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- Published January 24, 2008 - 220 Comments
The time has come for another movies list – this time it is the top 10 westerns. It is a fascinating genre that has provided the film world with some of the greatest cinemaphotography in all moviedom.
10. The Searchers 1956, John Ford
Ethan Edwards, an ex-Confederate soldier from the Indian Wars, finds that his family has been massacred and his niece captured by the Comanches and vows to bring her back and kill everyone of the Indians who did this to him. He travels for five years in order to find her and when he does realizes even though she has been found she has become one of them.
9. Rio Bravo 1959, Howard Hawks
The sheriff of a small town in southwest Texas must keep custody of a murderer whose brother, a powerful rancher, is trying to help him escape. After a friend is killed trying to muster support for him, he and his deputies – a disgraced drunk and a cantankerous old cripple – must find a way to hold out against the rancher’s hired guns until the marshal arrives.
8. A Fistful of Dollars 1964, Sergio Leone
An anonymous, but deadly man rides into a town torn by war between two factions, the Baxters and the Rojo’s. Instead of fleeing or dying, as most others would do, the man schemes to play the two sides off each other, getting rich in the bargain.
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969, George Roy Hill
Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rock, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them.
6. For a Few Dollars More 1965, Sergio Leone
Two bounty hunters are after the same man, Indio. At first, they go their own ways, but eventually get together to try and find him. But are they after him for the same reason?
5. High Noon 1952, Fred Zinnemann
A retiring lawman about to leave town with his new bride seeks allies among the fearful townspeople when an outlaw he put in prison returns with his gang to take revenge in this classic western.
4. Unforgiven 1992, Clint Eastwood
The town of Big Whisky is full of normal people trying to lead quiet lives. Cowboys try to make a living. Sheriff ‘Little Bill’ tries to build a house and keep a heavy-handed order. The town whores just try to get by.Then a couple of cowboys cut up a whore. Unsatisfied with Bill’s justice, the prostitutes put a bounty on the cowboys. The bounty attracts a young gun billing himself as ‘The Schofield Kid’, and aging killer William Munny.
3. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1948, John Huston
Fred C. Dobbs and Bob Curtin, both down on their luck in Tampico, Mexico in 1925, meet up with a grizzled prospector named Howard and decide to join with him in search of gold in the wilds of central Mexico. Through enormous difficulties, they eventually succeed in finding gold, but bandits, the elements, and most especially greed threaten to turn their success into disaster.
2. Once Upon a Time in the West 1968, Sergio Leone
A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad in this long frontier epic. Mysterious pasts and the strength of loyalties is explored amid lightning fast gun battles and stylish vistas.
1. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly 1966, Sergio Leone
The Good is Blondie, a wandering gunman with a strong personal sense of honor. The Bad is Angel Eyes, a sadistic hitman who always hits his mark. The Ugly is Tuco, a Mexican bandit who’s always only looking out for himself. Against the backdrop of the Civil War, they search for a fortune in gold buried in a graveyard.
Afterword
Do you think I have left off a great movie or put them in the wrong order? Tell me what you would have done differently.
Sources: Synopsis details courtesy of IMDB
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January 24th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I think that the New 3:10 to Yuma deserves something….
-Andrea Carlena Beauman
January 24th, 2008 at 10:21 am
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKIN’ KIDDING ME. A list of the Top 10 westerns that includes “Dances with Wolves” but leaves off “The Searchers”?! PUH-LEEZE.
Also, “Little Big Man” and “My Darling Clementine” should be here.
So there.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:23 am
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is by far the greatest, Pale Rider was good to, and Tombston was ok to
January 24th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Good list. I might have added Pale Rider. You can never have too much Clint Eastwood.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:24 am
how can you put “dances with wolves” on a western list and leave the “magnificent seven” off?
January 24th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Excuse me, but where is “Shane”?
January 24th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Okay – Randall is right – I forgot about The Searchers – I have now replaced item 10 with that.
Steve: Magnificent Seven is great – you are right – consider it number 11
January 24th, 2008 at 10:27 am
mregan: in position 12! I loved the book and the film but I think the items above surpassed it for a position on the top 10.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:28 am
8 comments in 7 minutes – I touched a raw nerve it seems
January 24th, 2008 at 10:28 am
whats the name of the movie with gene hackman and russel crowe about a shootout, sharon stone and a very very younge leonardo dicaprio are in it too
January 24th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Shane, Magnificent Seven, Outlaw Josie Wales, Silverado, Stagecoach…
January 24th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I must admit I have never watched a western all the way through…
Well, I’m not counting ‘Blazing Saddles’ as a western!
It’s on my ‘to do’ list of music & films!
January 24th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I would have thought Mackenna’s Gold deserved at least an honorable mention. Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif were terrific!! One of those films which left a mark when i was a kid apart from the usual Clint Eastwood stuff..
January 24th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Eric – The Quick and the Dead
And what about Maverick?
January 24th, 2008 at 10:41 am
The Outlaw Josie Wale is great! So is the Magnificent Seven.
Speaking of Mg. Seven, jfrater should do a list of top 10 american movies adapted from foreign ones. Not many people realize that the Magnificent Seven was based on the Seven Samurai, a old (and decidedly better) Kurosawa flick. Fistfull of Dollars is also filmed, almost scene for scene, from Yojimbo, another Kurosawa movie. There a bunch of other good ones too (and not just crappy J-horror crossovers, either).
January 24th, 2008 at 10:50 am
No western list is complete without a mention of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” Probably the best movie I have ever seen.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Too many Sergio Leone movies. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST and THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY would have sufficed. I agree with the other commenters about 3:10 TO YUMA(2007). The best western of all of course, is LONESOME DOVE, but that is a mini series not a movie.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Ah, good ‘ol John Wayne. My stepfather is obsessed with him and owns nearly every one of his movies. He even has a picture standing next to the statue in John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA
January 24th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I’ve got them all but #2. And why is this quote ALWAYS misquoted? Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!!”
Along with “Play it again for me Sam” What is with Humphrey Bogart movies and quotes? Old Yellowstain!
