AMC Hollywood Icon: John Wayne

The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Wayne plays: A hardnosed Marine sergeant in charge of raw and ragtag recruits.
Why it's classic: Wayne received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Sergeant Stryker. He embodied the ultimate Marine disciplinarian: tough, no-nonsense and at times brutal towards his men.
Interesting Fact: The three surviving veterans from the real-life flag-raising on Mount Suribachi appear in the movie. They re-enact the flag-raising, using with the actual flag they hoisted in the famously photographed moment.

The Sands of Iwo Jima, Richard Jaeckel, John Wayne, 1949