Sands of Iwo Jima is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele Mara and Forrest Tucker, was written by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant, and directed by Allan Dwan. The picture was a Republic Pictures production.
Original film poster
John Wayne speaks to the film's technical advisors Tarawa veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, Colonel David M. Shoup (center), and Battle of Iwo Jima commander, General Graves B. Erskine (right).
Marion Robert Morrison, professionally known as John Wayne and nicknamed "the Duke", was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood's Golden Age, especially in Western and war movies. His career flourished from the silent era of the 1920s through the American New Wave, as he appeared in a total of 179 film and television productions. He was among the top box-office draws for three decades and appeared with many other important Hollywood stars of his era. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Wayne as one of the greatest male stars of classic American cinema.
Wayne c. 1965
The house in Winterset, Iowa, where Wayne was born
With Marguerite Churchill in the widescreen The Big Trail (1930); John Wayne's first role as a leading man
The Big Trail (1930) lobby card