the acclaimed 1956 Western that Wayne not only considered one of his favorite movies, but one that left such a lasting impression he named one of his sons after its main character.
One of John Wayne's Personal Favorites
In 1977, Wayne revealed his five favorite films for The People's Almanac Volume II, offering fans a rare glimpse into the movies he cherished most. According to MovieWeb, The Searchers made the list alongside several other classics, including The Quiet Man.
The inclusion came as little surprise to those familiar with Wayne's career.
Directed by his longtime collaborator John Ford, The Searchers stars Wayne as Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards, who embarks on a years-long search for his niece after she is abducted during a Comanche raid that leaves much of his family dead.
Today, the film is widely regarded as one of the greatest Westerns ever made.
It Also Featured His Favorite Role
Wayne's connection to The Searchers went even deeper than simply admiring the film.
According to ScreenRant, Wayne considered Ethan Edwards his favorite character of his entire career. Unlike many of the heroic figures he portrayed throughout the years, Ethan was a deeply conflicted man driven by grief, revenge, and redemption, making him one of the most complex roles Wayne ever played.
ScreenRant notes that Wayne was so fond of Ethan Edwards that he named one of his sons, John Ethan Wayne, after the iconic character. His son, who goes by "Ethan," now runs the family's interests.
