Many regard John Ford as the greatest American film director, winner of six Oscars, more than any filmmaker before or after him. John Wayne is the actor who transformed the western cowboy into a national icon. The friendship between them and professional bonds for about fifty years transformed their lives and cinema itself. Extraordinary productions by John Ford and John Wayne - Stagecoach, Rio Grande, The Searchers, and The Horse Soldiers - convey the elements and paradoxes of the twentieth century: a generous spirit, abuse of power, a sense of loyalty, and nationalism.