January 24th, 2008 at 11:04 am
If TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE counts, then THE WILD BUNCH should also have made the list. Four spaghetti westerns, but SHANE, RED RIVER, LITTLE BIG MAN, DANCES WITH WOLVES, and THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE were left off. At least the list maker had the good taste to NOT include EL TOPO.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Looking through the list again, I don’t think “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” should be on a Western list. It’s a good movie, no doubt, but I don’t think it’s a Western movie.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Looks like Yogi and I have the same tastes when it comes to Westerns. We even posted at the same time. Don’t blame me I’m just trying to win the contest.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:12 am
You’re right Yogi. The Italian westerns were as a class second rate and wildly inaccurate historically, though admittedly sometimes enjoyable.
..”Liberty Valance” and “Red River” are certainly among the top ten, and without question, “The Searchers” is the greatest western ever filmed.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:13 am
What about Young Guns and Tombstone?
January 24th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Rick B:
Technically, “Badges? We ain’t got no stinkin badges!” is correct, as it is a direct quote from Blazing Saddles, which is making fun of that famous line. There is a great list on this site, “top 15 movie misquotes” or something similar and that one is in there, along with the extensive comments in the thread that explain why that one is probably false.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:14 am
The Proposition, The Wild Bunch, and The Three Burials of Melquidas Estrada are all worthy contenders.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:19 am
What about Lonesome Dove?
January 24th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Do you think Babette’s Feast could be considered a western as it occurred during the period? It is definitely not Western in the sense that it is not set in the American West – but it does still have a bit of a western feel about it.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:23 am
i’m not much for westerns, but was kinda expecting to see Stagecoach (John Wayne and Oscars!)
i’m more likely to watch “comedy/westerns” like Maverick or Blazing Saddles, but I did like “the Quick and the Dead” and “Quigley Down Under”.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Young Guns! LOL! The “Brat Pack” western!
January 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am
“The Outlaw Josie Wales” should be #1, but HAS TO be on the list somewhere!
January 24th, 2008 at 11:31 am
how about dirty harry?
January 24th, 2008 at 11:33 am
disregard that comment.i just remembered clint eastwood was in it.ooooops
January 24th, 2008 at 11:35 am
You gotta see Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman. GREAT MOVIE
January 24th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Wow!! Loved the list! Thank you soo much. I feel like watching them all over again!!
I was afraid that this list might contain “The Quick and The Dead”…its such a wannabe movie!!
But I’m a little confused about “Treasure of Sierra Madre”??!
Hope you make it into a top 15 or 20 list, which includes “Young Guns”!!
January 24th, 2008 at 11:39 am
they should all be john wayne movies…he was the king!
and where is rooster cogburn and the cowboy way?
January 24th, 2008 at 11:39 am
oh!!! and the entire series of gunsmoke. pick any episode…
January 24th, 2008 at 11:50 am
copperdragon: I really enjoyed Maverick! Jodie Foster was really funny in that movie.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:50 am
John Wayne in The Cowboys. The best cattle drive movie of all time.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Best John Wayne westerns in no particular order.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Cowboys
True Grit
The Sons of Katie Elder
The War Wagon
The Shootist
Rio Bravo
The Searchers
Rooster Cogburn
January 24th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I’m shocked that the Magnificent Seven isn’t in here! Whats going on?
January 24th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Not to mention “Blazing Saddles”…
January 24th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Cripes! Lord Calvert is right. What about TRUE GRIT? The book is one of the great underappreciated American novels.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I liked The Outlaw Josie Wales and the more modern The Quick and the Dead.
Great list though!
January 24th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Three words: THE. WILD. BUNCH.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Would Desparado be considered a western?
January 24th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Where’s “The Villian” a.k.a. “Cactus Jack”. Staring Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Handsome Stranger. You don’t get much more cowboy than The Governor.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I love my spaghetti westerns, but even I think that the first two of the Man With No Name Trilogy pale in comparison to The Wild Bunch and the Magnificent Seven. I would change those.
Some others that at least deserve a mention are the new 3:10 to Yuma, Pale Rider, Tombstone, High Plains Drifter, and Shane.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
How about a Top 10 B&W Westerns? My stepdad is always complaining that the color ones just don’t have the same quality storyline. Shoot, there is no way I’m gonna win this contest before I leave work. not unless this hits 199 in the next 2 hours.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
My great uncle produced The Shootist.I can’t beleive you did not put The outlaw Josey Wales or Big Jake.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Am I a dork for liking Young Guns???? LOL.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Re: The Contest
I think the contest (and the comments) would benefit if the winning comment came from a random, unknown number selected by you, Jamie, rather than from a number announced at the beginning. This would prevent clustering around the announced number and would reduce the number of poor quality comments. If the goal is to reach a target number of comments than you could publicly state that the random unknown number is somewhere between 150 and 250. Just a thought.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
does anyone else see something wrong with cover of the good, the bad and the ugly? Maybe its juse me but I read it as the good and the bad the ugly, or the good the ugly and the bad, either way it just don’t make no sense. It could just be me though.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
kaylensmommy2006: I like that movie…
January 24th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
longball: A fun fact about Gunsmoke: James Arness was actually 6′ 7″ tall. Everyone always thought Ken Curtis was really short but he was actually 6′ tall.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
The Outlaw Josey Wales and Pale Rider are great! And I, too, have a soft spot for Young Guns. “Not no more, Billy” Love it!
January 24th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
For the young’uns who love YOUNG GUNS, PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID was better. “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” is one of the great songs ever written for a movie.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
One of my favorite westerns is “Dead Man” with Johnny Depp and Crispin Glover. It is very, very weird and kind of trippy, but there is a great, emotional soundtrack to it.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
John Wayne IS Westerns! Does “Back to the Future III” count (JK)?
January 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Celeste, good call with DEAD MAN. You just reminded me of DEADWOOD. It’s not eligible for this list, but it’s a must see for western lovers. Another fun film, not worthy of a top ten ranking, is CAT BALLOU.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
silverado
January 24th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I would take off both A Fistfull of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More. The Good the Bad and the Ugly trumps them both and having Once Upon a Time in the West covers your Leone quotient. I would replace one with either Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter, or Outlaw Josie Wales. Probably Josie Wales as that is my favorite of the bunch.
