'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse', One of John Wayne's Favorite Films, Was a Box Office Disaster
In 1977, Hollywood icon John Wayne was asked to name his five favorite movies ever made. The results were just as insightful and unexpected at the time as they are today; Wayne is generally considered a legend of the Western genre, but only a couple of his picks were actually Westerns.
First, Wayne named two of his own movies, which he'd made in collaboration with his long-time filmmaking partner, John Ford. Both TheSearchers and The Quiet Man made Wayne's personal list-perhaps unsurprising given just how much critical acclaim they received at the time.
The more surprising inclusion, however, was Vincente Minnelli's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an epic war drama that follows two Argentinian cousins whose family is torn apart when one becomes enamored with Nazi ideology in the years leading up to the Second World War.
The film is loosely based on Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's acclaimed novel of the same name, which had previously been adapted into a film starring legendary actor Rudolph Valentino. But while that film had been a major financial success, Minnelli's was a marked disaster.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was made on a huge budget, with MGM Studios trying to replicate the success they'd found several years earlier with Ben-Hur. However, poor reviews and a general lack of audience interest made sure that Minnelli's film never really got off the ground, and MGM recorded around $5.8 million in losses.
The production process had been particularly troubling, with Minnelli undertaking several reshoots and test screenings to ensure that his vision was fully realized on the screen. Unfortunately, critics didn't share this vision-initial reviews were cold, with many critics comparing it unfavorably to the previous adaptation.
TIME wrote a particularly scathing review of the film, claiming that the "tale is trite, the script clumsy, and the camera work grossly faked." They jokingly wrote that Glenn Ford "portrays his Argentine as a sort of Fisk Tire Baby with sideburns". Reviews were generally more favorable in Europe, where the historical story held a more tangible significance.
Thankfully, John Wayne wasn't afraid to champion this highly divisive epic when questioned about his favorite movies. It may not have been the critics' choice, but it was widely admired by filmmakers and actors for its bold, ambitious storytelling and daring performances. It's a film that Wayne clearly admired greatly, and has since earned much more respect from critics as a result.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 9:33 AM.