John Wayne favored simple hats with a triangular crown creased down the center. But in one film in particular, he wears the baddest, meanest, mothering hat that ever covered a cowboy's head--Hondo (1953). The best John Ford film that was NOT directed by John Ford, as some wags have called it, Hondo follows John Wayne's efforts (as Hondo Lane) to prevent a full-on Indian war. John Wayne’s initial screen appearance here is every bit as dramatic as in Stagecoach—maybe even more so. With his buckskin shirt, colorful neckerchief, battered and tasseled hat (especially the hat), and grim expression, Duke embodies the abiding legend of John Wayne in those opening scenes.
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