I’d put in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance in the place of the other one. Then I’d take out Treasure of the Sierra Madre, as I don’t classify it as a western, even though it has elements of a western. I’d put in The Wild Bunch and move it right to number one.
The Next 5 would be
The Proposition
Pat Garret & Billy the Kid
Django
Ride the High Country
Shane
January 24th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
How about top 10 Westerns that aren’t actually westerns? Meaning movies that are heavily influenced by Westerns or basically are westerns just set in a different place/time. (No particular order)
Assault on Precinct 13 (origional)
Seven Samurai
No Country for Old Men
Yojimbo
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
The Road Warrior
Big Trouble in Little China
Seven String Samurai
Tears of the Black Tiger
And the Mother of them all; Dirty Harry
January 24th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
“High Plains Drifter” should have been on the list, as well as “Two Mules for Sister Sara”. Easteood’s westerns were some of the best.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
what about tombstone? I love that western.
though almost all on those list I love to watch as well
maverick too.. dont know if that really counts though…
January 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I really don’t have much to bitch about here. I’m in complete agreement with about all of them, but ten might be too hard to place. I go back and forth about #1 and #2, I like each of them about the same. Others have stated Dances with Wolves better than I have, I also kinda liked High Plains Drifter.
Some other personal favorites include Connager and The Proposition – Aussie western. But I really can’t argue with what’s been picked.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Yogi: Deadwood rocks! I never knew cocksucker was such a popular word in the old west!
January 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
What about Shane? or Cat balou?
January 24th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
how can you not mention Paint your Wagon?
seriously, my favorite is Tombstone or McLintock! Kurt Russell and his eyes at Billy Bob “darn right you’re scared!” man!
i do think that the good, the bad and the ugly is overrated though. i’m not saying it’s a great movie, but just not the end all be all. what is? i don’t know.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Am I the only one who thought ‘Soldier Blue’ was a good movie?
I’ve only seen #1, but I definitely agree on that one. It’s one of my favourite movies for sure.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
If you do a “Westerns that aren’t really westerns” list, it should also include Quigley Down Under, The Postman (though the movie was not even close to being as good as the book), Dune, Escape from New York and Red Dawn.
Would you include Last of the Mohicans as a western or as a western that isn’t really a western?
January 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
JustLoveLA post #31 glad to see someone is thinking straight. was begining to think I needed my eyes checked why is josie wales not on a top tem westerns movie?
January 24th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Holy cow !!!! Where is The Outlaw Josey Wales ?????
January 24th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Long time reader, first time to comment…Being that I reside in Jackson Hole, I must ask where the heck is “Shane”???
January 24th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I think I would almost completely flip the list, with Searchers at No. 1. And I love High Noon, Sierra Madre, etc. I might also be inclined to put the recent version of 3:10 To Yuma on the list… I thought it was that good. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is another one of my faves.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Tough list to pull off. My two cents, The Missouri Breaks should have made the list as well. With Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Harry Dean Stanton, Randy Quaid and Fredric Forrest – how could you go wrong?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074906/
January 24th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
akKris
I definetly will give you Escape from New York. Do you really think The Postman, Red Dawn or Quigley Down Under should be on any top ten list?
I wouldn’t put Dune either as it is much too grand and operatic to be included. Up there for Science fiction works though.
The Long Riders is an excellent western that doesn’t get nearly the credit it deservers.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Don’t really agree with that list, maybe because I’m not a John Wayne fan.
My top 10:
10.3:10 to Yuma (2007)
9.Bad Company (1972) – I think
8.El Topo
7.The Ox Bow Incident
6.Duck, You Sucker.
5.Unforgiven
4.Open Range
3.Once Upon a Time in the West
2.Treasure of Sierra Madre
1.The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
January 24th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is undeniably the greatest Western of all time. The Proposition should be on here, but it’s a bit too brutally Aussie for any internet crowd to handle eh.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
What about Silverado and The Wild Bunch?
January 24th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I can’t add too much from the other good comments except for Fort Apache. I really liked that movie.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Maybe not Top 10 material, but Doc, with Stacy Keach and Fay Dunaway, is the first western I remember seeing that tried to look authentic … muddy streets, dirty clothes … I loved it for that.
Then there’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller, with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, an amazing soundtrack by Leonard Cohen and possibly Robert Altman’s most linear film. One of my favorite westerns.
Penny
January 24th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
the only western i love is: the good, the bad and the ugly. great film,i hope one i will be able to watch all the other unfamiliar titles in the list.
January 24th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
there is a movie based on the japanese- seven samurai(just not samurai and not japanese), it it great, and indeed top 10
not a small flick, a major one, the name eludes me at the moment, but it deserves a spot
i think magnificent 7 was it
January 24th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I would have to say “The Outlaw Josie Wales” is my favorite of the older Clint Eastwood movies.
I would also put “Jeremiah Johnson” and “A Man Called Horse”(though not traditional westerns) on my list too.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
not a western fan, but i liked “el condor” with lee van cleef and jim brown trying to get gold from a fortress
January 24th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Dances with Wolves will always be number 1. Just because it beat Goodfellas doesn’t make it bad.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
magnificent 7 was good
i love the outlaw of josie wales..
dances with wolves…not really a traditional western….more a period piece/historical romance
i agree with the list…good job…i’ve seen ‘em all…specially #1…none better
January 24th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly YES!!!
January 24th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Fully agree with #1!
January 24th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
In no particular order:
The Outlaw Josey Wales
El Diablo
Gunfighter Moon
Silverado
Maverick
Rio Bravo
The Unforgiven
Tombstone
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Once Upon a time in the West
There really is too many to choose from.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
What?! No Fieval Goes West OR Brokeback Mountain?! This list is TOTALLY whack.
….just kidding.
