1976 John Wayne Movie Named Among the Best Westerns Ever - and It Was His Last
In 1976, John Wayne was at the tail end of his career and his life.
He left behind one final film, a western that mirrored his final days. It's called The Shootist.
The movie made Rotten Tomatoes' list of the best 100 western movies of all time. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the critics' consensus is positive: "Simple in story while sophisticated in texture, The Shootist is a fittingly elegiac swan song for one of Hollywood's most iconic stars." In some ways, The Shootist was different from past John Wayne movies, as it was more of a character study of an aging gunslinger, exploring deeper themes.
The movie had quite a cast. It also starred James Stewart, Ron Howard, and Lauren Bacall. All of this has helped it make lists of the best westerns ever.
'The Shootist' Stars John Wayne as an 'Aging Gunfighter Diagnosed With Cancer,' Which Wayne Was Already Battling in Real Life
What's the plot? "J.B. Books (John Wayne, in his final film role) is an aging gunfighter diagnosed with cancer who comes to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. Renting a room from widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son Gillom (Ron Howard), Books is confronted by several people of questionable motives, including a man seeking to avenge his brother's death and a few who are looking to profit from Books' notoriety," Rotten Tomatoes explained. "Not wanting to die a quiet, painful death, Books devises a plan to go out with a bang."
This mirrors how Wayne actually died. John Wayne had been battling cancer for years at the time of the movie,History.com revealed. He would die of it three years after The Shootist debuted.
Fans praised the movie on the Rotten Tomatoes' site. "The best movie John Wayne ever made," wrote one. "Not only the finest John Wayne western, but one of the greatest westerns ever made. It is not a grand spectacle; it could just as easily be performed on a stage. Instead, it is an intimate character study of a man confronting profound loneliness, burdened by a past too violent and legendary to release him-no matter how desperately he wishes to leave it behind," wrote another fan of the movie.
"No other actor had a better swan song. John Wayne went out with the perfect film and one of his best performances. And he had an outstanding cast working with him," another fan wrote. "Not only a fitting tribute to the Duke, John Wayne, in his final movie, it is also a tribute to two of the greatest actors of a generation, Lauren Bacall and Jimmy Stewart," a fan wrote.
John Wayne Planned to Make Another Movie But Health Intervened
According to History.com, Wayne was planning to make another movie after The Shootist, but he never did because his health problems worsened. He had lost a lung to lung cancer already by 1964 and was "considered cured after five years," according to History.com, so he was in "good health" during the filming of The Shootist 12 years later.
"Following The Shootist, he planned to star in a new film with Ron Howard called Beau John, but health problems intervened. In January of 1979, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, which led to his death in June of the same year," according to History.com.
Wayne was only 72 when he died.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 8:19 AM.