159 John Ford Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

While visiting frontier town Shinbone for old friend Tom Doniphon’s funeral, Senator Ransom Stoddard tells local journalist that years ago he had arrived there as a lawyer, and was assaulted by outlaw Liberty valance, but Doniphon had saved him. Later, Stoddard gets elected as representative while Valance continues to harass, so Stoddard confronts him with gun and becomes a legend. But what’s truth?

This highly acclaimed movie is about the quest of a Civil War-veteran to rescue his niece from the Comanches. Ex-Confederate soldier, Ethan Edwards, returns to his brother’s Texas ranch, but finds his family massacred and 9-year-old niece Debbie abducted by Chief Scar’s people. Edwards’ nephew Martin Pawley joins him in his long arduous mission to find Debbie. Does he get his niece back?

During the Great Depression of 1930s, the Joad family of Oklahoma loses their draught-ridden farm to bank-seizure. As they migrate to West with truckload of belongings, they endure hardships along the way, and realize that they are not the only ones in such situation. After reaching California, they discover that the advertised ‘land of opportunity’ is after-all not the dreamland they imagined. 

During late 1880s, a stagecoach carrying a mixed group of interesting passengers traverses through the hazardous Arizona wilderness. The disparate group that includes a banker, a drunken doctor, a dance-hall girl, a whisky salesman, an army officer’s wife, a Marshall and a notorious outlaw, soon gets to know each other. But the threat of Geronimo’s raiding Apaches looms large over their travel.  

After killing his opponent in the ring accidentally, a boxer Sean Thornton leaves the States and returns to his native village in Ireland. He soon falls in love with a young woman Mary, but her brother is not happy with their relationship.

While on a cattle-drive, the Earp brothers leave youngest James with the cattle after reaching Tombstone, only to find him murdered and their cattle stolen. Determined to avenge James, Wyatt takes job as Town Marshal and often encounters alcoholic Doc Holliday and the brutal Clanton family. As an ornament leads Wyatt to the killer, the Earps get set for a showdown at OK Corral. 

An honorable and veteran captain finds himself in a complicated situation when his regime is placed under the command of a young Lieutenant Colonel, who doesn’t have any respect for the local Indian tribe.

Mister Roberts is a war comedy drama film which tells the story of a Naval officer who is longing for active duty, but he finds himself in conflict with his captain.

Known as one of John Ford's greatest silent westerns, 3 Bad Men tells us the story of three desperate outlaws, heading towards Dakota in search of gold. But when they come across a young lady whose father has been killed, they decide to protect her from other outlaws and find her a groom.  Meanwhile, they must also deal with the corrupt sheriff and his gang. 

In this biographical drama film, we see the early years of the life of Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th President, before he had become known to the country and the rest of the world. The film revolves around how he had begun his law practice, his defense of two men accused of murder, the death of his girlfriend Ann, his meeting with Mary Todd, his future wife, and his decision to enter the world of politics.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a Western drama film which tells the story of Captain Nathan Brittles, who is on the eve of retirement.  He takes out one last patrol hoping to prevent a war against the Indians. But the job seems more complicated than he imagined.

They were Expendable is a war drama film which tells the story of a Navy commander during the Second World War, who fights to prove that the American PT boats are worthy of being used in battle.

The Informer is a crime drama film which tells the story of Gypo Nolan, who is impoverished after he is forced to quit the rebel organization he was a part of. Upon finding out that his sweetheart Katie has been reduced to prostitution, he decides to tell the police about the location of his best friend Frankie, in order to win the reward.

Cameo Kirby is wrongly blamed for the death of Col. John Randall, whose daughter he is in love with. Now, he must clear his name and find the real culprit before it is too late.

The Horse Soldiers is an adventure war film which tells the story of Colonel John Marlowe, who faces a lot of obstacles while leading his team of Union Cavalry soldiers to destroy enemy railroads. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the mission turns out to be way harder than his expectations.