I actually don’t really watch westerns, but I think I should! I just never really like, had the opportunity. My dad has the ringer from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on his cell phone…you know, that signature little diddy. Hehe. Anyway, good luck with the contest, and good list. Your movie lists always make me want to watch some of the movies on them, which not a lot of movie lists/suggestions do so that’s saying something.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
NoPunyNerd, you’re too right about MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER. It’s not only one of the ten best westerns, it’s arguably, one of the ten best movies of any genre.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
I always found The Searchers fascinating in another way… instead of him realizing that she has become one of them when he finds her, I wonder how long into his search he got before the plan became to kill her. She’s clearly been “tainted” by a certain point as far as this racist character is concerned, and after awhile he is just searching so he can murder her. But there are plenty of ways to interpret it. I just like that one because it is the darkest
January 24th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I am really not a fan of westerns, though I have to say I really liked Tombstone.
Spaghetti westerns are annoying to me as an American History major, often I can excuse historical inaccuracy but there’s also something about Clint Eastwood I can’t stand.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Where’s Tombstone?…. or Magnificent 7?
January 24th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Is Django considered a Western?
January 25th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Two words.Wyatt Earp.
January 25th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Gee guys – long way off the prize!
January 25th, 2008 at 1:51 am
I’ve only seen a couple of movies on this list, but I think I might start watching more westerns.
January 25th, 2008 at 1:52 am
I don’t suppose you make it so the 100th post gets a DVD as well
January 25th, 2008 at 2:59 am
smac: hehe no
January 25th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Not relevant to this list but..JF, are you really an opera singer? Did a search on you in google..wow.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:28 am
heavybison: yeah – I studied at the Royal College of Music in London. I gave it up for IT though
January 25th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Yogi Barrister (comment 57): I had no idea Knockin on Heaven’s Door was written for a movie! I must admit though my favourite song written for a movie is from Young Guns. Blaze of Glory by Bon Jovi.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:46 am
TOMBSTONE! I just gotta say it because it is my favorite movie; I’m sure it is not the best western…but still, my favorite movie. The best John Wayne film is by far Hatari!; he has a baby elephant that thinks John Wayne is his mother! Comedy gold at its best.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:52 am
My favourite John Wayne movie was McLintock!
January 25th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Not really for this list, but one of my favorite western themed movies is “Lonely are the Brave”. Kirk Douglas as essentially the last real cowboy stuck in the 1960’s. I’ve always felt it an under-rated gem.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Again, I have to say, The Proposition is an excellent 21st century Western. Excellent, gritty film set in Australia. At least in the top 12.
January 25th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
SocialButterfly, Bob Dylan not only wrote Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door for PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID, he appeared in the movie as well.
January 25th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Yogi Barrister: Really!? I’m a fan of his and I had no idea.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
NO TOMBSTONE?! Thats the greatest western ever! So many big stars from the time, not to mention the only western I can actually sit thru. lol But come on Tombstone was amazingly good.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
i think tv westerns list should be next . i have watched a lot of westerns, many from this list but not all. i have to agree with all who vote “the outlaw josey wales” is the beswt ive ever seen with “pale rider” a close second.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I still believe that Magnificent 7 should be in the list
January 25th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
One of my personal favorites, Death Rides a Horse. Watch that and youll see the Oren Ishi ii scene from kill bill almost exactly. The man with no name trilogy, the wild bunch, Josie wales, High plains drifter, Silverado, The grand duel (another kill bill inspiration). Tombstone was a good movie till everyone went around quoting Ill be yer huckleberry, thus ruining it.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
What, no Cat Ballou?
January 25th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Yogi Barrister, totally agree re. Lonesome Dove. The list does say “Westerns” not “Movie Westerns”. But no matter
I haven’t seen anyone mention ‘Open Range’ but maybe I’m just a sucker for Robert Duvall in cowboy mode. I can’t think of the names at the moment but I haven’t seen a western starring Sam Elliot that I wouldn’t watch again. He probably (imho) is the best of contemporary field at playing the classic cowboy hero.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Unforgiven sucked. It was only successful b/c it had been so long since Eastwood made a Western. Go watch it again if you don’t believe me. Tombstone was far better.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
This list was compiled by someone whose knowledge of the Western genre barely extends beyond robbing the IMDb for a list of Clint Eastwood movies.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:07 am
I didn’y realize I was such a western fan. Where the hell is El Doraldo? Shane and Gunfight at the OK Corral also belong in the top 10.
These movies could replace the movie list:
Chisum, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Young Guns are good. Big Jake and the Cowboys are better than True Grit. Silverado and The Long Riders are great too.
Outlaw of Josie Wales is the best Eastwood western.Finally, Tombstone and Open Range both could of been the best westerns of them all, if not for the endless shootouts at the end. Val Kilmer was damn cool as “I’m your Huckabee” Doc Holliday. Open Range was gritty, heartfelt story.
Since I babbled on I won’t mention the old westerns which could of been included.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Leaving “Shane” off the list is profoundly retarded. You can’t name a more representative and influential example of the genre.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:52 am
As much as I like Eastwood, Pale Rider was a complete ripoff of Shane.
January 26th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
WHAT?? What about “They call me Trinity” or “Trinity’s still my name” ??
Shanghigh Noon??
Rio Lobo is an alltime favorite also.
January 26th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
There is a difference between a “Western movie” and a movie that takes place in the “West”.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:15 am
A major plus to Sergio Leone’s contributions to this list?
Ennio Morricone’s scores.
January 27th, 2008 at 4:31 am
200 is a long way off.
January 27th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
My suggestion is to re-do this list. Separate the movies “based in the West” from the rip roaring fast gunfights movies like Magnificent Seven. This is the main reason you are being castigated left and right up and down.
January 27th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Not a western fan, but I’ll help someone win the DVD.
Hell, I’ll take it if I win.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I don’t think that Treasure of the Sierra Madre should have been included. It takes place in Mexico, but is not a “Western” in the traditional sense. I would vote for inclusion of Shane, The Magnificent Seven, and My Darling Clementine, and exclude Sierra Madre, Butch Cassidy, and as good as it is, Rio Bravo.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
It is a disgrace that the list does not include Warlock(1951)
January 28th, 2008 at 5:53 am
I didn’t think The Treasure of the Sierra Madre belonged with the other movies either, but I’m not entirely sure how to define what a Western is either so I didn’t say anything.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
3:10 to Yuma! (Just Saw It)
And Pale Rider (‘84 Clint Eastwood effort)
Don’t know where’d they go on the list but I thought they should be mentioned too…
Ooh! Ooh! THE THREE AMIGOS!!
