AboutPaul Rabe Expertise I have seen ALMOST every film with an appearance by The Duke, made since 1940, and a couple dozen of those before then. If it's a film with him, I've most likely seen it, have an opinion on it, and can try to answer questions about it.
Experience I saw my first film where Wayne makes an appearance almost fifty years ago. Since then, I have seen 102 films where he makes an appearance.
Education/Credentials Master of Arts, University of Texas
Question I have a debate with a friend and I was wondering what the very first movie dies in. I say it was the Cowboys and he says it was The Sands of Iowa Jima.
Answer The character played by John Wayne clearly dies in several films prior to _The Cowboys_ (1972):
Central Airport (1933) -- although his part is VERY small.
Reap the Wild Wind (1942)
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
The Alamo (1960)
There are few other films where debate exists on whether his character dies during the film.
_The Cowboys_ is the ONLY film in which the person who kills the Wayne character is listed in the credits, a fact about which Bruce Dern still brags.
