The Best Movies Directed by John Ford

Updated September 30, 2020 4.8k votes 365 voters 21.2k views

List of all movies directed by John Ford ranked from best to worst with photos. Films directed by John Ford are listed here and include movie posters and John Ford movie trailers whenever possible. This is a collection of the best movies directed by John Ford as voted on by film buffs. If you think the greatest John Ford movie isn't as high as it should be on this list, then make sure to vote so that your opinion of what the top John Ford film is can be factored into this list.

From John Ford's studio films to John Ford's independent films, this John Ford filmography keeps tabs on all John Ford movies, and lets the cream of the crop rise to the top.

The list you're viewing has a variety of movies, like The Searchers and Stagecoach, in it.

If you’re wondering “what movies did John Ford direct?” or “who is John Ford?” then this list will explain how most people know this director. This list also answers questions like “what are the all-time best movies directed by John Ford?” and “what's a good selection of good John Ford movies?”

If you're wanting to get into John Ford films, then this list is a great starting point for at least starting with the most decent John Ford works.

All John Ford director credits are included. This list of every movie that John Ford has directed can be sorted for specific information such as what genre the John Ford movie is and which actors starred in the John Ford film.

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The Searchers
John Wayne, Natalie Wood
Released: 1956
Directed by: John Ford
The Searchers is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision Western film directed by John Ford,... more
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#87 of 206 The Best Adventure Movies#33 of 450 The Best Movies For Guys
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
John Wayne, James Stewart
Released: 1962
Directed by: John Ford
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford... more
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#5 of 399 The Best Western Movies Ever Made#47 of 99 The Most Patriotic Movies of All Time
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The Quiet Man
John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara
Released: 1952
Directed by: John Ford
The Quiet Man is a 1952 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Ford. It stars... more
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#25 of 50 The Best Movies Based on Short Stories#128 of 152 Movies That Should Never Be Remade
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Fort Apache
Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple
Released: 1948
Directed by: John Ford
Fort Apache is a 1948 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and... more
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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
John Wayne, Ben Johnson
Released: 1949
Directed by: John Ford
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 1949 Technicolor Western film directed by John Ford and starring... more
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#933 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#5 of 49 The Best 1940s Western Movies
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The Grapes of Wrath
Henry Fonda, John Carradine
Released: 1940
Directed by: John Ford
The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 drama film directed by John Ford. It was based on John... more
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#56 of 369 The Best Movies Based On Books#795 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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Stagecoach
John Wayne, John Carradine
Released: 1939
Directed by: John Ford
Stagecoach is a 1939 American Western film directed by John Ford, starring Claire Trevor and... more
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#20 of 224 The Best Black and White Movies Ever Made#81 of 102 The 100+ Best Movies Streaming On The Criterion Channel
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Rio Grande
John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara
Released: 1950
Directed by: John Ford
Rio Grande is a 1950 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen... more
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#18 of 63 The Best Western Movies of the 1950s#5 of 98 The Best John Wayne Movies of All Time, Ranked
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Mister Roberts
Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon
Released: 1955
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy, John Ford, Joshua Logan
Mister Roberts is a 1955 American Warnercolor in CinemaScope comedy-drama film directed by... more
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Wagon Master
James Arness, Ben Johnson
Released: 1950
Directed by: John Ford
Wagon Master is a 1950 Western film about a Mormon pioneer wagon train to the San Juan River... more
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My Darling Clementine
Henry Fonda, Walter Brennan
Released: 1946
Directed by: John Ford
My Darling Clementine, a 1946 film, regarded as one of the best Western movies made by... more
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#459 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars#21 of 25 The Top 25 Must-See Quintessential Western Movies
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The Long Gray Line
Maureen O'Hara, Tyrone Power
Released: 1955
Directed by: John Ford
The Long Gray Line is a 1955 American Technicolor drama film in CinemaScope directed by John... more
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How Green Was My Valley
Maureen O'Hara, Roddy McDowall
Released: 1941
Directed by: John Ford
How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 drama film directed by John Ford. The film, based on the... more
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#70 of 92 The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture#8 of 24 Great Period Movies Set in the 19th Century

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Two Rode Together
James Stewart, Shirley Jones
Released: 1961
Directed by: John Ford
Two Rode Together is a western film directed by John Ford, and starring James Stewart, Richard... more
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They Were Expendable
John Wayne, Donna Reed
Released: 1945
Directed by: Robert Montgomery, John Ford
They Were Expendable is a 1945 American film directed by John Ford and starring Robert... more
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#95 of 374 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked#30 of 221 The Greatest World War II Movies of All Time
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The Iron Horse
George O'Brien, J. Farrell MacDonald
Released: 1924
Directed by: John Ford
The Iron Horse is a 1924 American Western silent film directed by John Ford and produced by... more
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3 Godfathers
John Wayne, Ward Bond
Released: 1948
Directed by: John Ford
3 Godfathers is a 1948 American Western film directed by John Ford and filmed primarily in... more
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Steamboat Round the Bend
Will Rogers, Eugene Pallette
Released: 1935
Directed by: John Ford
Steamboat Round the Bend is a 1935 American comedy film directed by John Ford. The film stars... more
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Donovan's Reef
John Wayne, Lee Marvin
Released: 1963
Directed by: John Ford
Donovan's Reef is a 1963 American film starring John Wayne. It was directed by John Ford and... more
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The Long Voyage Home
John Wayne, Barry Fitzgerald
Released: 1940
Directed by: John Ford
The Long Voyage Home is a 1940 American drama film directed by John Ford. It features John... more
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#48 of 70 The Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the 1940s#22 of 205 The Best Movies of 1940
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How the West Was Won
John Wayne, James Stewart
Released: 1962
Directed by: Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, John Ford, Richard Thorpe
How the West Was Won is a 1962 western film written by James R. Webb and John Gay and directed... more
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#129 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made#285 of 557 The Greatest Film Scores of All Time
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Young Mr. Lincoln
Henry Fonda, Ward Bond
Released: 1939
Directed by: John Ford
Young Mr. Lincoln is a 1939 partly fictionalized biopic about the early life of President... more
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The Rising of the Moon
Tyrone Power, Cyril Cusack
Released: 1957
Directed by: John Ford
The Rising of the Moon is a 1957 Irish anthology film directed by John Ford. It consists of... more

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The Battle of Midway
Henry Fonda, Donald Crisp
Released: 1942
Directed by: John Ford
The Battle of Midway is a 1942 American documentary film short directed by John Ford. It is a... more
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The Wings of Eagles
John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara
Released: 1957
Directed by: John Ford
The Wings of Eagles is a 1957 Metrocolor film starring John Wayne, based on the true story of... more