John Wayne appeared in at least 79 films (that we know of or for which he was credited.) I've heard "you don't or can't kill off John Wayne" for as long as I can remember. It's fine if you don't agree. But 7 out of 79... I think seven constitutes 'a few'. In John Ford's epic 'The Searchers' John Wayne should have been killed off, for example. But the filmmaker and/or screenwriter didn't follow the novel on which it was based. I think it would have been an even more powerful film if they had. (If I had to choose a favorite film The Searchers would be it; deals with racism and mysogeny - topics that were current then(the film was being made during the Brown vs Board of Education decision) and now.