Rio Grande is a Western film which revolves around a cavalry officer posted on the Rio Grande, who faces against murderous Apaches, and their uprisings. Things get complicated when he finds himself in shortage of troops, and soon one of the new recruits turn out to be his son.

3 Godfathers is a Western drama film which tells the story of Bob, Pete and William, three men who are outlaws. They are on the run from the authorities, but things get complicated when a dying mother asks them to save her child and be his godfathers. The men decide to return the child to civilization, even if it means risking their freedom and their lives.

A Louisiana con man decides to enter a race with his steamboat, not only to win the prize but also to locate an eyewitness, who is crucial to exonerating his nephew, wrongly sentenced to death for murder. 

Gilbert and Lana are a newly married couple, who decides to take up a rural lifestyle. They try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley, but things don’t go as expected, and their quiet life is interrupted due to the American Revolutionary War.

Four Sons is a 1928 silent drama film revolving around a widowed mother and her four sons, and the film tries to show how the events of the First World War impact them.  

How the West Was Won is an epic Western film which takes us to the 19th century, and covers several events such as the Gold Rush, the Civil War, as well as the building of the railroads.

This biographical documentary film revolves around the life of General Lewis B Puller, one of the most decorated US Marines, who had served in the World War II as well as the Korean War.

Donovan’s Reef is an adventure romantic comedy film which revolves around the adventures of John Wayne, a World War II hero, who has worked hard to own a shipping company, and is now living on a beautiful South Sea island.  

Two families, the Stonemans and the Camerons, are close friends, but when the Civil War breaks out, they find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

Mogambo is a romantic adventure drama film which tells the story of Eloise Kelly, a socialite, who arrives at a remote African outpost. She is upset after finding out that her acquaintance has canceled his trip, due to unrest in his region. She soon meets a hunter and wild animal catcher Victor Marswell, who soon develops a liking towards her.  

Guthrie is a corrupt Marshall who is pressured by his army friend into negotiating the release of several white prisoners of the Comanches, as the Army is also under pressure from their relatives. However, it soon seems that reintegrating them into society won’t be so easy.  

A small-town maverick doctor finds himself in a fix when he fails to save a young girl. With the locals turned against him, he must contain a typhoid outbreak to prove his mettle. The iconic Will Rogers plays Dr Bull in this comedy from the 1930s.

Hogan is an exiled Irish patriot with a price on his head. When he receives a telegram, he decides to go back to Ireland to settle a family matter. 

The movie, based on the Irish playwright Sean O’Casey autobiography, Mirror in My House, is set in 1911 Dublin when the Irish were protesting against the British. It follows the journey of young John Cassidy who begins working as a labourer during the day and pamphlet writer during nights and eventually rises to become an internationally acclaimed playwright. 

Air Mail is an adventure drama film, which revolves around the life of a daredevil mail pilot, who risks his life to deliver important mail, despite bad weather conditions.

Flesh is an American drama film which tells the story of a gifted German wrestler Polokai, who falls in love with Laura, an ex-con. She manages to persuade him to immigrate to America, where she gets him involved with crooked promoters. 

Judge Priest is a comedy drama film which tells the story of Judge William Priest, a civil war veteran, who now presides over the court in Fairfield, Kentucky. He is well-known among the people for dispensing justice with humanity and common sense. His nephew Jerome is also interested in pursuing law as a career, and he has just returned home after passing the bar. He tries to rekindle his romance with Ellie, but she seems to have other interests now. Meanwhile, Mrs. Priest feels that Virginia, the daughter of Senator Horace Maydew, is going to be a better match for Jerome.

During the First World War, while stationed at France, lifelong rival,s Captain Flagg and 1st Sergeant Quirt, compete for the love of French beauty Charmaine. While their shenanigans land them in trouble, they also form a brotherhood as the horrific realities of the War set in.  

