John Wayne | The Big Trail

Western movies would not be complete without John Wayne in it. Over the years, the actor had become the epitome of the sub-genre. He did not just happen to be an icon without working hard. When he was growing up, he sold newspapers, and while earning a degree at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the actor received a football scholarship. It is his football coach who introduced him to the world of entertainment.

Wayne was recommended for a job as an assistant prop man in a movie directed by John Ford. The director, Ford, then used Wayne as an extra and after some time gave him much bigger roles. By 1930, Ford suggested Wayne take on a role in the American pre-Code early widescreen movie The Big Trail. Of course, as we all know, he landed the role. While the movie did poorly, it played a big role in launching Wayne’s career, as he starred in many more movies after that.