Greatest Westerns of all time
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- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJeffrey HunterVera MilesAn American Civil War veteran embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches after the rest of his brother's family is massacred in a raid on their Texas farm."If you want to direct a film, study the work of John Ford." Akira Kurosawa. The only director to receive four Academy Awards as Best Director, Ford brings all of his knowledge and love of the genre together and creates the greatest western story to grace the silver screen.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGregory PeckJean SimmonsCarroll BakerA New England sea captain in the 1880s arrives at his fiancée's sprawling Texas ranch, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable patch of land.William Wyler brings all of the scope and vastness the west offered its pioneers in this precursor to "Ben Hur." Co-star Charlton Heston questioned Wyler's use of wide angle lens that made his fight with Gregory Peck appear so distant. "Why didn't you use stunt doubles?" "I wanted realism," Wyler quipped. Score by Jerome Moross is one of the finest ever written for a western, certainly the most exciting.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneJoanne DruJohn AgarCaptain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled.In color along with black and white, Ford mastered the western genre. Along with "Stagecoach" and "Red River," Ford demonstrates why he wrote the "western" book and the rest followed.
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsKevin KlineScott GlennKevin CostnerA misfit bunch of friends comes together to right the injustices which exist in a small town.Director Lawrence Kasdan wanted to prove that he was no fluke, having directed two genre classics - "Body Heat" and "The Big Chill." For his next project, he made what many could argue is the ultimate western with all the pomp and ceremony attached. The music and photography are one hair-length short of John Ford, but great nonetheless.
- DirectorKevin CostnerStarsKevin CostnerMary McDonnellGraham GreeneLieutenant John Dunbar, assigned to a remote western Civil War outpost, finds himself engaging with a neighbouring Sioux settlement, causing him to question his own purpose.Sometimes an artist and his work click, and for young Kevin Costner, along with writer Michael Blake, it all came together. An outstanding film that demonstrates the growing frustration of Native Americans with the encroachment of European settlers.
- DirectorArthur PennStarsDustin HoffmanFaye DunawayChief Dan GeorgeJack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Native Americans and fighting with General Custer.Based on the novel by Thomas Berger, Arthur Penn gave actor Dustin Hoffman the role of a lifetime, a one man show that demonstrated a huge heart of the west inside a little man. He tried to understand the "injun" and ended up becoming one as much as he could.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartShelley WintersDan DuryeaA cowboy's obsession with a stolen rifle leads to a bullet-ridden odyssey through the American West.Director Anthony Mann and writer Stuart Lake (story) weave a complex tale around a rifle that changes hands until it finds the right owner. The film revived the career of Jimmy Stewart and is considered by many to be one the best westerns ever made.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsYul BrynnerSteve McQueenCharles BronsonSeven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.Based on the film, "The Seven Samurai" John Sturges brings seven desperate gunslingers into a sleepy little village south of the border and into the history books. The music score (Elmer Bernstein) became so popular that all of the sequels made of the movie actually "borrowed" cuts from the original score and pasted them in.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefA bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.Sergio Leone took a washed up TV actor and turned him into a superstar. Clint Eastwood became a household name after this film became a huge hit with audiences. The music theme by Ennio Morricone actually made the top ten list of the music charts!
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartWalter HustonTim HoltTwo down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.John Huston followed up "The Maltse Falcon" with his friend's, Humphrey Bogart, greatest work as an actor. Bogart as Dobbs is as crazy as they get and his father plays the irascible prospector who shames his co-workers into morality only to loose it in the end. One of my all time favorite movies.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJames StewartJohn WayneVera MilesA senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.Small wonder why so many John Ford movies would be on this list as he created the genre almost single-handed. Once more, Wayne plays a less than sympathetic character whose true valiance is left to legend.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsJohn WayneDean MartinRicky NelsonA small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.One college "film" professor called this movie the perfect western. Hawks made this attempt and then remade the same movie a few years later with Wayne and Robert Mitchum. In this version, Dean Martin plays the alcoholic (stretch?).
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJohn WayneClaire TrevorAndy DevineA group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.Some have likened it to "Dinner at Eight" for the western; this all-star cast premiered a young John Wayne.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsWilliam HoldenErnest BorgnineRobert RyanAn aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.Considered to be the most violent western ever made, this film brought a sense of realism to gun fights that had been missing since the early days of censorship.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordKatharine RossIn 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.A combination of humor and constant pursuit brand this western as part musical, part buddy movie, and part stark realism.
- DirectorGeorge MarshallStarsMarlene DietrichJames StewartMischa AuerDeputy sheriff Destry tames the town of Bottle Neck, including saloon singer Frenchy.A great cast and a great film where the bad get whats comin to 'em... in a nice way. One of the best bar fights ever filmed.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsAlan LaddJean ArthurVan HeflinA weary gunfighter in 1880s Wyoming begins to envision a quieter life after befriending a homestead family with a young son who idolizes him, but a smoldering range war forces him to act.Alan Ladd is the first "man with no name" who comes to town and rights the wrongs. Director George Stevens placed gun shots at full volume to startle audiences and instill the first realism into western soundtracks.