January 29th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I am amazed you do not include “The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance”. This is required viewing on many University courses on films – also what about “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon”???
January 30th, 2008 at 3:09 am
It doesn’t look like his list is going to reach 200 posts. Would anyone win the DVD then?
January 30th, 2008 at 3:11 am
smac: it will eventually
January 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
i never liked westerns because my dad only watched bad d-grade westerns when we were kids
January 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
actually our tv viewing looked like this:
westerns, westerns, lawrence welk, westerns, westerns, shirley temple movies, westerns, westerns, bad variety shows (barbara mandrell and sisters!- blecch)
January 30th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
For those of you that have not seen Open Range, give it a chance. Great story line and great action. It really is a great work by Costner.
January 30th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Silverado, Paint Your Wagon, A Man Called Horse, Tombstone, Jeramiah Johnson are all good. I’m surprised there isn’t anything very recent on the list. jfrater: have you thought about creating lists based on user voting or at least the order of the lists?
January 30th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
islanderbst: I actually enjoyed the Mandrell Sisters but I was 8 or 9 then. Did you ever watch Hee-Haw? My redneck past is nipping at my heels . . .
January 30th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
yeah, hee haw was good because it had a bit of everything: jokes, music, and i always laughed at minnie pearl
January 30th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
jaguar: i kinda liked open range, but it seemed kinda um, lightweight? almost like a cliff notes western
January 30th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I was really young when hee haw was on. I remember liking it though. Probably because it was called “hee haw” and when you’re 3 just saying “hee haw” is a blasty blast.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Sed: My sister was always scared of the cartoon donkey in the end credits. She ran out of the room when he came on the screen.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
so my dad was a john wayne fan, but ive only liked 1 of his movies ive seen, called “hatari”, but it wasnt a western, it was set on an african preserve and it had a neat scene where they are trying to lasso a rhino from their vehicle
January 30th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
The only John Wayne movie I’ve ever seen is Stagecoach. That was pretty good and I thought it would be on this list especially since it jmpstarted the genre.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
What about Red Sun w/ Charles Bronson, The War Wagon, or Hang ‘em High? And the movie with Raquel Welch and Robert Culp, Hannie Caulder, I think.
High Plains Drifter has always been my favorite.
As for comedic westerns, Evil Roy Slade, Support Your Local Sheriff, and Support Your Local Gunfighter.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:12 am
Still no Blazing Saddles? Unbelievable!
January 31st, 2008 at 2:26 am
I really can’t get behind a list that puts The Searchers at number 10. It may be the best movie of any kind ever made. Certainly better than the spaghetti westerns listed (which I love, but FOUR of the top ten? No. Not so much.) and Unforgiven, which put me to sleep the first 3 times I tried to watch it.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:47 pm
What is a spaghetti western? I’ve heard the term but never knew what it meant.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:58 pm
smac- they made some westerns in europe (italy, spain and what not)
sergio leone was from italy
cheap crews and locales that looked just like ameircan southwest
January 31st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
italy=spaghetti
January 31st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Oh, that makes sense now. Thanks.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Sergio lover. If you love spaghetti so much, where’s “They Call Me Trinity”?
February 1st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
westerns are gonna have to make a serious comeback if were gettin to 200!
maybe costner could make Dances with wolves 2: attack of the casinos
February 1st, 2008 at 7:21 pm
or dig up john wayne, andrew mcarthy and jonathan silverman for “Weekend at the Dukes”
February 5th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I’m going to try to revive this thread so we can get to 200 and someone can win the DVD (hopefully me).
Now that ‘3.10 to Yuma’ has been remade, what other Westerns do you think should be done again? Or should no Western be remade?
February 5th, 2008 at 10:44 am
well. only 42 comments to go.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Westerns are dead.
The traditional western, (the white lawmen tracking down dark skinned bandits, while avoiding ‘injuns’), are clearly done.
And with violence being greatly toned down in Hollywood, they are only making bland, historical context type films (like Open Range)or postmodern or hipster-ironic films with a western setting (Brokeback).
So with the poor box office showings of recent westerns, clearly westerns arent resonating with moviegoers, either through the old west setting or the familiar themes of family, justice, etc.
With political correctness and changing viewer tastes, I believe westerns can not be successful now or any time soon. And if Hollywood tried, say by getting Quentin Tarantino to ‘reinvent’ the genre, then it won’t really be a western, will it?
February 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Islanderbst: To me, No Country for Old Men, except for the year it took place, was a western. Cops, assassins, outlaws, Mexican standoffs, violent shootouts, a satchel filled with millions of dollars in cash, themes of morality, causality, and fate, as well as extreme long shots and an absence of a musical score; everything about it reminds me of a good ol’ western. I think the western will always have a place in American film, as long as good scripts are being written.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
borg- you’re right, a good script will always be in style
i havent seen ‘no country’ yet, i really want to
February 9th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I have haven’t seen ‘No Country for Old Men’ either. I heard good things about Javier Bardem. I’ll probably see it when it comes on TV in several months. That’s what I usually do.
February 10th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
This thread is drying up. Two hundred seems so far away, must have water.
February 11th, 2008 at 10:23 am
This is the Old West we’re discussing here. I think grain alcohol would be more appropriate.
February 11th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
if it wasn’t for the spaghetti westerns this list would be kinda weak!
February 11th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Mmmm…spaghetti and grain alcohol…(drool)
34 to go
February 12th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I’ve never been a fan of westerns but both my parents are crazy about them. I really enjoyed “No Country For Old Men” though which many consider to be a modern western.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
The only reason I’m writing this is so that the 200th comment will come sooner and some lucky person wins a DVD.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
lets go
February 15th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
wow this one is slow
February 15th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Are you realy trying to win this one too?
