John Wayne filmography greatly. His successes during this decade included the Ireland-set romantic comedy "The Quiet Man" and two classic westerns, "The Searchers" and "Rio Bravo". Wayne also continued his producing activities during this period as well, notably with the formation of his own production company, Batjac. In 1960, Wayne appeared in his most personal production, portraying Davy Crockett in "The Alamo", which he also produced and directed. During the 1960s and 1970s, John Wayne ranked as an American icon and one of the top box office attractions in the cinema. Wayne's output of films consisted largely of Westerns but he also ventured
The Alamo (1960 film) James Edward Grant. Roberts and Olson describe his direction as "competent, but not outstanding." Widmark complained that Wayne would try to tell him and other actors how to play their parts which sometimes went against their own interpretation of characters. Filming began on September 9, 1959. Some actors, notably Frankie Avalon, were intimidated by rattlesnakes. Crickets were everywhere, often ruining shots by jumping on actors' shoulders or chirping loudly. A bit player, LeJean Ethridge, died in a domestic dispute during filming and Wayne was called to testify at an inquest. Harvey forgot that a firing cannon has a recoil; during