- DirectorElliot SilversteinStarsRichard HarrisJudith AndersonJean GasconIn 1825, an English aristocrat is captured by Native Americans. He lives with them and begins to understand their way of life. Eventually, he is accepted as part of the tribe and aspires to become their leader.One of the first attempts to show the Native American side of the west with the help of British aristocracy.
- DirectorDelmer DavesStarsGlenn FordVan HeflinFelicia FarrBroke small-time rancher Dan Evans is hired by the stagecoach line to put big-time captured outlaw leader Ben Wade on the 3:10 train to Yuma but Wade's gang tries to free him.The original suspense western with Glenn Ford usually at the point of a gun. Van Heflin plays the heavy in this psychological drama.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.Gary Cooper should shine in this brilliant Stanley Kramer film if not for the heavy handed production team that over loads the score with the theme song, "Do not forsake oh my darlin." Cooper's underplay is perfect for the sheriff who must face his villains alone.
- DirectorKing VidorOtto BrowerWilliam DieterleStarsJennifer JonesJoseph CottenGregory PeckBeautiful, biracial Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds herself torn between two brothers, one good and the other bad.There are no "good" sexy girls in the old west. Jennifer Jones goes from playing a saint to a sinner in this sultry tale of twisted love. King Vidor directs an incredible cast.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsJames CoburnKris KristoffersonRichard JaeckelPat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid.A hip film in the 1970's, the actors and the approach seem dated but still viable. James Coburn proved he could ride a horse and carry a gun along with the best of them.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsWarren BeattyJulie ChristieRene AuberjonoisA gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene.Director Robert Altman brought his take to the western genre in this realistic tale - lots of dirt - that some say has only an artistic bent to what others consider a depressing story. One list has this western as number one. I feel it is worth seeing once.
- DirectorHenry KingStarsGregory PeckHelen WestcottMillard MitchellNotorious gunfighter Jimmy Ringo rides into town to find his true love, who doesn't want to see him. He hasn't come looking for trouble, but trouble finds him around every corner.Often overlooked, this Henry King film showcases the talent of a young Gregory Peck as the professional gunfight who wants to hang up his gun and live a normal life, only he can't.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsHenry FondaCharles BronsonClaudia CardinaleA mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.Sergio Leone brings scale to the American west with this 3 hour tale of the rail road versus the cattle men and an all-star cast.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsHenry FondaGene TierneyJackie CooperFrank James continues to avoid arrest in order to take revenge on the Ford brothers for their murder of his brother Jesse.While historically inaccurate, the movie plays well as western drama thanks in part to the professionalism of the cast and director Fritz Lang.
- DirectorBudd BoetticherStarsRandolph ScottGail RussellLee MarvinA former sheriff blames himself for his wife's death during a Wells Fargo robbery and vows to track down and kill the seven men responsible.Before he played bad guy Liberty Valance, Lee Marvin perfected the bad guy roll as Bill Masters in this classic Randolph Scott western. Stone-faced Scott takes some getting used to, but eventually shines through as one of the heroes of the western genre.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsBurt LancasterKirk DouglasRhonda FlemingLawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.So many versions to this film, but this is my favorite due to the stars and John Sturges brilliant direction. Like so many westerns listed here, they retell stories based on myth rather than facts. It's still a good movie.
- DirectorEnzo BarboniStarsTerence HillBud SpencerSteffen ZachariasA lazy, unorthodox gunfighter and his portly, horse-thieving brother defend a Mormon settlement from a land-grabbing Major, a Mexican bandit, and their henchmen.After Clint Eastwood made the "man with no name" a popular folk hero, Terrence Hill resurrects the character in a series of comic/spoof westerns.
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenStarsJohn WayneMaureen O'HaraPatrick WayneWealthy rancher G. W. McLintock uses his power and influence in the territory to keep the peace between farmers, ranchers, land-grabbers, Indians and corrupt government officials.John Wayne personifies the western hero. In this comic version of his own persona, Wayne chases his way through misogynistic tale of men superiority with enough humor to overlook the sexism.
- DirectorJohn FordHenry HathawayGeorge MarshallStarsJames StewartJohn WayneGregory PeckA family saga covering several decades of Westward expansion in the 19th century, including the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads.Told with the largest format ever created for cinema (3-screen Cinerama), this film with its multiple directors and a cast of stars is a mumble of westerns that gets mixed up into one terrible porridge. So why do I recommend it? Scale. No other western has ever been made on such a grande scale. While the picture is largely a failure, its score is the greatest Alfred Newman ever composed.
- DirectorHenry KingIrving CummingsStarsTyrone PowerHenry FondaNancy KellyAfter railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank turn to banditry for revenge.Great cast, big fan of Henry King and George Barnes cinematography. Comes recommended.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsGregory PeckAnne BaxterRichard WidmarkA pistol-packing tomboy and her grandfather discover a band of bank robbing bandits taking refuge in the neighboring ghost town.Directed by William Wellman with Alfred Newman score - Greg Peck and Ann Baxter mix it up. Comes recommended.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsRobert MitchumBarbara Bel GeddesRobert PrestonUnemployed cowhand Jim Garry is hired by his dishonest friend Tate Riling as muscle in a dispute between homesteaders and cattleman John Lufton.Directed by Robert Wise, Robert Mitchum squares off against villain Robert Preston with Barbara Bel Geddes as the love interest. Comes recommended.