John Wayne was among the most popular and well-known actors of the 1940s and 50s, to the extent that almost every role he adopted in his later career was the protagonist of the film. Waynes star power alone was enough to entice most audiences to watch his new projects, regardless of the story or the filmmakers that were attached. It was a kind of Hollywood draw thats rarely seen today, and it meant that John Waynes best movies almost always had him at their core.

https://screenrant.com/john-wayne-movies-not-lead-actor/