The 20 best films of Henry Fonda!
The best, and the greatest films of an icon. He is best remembered as the man who loved justice, but many of his greatest roles were of men who battled justice within themselves. These 20 films show him in a myriad of characterizations, and will no doubt what will be remembered a hundred years from now.
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- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneHenry FondaShirley TempleAt Fort Apache, an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe.Although named Thursday, Fonda was clearly a George Custer character here. He was a villain with honor and dignity, who actually thought he was doing right in the cavalry classic of all time.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsHenry FondaDana AndrewsMary Beth HughesWhen a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.An unlikely hero, if you can call him that. He and Morgan (Col Potter) are the central characters, but really blend into the background much the way you would expect Robert Duvall to do, in this classic about a lynch mob. He is brutish, a man of the times, but doesn't like lynch mobs. Meanwhile, he knows there is little he can do, but he does what he can.
- DirectorJohn FordMervyn LeRoyJoshua LoganStarsHenry FondaJames CagneyWilliam PowellIn the waning days of World War II, the cargo officer of a Navy supply ship chafes at its role far from the action in the Pacific's backwater areas, his frustration rising when its captain denies the crew liberty over petty irritations.One of his usual iconic roles, as the man who speaks up for the downtrodden. Set in the war, on a ship that sees no action, this is "scenic drama", with a hint of comedy, and a hint of pathos. It's hard to tell where "Mister Roberts" is coming from in today's world, as he is a bit gung ho during war. Still, this film reflects life in another era, and what people were like.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.Super script with a super cast is going to translate into a super movie. I never really liked "control freaks", which is what Fonda plays here, but this story, and this performance disguise the "control freak" nature of this juror perfectly. Personally, I always suspected Juror #8 was paid off to do this. It is great drama, though.
- DirectorKen AnnakinStarsHenry FondaRobert ShawRobert RyanA dramatization of Nazi Germany's final Western Front counterattack of World War II.Again, Fonda is a bit "gung ho" for combat, but this story revolves around many different people. Fonda's character is his usual "man who is always right when everyone else is wrong", but he is very convincing at it. A top notch war film.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsHenry FondaAnthony PerkinsBetsy PalmerA cynical former sheriff turned bounty hunter helps a young, recently appointed acting sheriff with his advice, his experience and his gun.You have to have some Westerns, and Fonda was in some great ones in his early Westerns. Perkins steals the show here, but Fonda is great as the mentor character. He is in the backdrop in the great final showdown scene, easily one of the 5 greatest showdowns in film history, between Perkins and Brand, with the bold camera angles. This is a memorable Western
- DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsJames StewartHenry FondaInger StevensA peace-loving, part-time Sheriff in the small town of Firecreek must take a stand when a gang of vicious outlaws takes over his town.Before "Straw Dogs", there was "Firecreek". Here, Fonda is a bad guy who leads a gang of mercenary gunmen. He finds a quiet town, and the appeal of the quiet life is set against the example he must set for the respect of his men, when one of them is accidentally killed by a mentally challenged young man.
- DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsRichard WidmarkHenry FondaAnthony QuinnA famous gunman becomes the marshal of Warlock to end a gang's rampages, but is met with some opposition by a former gang member turned deputy sheriff who wants to follow only legal methods.Another great Western in which Fonda's rock solid lawman is made to be upstaged not only by Widmark and Quinn, but even by Dr. McCoy. Fonda knew his role here meant to be upstaged, though. His character is one whose secret emotions are bottled up, and Fonda does it splendidly.
- DirectorRobert AldrichStarsMichael CaineCliff RobertsonIan BannenA reluctant hero, American Lieutenant Sam Lawson, is seconded to a motley British unit tasked with destroying a Japanese radio on a Philippine island.You aren't always the star. Here, his role is limited, but this is a classic war film with Fonda in an authority figure role. However, the film is about the "little guys" in the field, and decisions they must make, which is what makes this a classic.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.This isn't one of my favorites, but it will be remembered as a classic. I didn't like the arrogance of Fonda's character as he basically "bragged" to the driver who gave him a lift about being a "murderer". But that was his character. It would have been better if he was a regular guy, but for some reason, many people think a murderer is a "regular guy". He serves as "observor" in the events that follow.
- DirectorKen AnnakinAndrew MartonGerd OswaldStarsJohn WayneRobert RyanRichard BurtonThe events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.Probably never will be a cast this star studded ever again, so no performer really stands out. It is a lot of "little stories" together, that will be remembered.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaLinda DarnellVictor MatureAfter their cattle are stolen and their brother murdered, the Earp brothers have a score to settle with the Clanton family.While the events are historically false, no major OK Corral movie was very accurate, the closest probably being with Costner, but the characters are the truest here. With each later version, the characters became more and more modern day men in old time outfits. Here, you got the true feeling of the people of the old West, because there were some people who lived in it still alive, who were interviewed. Fonda's Wyatt is undeniably the most realistic to this day.
- DirectorMark RydellStarsKatharine HepburnHenry FondaJane FondaNorman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. At Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.A bit slow paced for me, but obviously iconic. It will come and go, and remain a mainstay drama, because someday it will be remade with another family of actors, and that will be compared to this, and then a third one, and so on.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsClaudette ColbertHenry FondaEdna May OliverNewlyweds Gil and Lana Martin try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley but are menaced by Indians and Tories as the Revolutionary War begins.Again, as with Clementine, we get the feel of real people of the past, and what they were like, instead of modern actors taking time off from their video games and board meetings to put on costumes.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsSylvia SidneyHenry FondaFred MacMurrayA railroad man from the city befriends a mountain girl in a Kentucky family feud.It will come back, as classics do. It isn't heralded by the big shots, but is a story for common people.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsHenry FondaVera MilesAnthony QuayleIn 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber.Can't go wrong with Hitch. Well, not usually. This is one of Htch's good ones.
- DirectorOtto PremingerStarsJohn WayneKirk DouglasPatricia NealA Naval officer, reprimanded after Pearl Harbor, is later promoted to Rear Admiral and gets a second chance to prove himself against the Japanese.Most of the movie seems very routine, and predictaable. It is the climax that makes this something you don't expect.
- DirectorIrwin AllenStarsMichael CaineKatharine RossRichard WidmarkA huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.In the age of disaster films, some will stand out. This is one of the better ones, and the actors are one reason.
- DirectorIrving CummingsStarsDon AmecheLoretta YoungHenry FondaThe story of how Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.Very personable story, with Fonda in a supporting role. It is a "feel good" film, which is something that the wackos can't stand, which is why it is so rare.
- DirectorJack SmightStarsCharlton HestonHenry FondaJames CoburnA dramatization of the battle that was widely heralded as a turning point of the Pacific Theatre of World War II.Another that isn't among my personal choices, but the all star cast will keep this one as a mainstay if only for discussion and prosperity, and perhaps to compare to others (like "In Harm's Way")