Whose Better: John Wayne or Clint Eastwood?

[Coloradomtnman]

Obviously this is a ridiculous thread.

John Wayne is an American icon. He starred in dozens of movies, mostly Westerns - or maybe all of them were Westerns. His slow-talking, deep baritone voice conveyed wit, humor, disappointment and threat sincerely and with the same tone. I haven't been as exposed to John Wayne as much as I have been to Clint, and the Duke is a serious bad-ass, but...

Clint Eastwood is also an American icon. I would go even further and say a National Treasure but I'm an obvious fan and biased. He's won 2 academy awards for Best Director, and 2 for Best Picture (for the same movies: The Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) and he's been nominated for Letters from Iwo Jima and Mystic River for the same awards. His squint is unforgettable, and his raspy voice iconic in itself. He's starred in something like 50 movies and directed more in which he didn't appear. He's done some lousy films and has starred in timeless classics like Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, Two Mules for Sister Sarah, and the Dirty Harry Films. If you have cable, at almost any time a Clint Eastwood film is playing. Gran Torino was the best movie I've seen this year and it came out in January.

Clint Eastwood is clearly better.

What do you think?

 

[Zoom-boing]

Better at what?

 

[Xenophon]

A man has got to know him limitations.

 

[Sarah G]

Def Clint.. I just saw him in Grand Torino, he's still one of the best actors ever.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Had the Duke lived longer he might have done some movies with Clint. "Unforgiven" being one that quickly comes to mind.

Wayne's body of work isn't comparable to Eastwood's, partly because of death. But I doubt that, even if Wayne were still around, his body of work would compare. Eastwood's just been prolific for a long time, with both quantity and quality. Writing, producing, directing and acting. Wayne was in movies for fifty years, so time in play wasn't his enemy.

Harris does an annual poll on this that is interesting:

Harris Interactive | The Harris Poll - Denzel Washington: America’s Favorite Movie Star (This is a PDF)

Denzel Washington is America’s Favorite Movie Star
Clint Eastwood is second, followed by John Wayne and Will Smith
tied for third.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – January 29, 2009 – For the third year in a row, Denzel
Washington comes in on top as America’s favorite movie star. Returning to the list this year at number two, after a one year absence, is Clint Eastwood.

The perennial favorite, John Wayne, who died 30 years ago, is tied with Will Smith at number three.

It's pretty subjective. My vote would have to go to Eastwood, just because of his consistent quality work in front of and behind the camera directing, producing and even writing. He wears more hats than Wayne typically did.

My short list would be:

1. Clint Eastwood
2. John Wayne
3. Harrison Ford

After that list it's hard to make any other comparisons IMO.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Def Clint.. I just saw him in Gran Torino, he's still one of the best actors ever.

Wasn't that a great movie? The ending makes it impossible to watch again, though.

 

[Sarah G]

Def Clint.. I just saw him in Grand Torino, he's still one of the best actors ever.

Wasn't that a great movie? The ending makes it impossible to watch again, though.

It was wonderful, I laughed and cried throughout the movie. I also loved him in the old Westerns he was in though and I usually don't really care for them.

 

[asaratis]

Obviously this is a ridiculous thread.

John Wayne is an American icon. He starred in dozens of movies, mostly Westerns - or maybe all of them were Westerns. His slow-talking, deep baritone voice conveyed wit, humor, disappointment and threat sincerely and with the same tone. I haven't been as exposed to John Wayne as much as I have been to Clint, and the Duke is a serious bad-ass, but...

Clint Eastwood is also an American icon. I would go even further and say a National Treasure but I'm an obvious fan and biased. He's won 2 academy awards for Best Director, and 2 for Best Picture (for the same movies: The Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) and he's been nominated for Letters from Iwo Jima and Mystic River for the same awards. His squint is unforgettable, and his raspy voice iconic in itself. He's starred in something like 50 movies and directed more in which he didn't appear. He's done some lousy films and has starred in timeless classics like Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, Two Mules for Sister Sarah, and the Dirty Harry Films. If you have cable, at almost any time a Clint Eastwood film is playing. Gran Torino was the best movie I've seen this year and it came out in January.

Clint Eastwood is clearly better.

What do you think?

Marion wins my vote.

Eastwood is good. Wayne was GREAT!

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Def Clint.. I just saw him in Grand Torino, he's still one of the best actors ever.

Wasn't that a great movie? The ending makes it impossible to watch again, though.

It was wonderful, I laughed and cried throughout the movie. I also loved him in the old Westerns he was in though and I usually don't really care for them.

If his lone mission in making Gran Torino was to make grown men cry, he succeeded marvelously.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

I also loved him in the old Westerns

The Cowboys. Incomparable.

 

[Shogun]

The Duke's westerns are about as gritty as a ride in Disneyland. Clint Eastwood all day long.

 

[Xenophon]

Sho, find a picture called 'the searchers'.

As much as I love Eastwood, he could not play it as down and dirty as Wayne does in that.

 

[jillian]

Go Clint!!!

even his silly stuff is great...

right turn clyde

 

[007]

You feeling lucky... punk?

Clint, hands down.

 

[hjmick]

McClintock!

'Nough said.

 

[Shogun]

Sho, find a picture called 'the searchers'.

As much as I love Eastwood, he could not play it as down and dirty as Wayne does in that.

I dunno, dude.. one looks like he is in a costume and the other like his breath smells like kerosene. I respect your opinion but I just think Clint is exponentially greater than The Duke.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

How do you think Pilgrim voted?



HOWDY PILGRIM

 

[Big Black Dog]

Both John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are the most beloved of almost all of the actors. Each is simply terrific at what they do and did. It would be hard for me to make a decision as to who is the best. It's a coin toss. I have to say though, I didn't think Clint Eastwood's movie "Gran Tornio" was the great movie that you all seem to be screaming about. I thought out of all of Eastwood's movies, it was the absolute worst. I think Clint Eastwood's best work was in the movie "Outlaw Jose Wales". That was a much better movie than Gran Torino. Although the only Oscar that John Wayne ever got was for the movie "True Grit" I think his movie "The Quiet Man" was also a movie he should have won the award for. I love all the John Wayne westerns but to me "The Quiet Man" was also very good.

 

[007]

*The Outlaw Josey Wales*.... best EPIC western ever made. Pure Clint.

 

[manifold]

No contest. Clint wins hands down IMO.

Of course I'm not nearly as familiar with Wayne's work. But mostly because I've been woefully underwhelmed by what I have seen.