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The “corrupt” 1969 movies that sickened John Wayne to his core: “I walk out after the first reel”
John Wayne condemned the 1969 films Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy as examples of what he considered “perverted” or corrupt cinema, saying he would leave films of that kind after the first reel. The comments illustrate his opposition to the more sexually explicit, countercultural and socially challenging direction American filmmaking took at the end of the 1960s.
Wayne made the remarks in a 1971 Playboy interview, predicting that audiences would soon tire of such films. Easy Rider followed two motorcyclists travelling across America, while Midnight Cowboy portrayed the friendship between a male sex worker and an ill New York conman; both became influential New Hollywood films, and Midnight Cowboy won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In short
- Wayne denounced Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy as corrupt cinema.
- He objected to their sexual and countercultural themes.
- Both films became major New Hollywood landmarks.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Traditionalists maintain that cinema carries cultural responsibility and that gratuitous depictions of vice represent an abdication of the artist's moral role. They argue that enduring artistic value comes from works reflecting genuine moral insight rather than merely mirroring society's most base impulses, and that the art form is richer when filmmakers operate within ethical boundaries that distinguish authentic exploration from exploitative display.
The case against
Advocates for artistic innovation contend that cinema must authentically reflect contemporary reality, including its uncomfortable and challenging aspects, and that artificial restraint actually diminishes art's power to illuminate genuine conditions. The critical recognition and lasting cultural influence of these films—particularly Midnight Cowboy's Academy Award for Best Picture—demonstrate their artistic legitimacy and cultural importance, suggesting that boundary-pushing cinema meets genuine human needs that traditional forms cannot adequately address.
Explained simply
American cinema underwent a significant shift in the late 1960s, with filmmakers becoming willing to depict sexuality, violence and socially challenging material on screen. This departure from more family-friendly cinema reflected broader cultural and generational changes happening across society.
John Wayne, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, condemned this new direction. In a 1971 interview, he called films like Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy corrupt and perverted, saying he would walk out after the first reel.
Easy Rider followed two motorcyclists travelling across America, whilst Midnight Cowboy portrayed the friendship between a male sex worker and a conman in New York. Both became influential examples of this new cinema, and Midnight Cowboy won the Academy Award for Best Picture, indicating that despite Wayne's criticism, audiences and the film industry were embracing these new styles.