February 15th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
hey ive been trying;
hoping for more “deadwood”; seems like its all over
February 15th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
This could be our own Oak Island Money Pit, buried treasure, never recovered.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Yes, I AM :>
February 15th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I just saw ‘Way Out West’ today. Can that be considered a Western?
February 16th, 2008 at 10:01 am
smac: I think it would.
February 16th, 2008 at 10:04 am
3:10 To Yuma shoul be on here
February 16th, 2008 at 10:05 am
So should No Country For Old Men
February 16th, 2008 at 10:23 am
You guys are still beating this dead horse? I guess I am helping you along a little. Csimmons, I hope oyu are not 201 this time.
February 16th, 2008 at 10:36 am
If i am, then I might just go nuts.
February 16th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
You’re not there already? I went nuts a long time ago. It’s not so bad.
February 16th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
man, this is so close to 200, cant believe its not there yet
February 16th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
This better hurry up
February 16th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I better win this time
February 17th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Sorry guys – competitions expire 48 hours after starting.
February 17th, 2008 at 5:27 am
WHAT!?!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
February 17th, 2008 at 7:37 am
WHY?
February 25th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly is a perfect choice for the number one spot. Magnifiscent 7 got snubbed though.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is definitely the greatest western movie of all time. I would have liked to see El Dorado or Mackenna’s Gold on the list. Those are classic Western flicks.
May 31st, 2008 at 7:15 pm
The Searchers is the most boring movie I have ever seen! My class had to watch it in college, and just about all of us were asleep by the end of it! I would definatly have Dances With Wolves back up there.
May 31st, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Sorry “dude” but anyone who doesnt recognize the brilliance of “The Searchers” is someone to be pitied. It is so much more than the “bangbangbang” that is all of the spaghetti westerns on the list. Not that there is anything wrong with most of them, there is just far more depth to a movie like “The Searchers.”
June 5th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
10.the searchers
9.unforgiven
8.butch cassidy and sundance kid
7.magnificent 7
6.treasure of sierra madre
5.outlaw josey wales
4.the wild bunch
3.lonesome dove
2.once upon a time in the west
1.the good the bad and the ugly
most over rated westerns-shane(good movie but its not hard to name 20 or so thats better),3:10 to yuma(not in top 100), and its sad we live in a world that i even have to say this but broke back mountain should not be considered in the top 1000 westerns
June 7th, 2008 at 6:27 am
I have only seen the most recent of these movies so I am not an authority on westerns. I really enjoyed the Tombstone, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, such an awesome movie that is basically driven all on dialogs. I loved that movie, Casey Affleck should have won some awards for it. Anyone who has not seen that movie should go see it.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
lonesum dove
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm
you left out the dukes only oscar winning film True Grit that is great
September 1st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Because of space, I can’t get into specifics with long explanations and proper citations; hence, this has to be an authoritative list. With this being said, Bad Day at Black Rock and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (and others of that type) do not fit into the purist sense of the look and feel of the Western genre. We all know what the Western genre encompasses and I don’t want to get into a long philosophical discussion on this subject (by the way, both of those movies are in my personal top 100 all-time). One thing is for sure, as Ernest Borgnine stated in his introduction to The Wild Bunch, great movies have to fulfill two requirements to achieve greatness: 1. stand the test of time and, 2. warrant repeated viewings. All of the following movies fall into that category. As a Western fanatic, I know which movies I have left off of this list. I hope my list spurs on dialogue and I hope you take my comments with the same reverence I put into writing them. Enjoy.
10. The Magnificent Seven
It’s so easy for the top nine; the tenth spot was tough to fill. There are so many great Westerns and you’ve seen the lists and you’ve seen those movies, but when a movie is part of the American iconographical landscape, it’s tough to let go. Let’s start with a classic story that is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. The cast is incredible (except of course Horst Buchholz). Good usage of humor combined with a straight forward dialogue, kept the cornball factor to a minimum. The plot also explores the end of the era of the gunfighter and the modernization of the old west. And who could forget one of the greatest motion picture scores of all time. Elmer Bernstein’s score is instantly recognizable and makes the soul soar every time we hear it! Ask any couch potato/western loving real man if he had his choice between The Magnificent Seven and Dances with Wolves, we all know what will be the answer!!
9. High Plains Drifter
Critics and audiences made a huge deal over Unforgiven as being innovative and being a modern Western. Clint Eastwood did this in 1973 with High Plains Drifter. With set designs harkening back to German Expressionism and filming techniques that employ Surrealism, this film was lost in the 70’s cynical treatment of the Western as a genre and never got it’s just dues. Those of us who love the Western will never pass up a chance to watch it in reruns. This was a Western that pulls no punches and all of the characters are despicable. Innovative, provocative, and uncompromising, High Plains Drifter was way ahead of its time for its filming technique, treatment of the anti-hero and the forerunner of many “revisionist” Westerns to come.
8. The Ox-Bow Incident
“Hangin’ is any man’s business that’s around.” Henry Fonda’s father took him to the site of a lynching that occurred the previous morning and told young Henry that statement, and that line was used in the movie at Henry Fonda’s insistence. It’s hard to watch movies like this because it exposes the soul of every man. At a tight 75 minutes, the plot and dialogue move along at a good pace. Beautiful performances by Dana Andrews and Anthony Quinn along with the reaction shots of the mob after the final realization of their lynching leave an indelible mark on the watcher. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and in 1998 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
7. Stagecoach
Relegated to B-movie status, the Western was Hollywood’s stepchild and was never thought of as a serious movie. Stagecoach changed all of that and movie history was made. Moral ambiguity abounds as a cast of disparate characters are put together in claustrophobic environments and forced to deal with each other in the ultimate road trip movie (still used today: Rain Man, Little Miss Sunshine). Orson Welles watched Stagecoach over 40 times while filming Citizen Kane and incorporated scenes with ceilings (a practice rarely used). Akira Kurosawa was inspired so much by this movie he went on to make The Seven Samarai. Stop and think about this for a minute, Stagecoach was responsible for two of the greatest movies ever made!! Combine this with being John Ford’s first talking film, his first time filming in Monument Valley and John Wayne’s star-making role makes this not only an influential Western genre film but also one of the most influential films of all time.
