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I know this is a fifty-fifty shot but I don't believe he was in a silent film. Great question !!!!

If he did, it was uncredited. His first credited movie was called "Words and Music" from 1929 which was a talkie. The movie has been considered lost for decades. His name Duke Morrison for that movie.

He first appeared as an uncredited bit player in 1926's "Brown of Harvard." He had played football in college, which suited him for the role of a Yale player in the film.

His collaboration with John Ford took place in 1928, in a trio of films--"Four Sons," "Mother Machree" and "Hangman's House"--which featured Wayne as an uncredited extra.

His first starring role was also the first one to use his iconic stage name: 1930's "The Big Trail." Director Raoul Walsh came up with the name for him.

Some of the films you mention were silent films. According to my sources, the answer is false; Duke appeared in a handful of silent movies. Until I see one in person, I would not bet my life on it. I bought a great book in a second hand book shop here in Milwaukee, THE COMPLETE FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE. According to that book the first movie he appeared in (uncredited as all of the ones mentioned here are) was “Mother Machree”, 1928 (Victor McLaglen appeared in it as well for you trivia buffs). It was a silent movie. However, I stumbled on a website:

view link

that claims that was not the first film he appeared in. In fact one of the links questioned whether he actually appeared in Mother Machree at all. It went on to claim he appeared in a handful of silent films before Mother Machree. They claim his debut on the screen was “Brown of Harvard”, 1926 mentioned above. They also listed appearances in these silent films:

Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) (Lou Costello was also an uncredited extra)
The Great K&A Train Robbery (1926) (with Tom Mix)
The Drop Kick (1927) (Duke played a USC Football player)
Four Sons (1928)

Some of that I was not aware of! Great trivia!