Hell Bent is a Western film which tells the story of a young woman named Bess Thurston, who is forced to work at a dance hall, since her brother is neither able nor willing to support her. This hurts Harry, the man who had fallen in love with her. However, he is later forced to rescue her from a man named Beau, who takes Bess with him into the desert, after an attempted robbery.

 This Oscar winning documentary film provides a chronological breakdown of the incidents that occurred in Honolulu on December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked US installations at Pearl Harbor and then goes on to describe its aftermath.  Originally 82 minutes long, the film was later censored and a 32 minutes version was released. 

The story focuses on the friendship between three prison convicts, Saint Louis, Dan and Steve. After his release, Steve heads for his hometown, where people are not aware of his criminal past. But in comes Frosby, a dishonest salesman, who blackmails him into taking part in a scheme to defraud the neighbors. When Louis and Dan learn about this, they escape from the prison to foil Frosby’s plan. 

After being discharged dishonorably, for issuing a costly and fatal order, Colonel Loring Leigh, is murdered before he could prove his innocence as a victim of a conspiracy. Therefore his sons seek the ones who are guilty, and also attempt to restore the integrity of their father. 

At the outbreak of WWI, Captain Donald King of British Army’s Black Watch regiment goes to India. while his regiment proceeds to France on war-duty. His comrades consider him a coward, but he is on a secret assignment to rescue captured British soldiers. Capt. King earns trust and affection of tribal Princess Yasmani and succeeds in preventing a revolt of the tribe.  

Richard Girard is part of a New Orleans family, who works closely with the English family, the Warburtons. Richard eventually gets married to Mary Warburton, but during the Great Depression, they face a lot of struggles.

A documentary World War II training film, plays on heartstring to undercover agent techniques like how to avoid enemy capture, camouflage and ambush techniques by agents who are to be dropped behind enemy lines. Each type of possible agent behaviour is demonstrated with their pros and cons, advantages and detriments.  

Riley the Cop is a silent drama film which tells the story of a veteran cop who is sent to Germany in order to fetch a boy who has been accused of swindling money from a bakery.

During the First World War, a submarine captain Robert Kingsley comes across news that might compromise his decision to attack a German vessel.

This war drama film tells the story of a few divers who make an attempt to save the survivors of a destroyed submarine.    

Submarine Patrol is a war drama action adventure film which tells the story of a Navy official who is demoted due to his negligence. He is put in charge of a run-down submarine chaser, but along with his crew, he tries to prove himself as a worthy soldier.  

This silent drama film revolves around Sir Miles O’Hara, and his daughter, who rent out living quarters to a poor family. The problem is that due to their financial condition, they can never pay the rent on time.

This war documentary film was made to provide a ‘balance’ to the view which war critics were providing during the Vietnam War.

Based on a epoonymous play by Seán O'Casey, the film is set during the Easter Rebellion in Ireland and tells the story of an insurgent, who has joined the citizen’s army against the wishes of his wife, turning a deaf ear to her pleas that he lay down his arm. .

The Blue Eagle is an action drama film which tells the story of George and Big Jim, who are comrades in the Navy, but in the outside world, they are rivals since they both are attracted to the same woman, i.e. Rose, daughter the local policeman. Eventually, it is decided that they will settle their differences through a boxing fight.

In order to gain publicity, a judge sentences a notorious gangster named Louise to fight in the war. Louise survives the war and eventually returns to town, and opens a club to be able to maintain ties with all his former criminal friends.

An army man and a navy man try to focus their rivalry on the big Army-Navy football game.

Mother Machree is a silent drama film which tells the story of Ellen, a poor immigrant from Ireland, living in America. She manages to send her son Brian to a proper school, but when they learn about her, they decide to expel him. Eventually the principal of the school and his wife decide to adopt her son.   

While several servicemen are having a good time playing pool, one of them goes off to spend time with a prostitute. However, he soon finds that he has contracted a sexually transmitted disease. The film then gives its viewers knowledge about the types and treatment of such diseases.