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Kick off John Wayne Day with a big-screen classic
John Wayne Day weekend begins early this year with a screening of “The Big Trail” at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth on Thursday, May 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Presented by Cowtown Movie Classics in partnership with John Wayne Enterprises, the event features a live appearance by Patrick Wayne, son of John Wayne and a veteran actor known for “The Searchers,” “Big Jake,” “Young Guns” and “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.” His appearance is courtesy of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation and John Wayne: An American Experience.
A pioneering role for a future legend
Directed by Raoul Walsh, “The Big Trail” marked the 1930 debut of Marion Robert Morrison—soon to be known as John Wayne—in his first starring role. Wayne plays Breck Coleman, a trapper leading a massive wagon train across the Oregon Trail.
The film was designed to commemorate the centennial of the trail by depicting, in realistic detail, the westward migration of America’s early pioneers. Shot on location in seven states, the production featured more than 700 Native American actors from various tribes, along with thousands of cows, horses, and other livestock. It also included five separate casts for English, Spanish, Italian, French, and German versions. Photographed in Fox Grandeur, an early 70 mm widescreen format, the film was an ambitious technical achievement—decades ahead of its time—and is ideally suited to the Modern’s large-format screen.
“Widescreen with an audience is how the movie was intended to be seen.”
— Ryan Bijan, creative director, Cowtown Movie Classics
A legacy forged on the trail
Wayne’s performance as Coleman helped define the screen presence that would later make him an American icon: self-reliant, confident, physically commanding, and relatable.
The production was grueling. Cast and crew forded rivers, endured harsh weather and lowered full wagons down a 350-foot cliff to capture realism on screen. Though “The Big Trail” was not a commercial success—many theaters at the time could not project the 70 mm format—it stands today as a landmark in both Wayne’s career and Western filmmaking.
“These movies have been passed down through generations,” Bijan said. “People introduce them to their kids and grandkids. In fact, John Wayne is the poster child for passing down the Western genre to the younger generation.”
Celebrate all weekend long
Tickets are $5 (free for Modern members) and available at the museum’s admission desk or online at themodern.org.
The screening launches a full weekend of John Wayne Day events, celebrating the Duke’s enduring legacy in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards. Highlights include meet-and-greets with the Wayne family at John Wayne: An American Experience, exclusive merchandise releases at the Stockyards shop, and a Sunday evening wine dinner hosted by Wayne Family Estates.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Tickets: $5 (free for Modern members)
Special guest: Patrick Wayne (courtesy of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation)
Buy tickets: themodern.org
