One of John Wayne’s final films is now saddled up for success again.
John Wayne was a defining figure in Western films and played a major role in the genre’s popularity. He first starred in the 1969 movie True Grit, which is now considered a classic of the Western genre. Some of his other well-known films include The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Alamo, and The Searchers.
I was really excited to see that one of John Wayne’s later films, Big Jake, is having a moment again! As of Friday, April 3rd, it’s actually landed at number 8 in the US on Paramount+. It’s holding its own against newer blockbusters like two SpongeBob movies, Primate, and even Top Gun: Maverick, which is pretty cool!
The movie Big Jake was significant because it was the final film starring both John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. They first worked together in 1950’s Rio Grande and continued to appear in films together for the next twenty years, making them a memorable on-screen duo.
The final project was co-directed by George Sherman and John Wayne. In the film, Wayne and Maureen O’Hara star as a divorced couple, Jacob and Martha McCandles, and the story centers around the kidnapping of their grandson by a man named John Fain.
This movie wasn’t as successful as some of John Wayne’s other films. It earned around $4.8 million in theaters and didn’t receive the same level of Oscar attention as his more famous works.
Despite its flaws, the film marked the end of a famous on-screen duo. It was also Anna O’Hara’s last Western, and she soon retired from acting, effectively concluding a career that had spanned over thirty years.
Big Jake was one of the last films Wayne made during the final ten years of his career. He continued acting with films like The Cowboys (released the following year), Brannigan and Rooster Cogburn in 1975, and The Shootist in 1976.
That film turned out to be John Wayne’s last role before he passed away in 1979 at age 72. While it might not be his most famous movie, Big Jake marks the end of an incredible career for a star who became synonymous with Westerns.
There are a couple of reasons why the classic film Big Jake might finally find success on streaming services. First, 2026 will be the movie’s 55th anniversary. Second, Westerns are becoming popular again, and fans of shows like Yellowstone and Dark Winds might be interested in seeing some of the original films that inspired them.
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2026-04-04 15:28