6. The Wild Bunch
It’s long and the whorehouse scene really bogs down the narrative flow, but no Western’s best list can be complete without this movie. Hitchcock has nothing on Peckinpah when it comes to editing a movie. The Academy made one of the biggest mistakes in history by not at least nominating this movie for best editing. Of course the moral ambiguity themes, the demystification of the West and the end of the era of the aging gunfighter are themes that have been explored before, but it’s the controversial handling of violence, slow-motion bloodletting and the parallel with the Vietnam War that makes this a provocative Western that stands along with other great movies. Bloody Sam comes through in living color.
5. Shane
This movie has it all…action, family values, gunfights, fist fights, great humor, great dialogue, incredible editing (saloon fight and final shootout), beautiful Teton locations, breathtaking cinematography, incredible cast and incredible acting. As a Librarian, I usually say that the book is better than the movie, however, the book comes nowhere near the character development or having the reader visualize the locale. George Stevens accomplishes this and more. This movie operates on so many levels that it takes repeated viewings to understand all of the subtleties (especially in the actor’s choices). Just like The Searchers, the sexual tension between the main character and the female lead contributes to a multi-layered screenplay that would make Freud proud. There are so many great moments in this film (Stevens is a master of great movie moments): Dixie on the harmonica, Shane’s first dinner and the reaction of Joey when Shane gets jumpy, the stare-down between Shane and Jack Wilson when they meet for the first time, the fist fight in the saloon, Stonewall’s death scene in the horse shit and mud and the subsequent scene at the Reb’s funeral and his dog at the gravesite (the crew wept while filming this scene) and of course the final scene. In 1993, Shane was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
An epic masterpiece of tremendous proportions. Sergio Leone is a genius at directing this movie and employed innovative usage of extreme close-ups, unusual camera angles, extended sequences and amazing action that changed how films were made after that. What keeps us coming back to this movie time and time again is the wry humor and the MUSIC!! Along with Jaws, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly elevates itself to the level of the greatest motion picture score of all time. It has become a cliché now when the opening whistle melody embodies the Western shootout in movies, TV, commercials, you name it. Keep in mind, before this, the western ideal for music was always the large orchestral scores with sweeping melodies ala Copland, Korngold, Moross, Elmer Bernstein, etc. Ennio Morricone used electric guitars, whistling and hyena howls!! Talk about innovative!! The Ecstasy of Gold sequence is a cinematic clinic on how to unite editing with music.
3. The Outlaw Josey Wales
“Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?” To some of us, we quietly get together in closed-door sessions and hushed tones and truly believe that this is the greatest western of all time. It certainly is Clint Eastwood’s favorite movie. However, for the sake of our classic western fans, I put it in third place. It has stood the test of time and true Western fanatics quote lines from this movie. “Not a hard man to track. Leaves dead men wherever he goes.” Eastwood runs the full gamut of his emotions and turns in a great job of acting including spittin’ chaw on everything that moves. Rottentomatoes.com has a perfect 100% score on the critics “Tomatometer” with Roger Ebert stating, ” Eastwood is such a taciturn and action-oriented performer that it’s easy to overlook the fact that he directs many of his movies — and many of the best, most intelligent ones. Here, with the moody, gloomily beautiful photography of Bruce Surtees, he creates a magnificent Western feeling.” It was also one of the few Western movies to receive critical and commercial success in the 70’s at a time when the Western was thought to be dying as a major genre in Hollywood. Jerry Fielding was nominated for an Oscar in the best motion picture score category. In 1996, this film was placed in the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry. “Dyin’ ain’t much of a livin’, boy.”
2. High Noon
Before I even start, one thing has to be set straight from the get-go. Howard Hawks and John Wayne hated this movie and made Rio Bravo as a right-wing response to blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman and the film’s message to Hollywood for the failure of the Hollywood people to stand up to the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy era. Wayne and Hawks hated that Will Kane ran around town like a “chicken with his head cut off.” Wayne’s political views aside, the plot stands up. Spineless townspeople is a Western staple, Kane could not run away because the killer would catch up to him and kill his new wife, too (is it really so terrible that the hero is not super-human?). So, after calling in favors that didn’t come through, he stands alone in one of the most famous shots in cinematic history (the crane shot of Kane standing alone in the middle of the street). Shot in real-time, Fred Zinnemann created tempo and mood with the ever-present ticking clock and Dimitri Tiomkin’s Oscar-winning song “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin.’” Add to this, Gary Cooper’s Oscar-winning performance (when everybody thought he was all washed-up) makes High Noon one of the great movies of all time (AFI’s list of “America’s 100 Greatest Movies”, High Noon is ranked #33). Registered as a national treasure by the Library of Congress.
1. The Searchers
Monument Valley never looked better in VistaVision’s three strip filming process. Roger Ebert stated, “John Ford’s ”The Searchers” contains scenes of magnificence, and one of John Wayne’s best performances. There are shots that are astonishingly beautiful.” The only Western in history to be placed in the top 10 Sight & Sound Poll as among the greatest films of all time. AFI ranked The Searchers #12 in their all-time list and in 1989 the United States National Film Registry’s first year of selecting films for preservation, chose The Searchers as one of the first 25 films to be deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” The Searchers has influenced films as diverse as Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Hardcore, Dances with Wolves, Saving Private Ryan, The Wind and the Lion and Apocalypse Now. David Lean studied The Searchers in preparation for Lawrence of Arabia and as a result movie history was made with that famous shot of the across-the-desert entrance of Sherif Ali. Sergio Leone listed The Searchers as one of his favorite films. Much has been made of the film’s racist overtones, but both sides were equally represented and based on historical fact. The basis of Ethan Edward’s obsession is clearly stated when Debbie hides next to a tombstone that states the massacre of Ethan’s mother at the beginning of the film. Not so obvious is John Ford’s hidden subtext about Ethan’s affair with his brother’s wife and that Lucy or Debbie could possibly be Ethan’s children. The thirst for vengeance makes total sense especially with the prospect that Debbie’s been “living with a Buck.” So many great scenes (the wedding scene, the letter reading scene) and lots of comic relief (“That’ll be the day!”), keep the viewer’s interest throughout. As far as I’m concerned, this is John Wayne’s greatest acting triumph. When Ethan has to explain to Brad that Lucy was dead and he says, “What do you want me to do? Draw you a picture? Spell it out? Don’t ever ask me! Long as you live, don’t ever ask me more,” is delivered with such harrowing conviction by Wayne, it gives me goose bumps. Then there is the scene when Ethan sees two white women who were raped by Indians and regressed to their childhood, Ethan says, “They aren’t white. Not anymore.” As Ethan exits we are given one of the greatest close-ups in movie history (seen over and over again in motion picture retrospectives). John Ford was sparse with camera movements and so when he employs camera movements, there is a heightened sense of drama. Ford’s camera rapidly tracks in on Wayne’s face to that close-up and reveals Ethan’s total contempt—a chilling moment. Every shot is framed. I’ve never seen a movie that did this so effectively and with such beauty. It’s like Frederic Remington painted each shot. Keep in mind, this is all before CGI. The cinematography is stunning. Then there is that incredible final shot, perfectly framed again with awesome cinematography and John Wayne’s personal tribute to Harry Carey. I am in awe every time I watch this movie.
