John Wayne filmography greatly. His successes during this decade included the Ireland-set romantic comedy "The Quiet Man" and two classic westerns, "The Searchers" and "Rio Bravo". Wayne also continued his producing activities during this period as well, notably with the formation of his own production company, Batjac. In 1960, Wayne appeared in his most personal production, portraying Davy Crockett in "The Alamo", which he also produced and directed. During the 1960s and 1970s, John Wayne ranked as an American icon and one of the top box office attractions in the cinema. Wayne's output of films consisted largely of Westerns but he also ventured
John Wayne Corporation, he appeared mostly in small bit parts. His first leading role came in Raoul Walsh's Western "The Big Trail" (1930), an early widescreen film epic which was a box-office failure. Only leading roles in numerous B movies followed during the 1930s, most of them also Westerns. Wayne's career was rejuvenated with John Ford's "Stagecoach" (1939) making him an instant mainstream star. He starred in 142 motion pictures altogether, including the dozens with his name above the title produced before 1939. Biographer Ronald Davis said, "John Wayne personified for millions the nation's frontier heritage. Eighty-three of his movies were Westerns,