John Wayne is often cited as the most popular and influential Western star of his generation, alongside other figures such as Clint Eastwood and James Stewart. The actor has appeared in hundreds of films throughout his extensive career, frequently collaborating with directors such as John Ford and Howard Hawks. He became known for his stoic, macho performances, and many of John Wayne's best films have gone down in history as the best of the genre.
Throughout his career, John Wayne worked alongside many other stars and became known for his reliable collaborations with other actors. However, there was one particular star of the western genre whose path did not cross with Wayne's until a project in 1940 that saw them finally share the screen. That actor was Roy Rogers, an American actor nicknamed the King of the Cowboys for his frequent appearances in Western films. He only worked alongside John Wayne once, and it was one of the few films in which Wayne wasn't the only protagonist.
Dark Command was the only film with John Wayne and Roy Rogers
The western brought together two of the biggest stars of the genre
Dark Command is an extremely popular Western that tells the story of a woman named Mary McCloud who discovers during the Civil War that her husband is a secret outlaw, teaming up with her former lover to protect a small town from the crimes and torments of your current partner. It's a gripping story of revenge, loyalty and independence which makes perfect use of both actors' talents, with Wayne playing the moralistic ex-boyfriend and Rogers playing McCloud's idealistic brother.
Dark Command currently holds 100% in Rotten tomatoes and is widely considered one of the strongest projects in Wayne and Rogers' filmographies. It's a fascinating narrative that blurs the lines between lawman and outlaw in a way few Westerns have dared to do, combining the talents of its cast to forge a series of complex characters who don't particularly fit into the boxes they've clearly been created for Western heroes. and villains of the time.
John Wayne and Roy Rogers shared the same western companion
There was another welcome star in Dark Command
Dark Command is also noteworthy for the inclusion of George “Gabby” Hayes, the actor who made a career out of playing supporting roles in both John Wayne and Roy Rogers separately. He has appeared alongside both actors in all of their most notable projects, and Dark Command finally brought the three actors together, despite their tangled paths having never crossed before. Of all the great scenes in John Wayne films, few have as much metatextual weight as seeing him share the screen with Rogers and Hayes after their careers have long been compared.