September 7th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
outlaw josey wales and pat garret and billy the kid should be on there
September 30th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is the greatest western ever made, I believe you should have included Young Guns and Tombstone on this list.
Cowboy: Your So drunk, You Probably See Two Of Me.
Doc Holiday: Well I got Two Guns, One For Each Of Ya!
lol
November 25th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
tombstone
December 8th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
i think you could throw 3:10 to yuma in there
January 13th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Josey Wales, High Plains could have been included. I see people are complaining about no Dances With Wolves. This isn’t so much a western as it is a period piece drama.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
i think tombstone should be in there
also the quick and the dead is an awesome movie
love sharon stone in that movie
just great especially the ending
June 17th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Lonesome Dove – epic western often over looked. Comanche Moon wasn’t bad either.
July 12th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Wonderful list. It’d be perfect if 3:10 to Yuma had been included
August 28th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
One too many spaghetti weaterns. I’d replace “Fist Full of Dollars” with “Tombstone”
September 22nd, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Silverado
Young Guns
September 25th, 2009 at 6:05 am
i would put “once upon a time in the west” at no 1. i would also add “tombstone”. but the list is great. The “unforgiven” deserve to be there. leone is the best western maker.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
The John Ford cavalry trilogy…esp “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”. And for western comedies, how about “Evil Roy Slade” or “Dirty Dingus MaGee”. For revisionist I’m kind of partial to “Silverado”. Keep the lists coming, I just LOVE ‘em! Pilgrim.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Forgetting “Stage Couch.” ?
October 15th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Pretty good, but I think Tombstone and Silverado should be in there somewhere
October 20th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Rio Bravo should be much higher.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
The Wild Bunch should definetly be on the list. And while A Fistful Of Dollars is a great movie, The Wild Bunch is better.
November 24th, 2009 at 10:30 am
what about the outlaw josey wales? the cowboys? either way good list.
December 20th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
As a teenage girl, I was often forced by my father to watch odd movies or tv shows (mostly episodes of ‘Star Trek’. Yucky!) in order to get my weekly allowance. I always rolled my eyes and just sat with my arms folded, waiting for it to end and get my bloody $5.00, which was sent to Greenpeace to save those cute little harp seals. (when Dad found out about my charity, my allowance was suspended until I came to my senses.)
One Saturday I was aghast to discover I had to watch a stupid Western movie that was HOURS long! I was mortified! But about 30 minutes into it I was completely and totally hooked, not the least of which was because the music was some of the best stuff I had EVER heard in ANY movie!! I tried to act chill and not let Daddy see how much I was enjoying it – he needed to think that it was torture for me. But by the time Tuco was running around the circular graveyard to Ennio Morricone’s amazing amazing amazing score, I didn’t care anymore if Dad saw how enthralled I was or not. This film was AWESOME!!! The circular show-down, the name written on the rock, the discovery of the acutal tombstone… I was almost crying because it was over … when Tuco
screams “Blondieeee! You know what you are?!! You’re just a son of a … Wha ah wha ah whaaaaa!!!”
Yes! It is the best and does deserve the #1 spot. Take it from a teenage girl just wanting her 5 bucks. I have watched it again and again, I have bought the soundtrack 3 times (on cassette and 2 cds), have forced my children to watch it (with the same reaction from them) and have thanked my Dad every time I see it.
I was also forced to read ‘Lonesome Dove’ by my brother in law and spent the first 300 pages thinking I would never enjoy it. When they finally left Lonesome Dove and headed out, I finished the rest of the book in 3 days, losing a couple of nights of sleep and almost losing my job. I got to see the movie on tv a couple of years later and I was never more pleased with a book that had been made into a film! Every single character, every line, every place, every emotion conveyed was EXACTLY what I had read in the novel.
Augustus was THE COWBOY – John Wayne’s characters can’t compare (sorry). As wonderful an actor as Duvall is, nothing has come close to his Augustus McCrae. The entire movie was WESTERN COWBOY.
I am not a western movie fan, but I have been made to watch a LOT of them during my life and these 2 films were the only ones that made any impression (though I did enjoy True Grit also).
Very disappointed that ‘Lonesome Dove’ wasn’t included, but I was so happy to see Leone’s best in the #1 spot. Happy and relieved – because I, believe it or not, would have left an even longer comment had it not been.
January 12th, 2010 at 2:42 am
uhh….why is the wild bunch not on this list.
January 22nd, 2010 at 6:50 am
John Wayne and Clint Eastwood totally rock! Fantabulous list! I agree with the order. Great job.
January 29th, 2010 at 8:32 am
@Eric (10):
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio
The Quick and the Dead (1987) (TV)
Sam Elliot and Kate Capshaw
The Quick and the Dead (1963) some old war movie
February 9th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
The Outlaw Josie Wales definitely should be on that list along with The Quick and the Dead
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
How could you omit Blazing Saddles?