# Great Westerns



## Overread (Sep 10, 2007)

Now I consider myself a fan of westerns, however with the exception of the works of Sergio Leone I just can't name any others. I will see them on TV and say thats great - then the title empties itself from my mind. So here I am pleading for some great western titles


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## Sephiroth (Sep 11, 2007)

I'm not a western buff or anything, but my favourite more recent ones are _Tombstone _(1993, George P. Cosmatos) and _Unforgiven _(1992, Clint Eastwood).  

_Soldier Blue_ (1970, Ralph Nelson) is a powerful film.  _High Plains Drifter_ (1973, Clint Eastwood) is a classic.  John Wayne's last film, _The Shootist_ (1976, Don Siegel), is fantastic.


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## dustinzgirl (Sep 11, 2007)

Some of my favs:

Two Mules for Sister Sara
Hang 'Em High
High Plains Drifter
The Outlaw Josie Wales (must see)
Hondo
Rio Bravo
The Magnificent Seven 
Shane
Lonesome Dove (you must see this)
Windwalker (you must see this times a billion)

Newer: 
Tombstone
Silverado
Bad Girls

Also, there's a few I can't remember the name of, the one about the classic Hatfield McCoy feud and another one about two mountain men, one who marries and Indian bride, and their struggle for survival in a changing world that was really darn good.

And if all else fails, find some old Grizzly Adams on VHS. 

PS: I love Westerns, its all we watched at my nana's house. I remember when Nick at Nite used to play all old westerns, and TBS and TNT did the same thing all day, just the cool old western tv shows in their awe inspiring black and white. Not too many really good ones in the new millennium, but you can see a lot of the Western threads in many of them, for example Firefly/Serenity and Sin City remind me a lot of the old Western style of guy, you know the whole "I don't care what they odds are, they are wrong and I'm gonna beat them down for it" attitude mixed up with some poor English skills. 


Oh, and Thunderheart, Lakota Woman, Crazy Horse, Geronimo, 

Lakota Woman--Siege at Wounded Knee is about Indian woman who stood up to the feds in the 70's and got thrown in jail, it is a true story and narrated. Damn good flick.


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## j d worthington (Sep 11, 2007)

Overread said:


> Now I consider myself a fan of westerns, however with the exception of the works of Sergio Leone I just can't name any others. I will see them on TV and say thats great - then the title empties itself from my mind. So here I am pleading for some great western titles


 
Uh-oh!

*The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance* (1962):

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

*Shane* (1953):

Shane (1953)

*High Noon* (1952):

High Noon (1952)

*The Ox-Bow Incident* (1943):

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

*Little Big Man* (1970):

Little Big Man (1970)

*The Wild Bunch* (1969):

The Wild Bunch (1969)

*Stagecoach* (1939):

The Wild Bunch (1969)

*Destry Rides Again* (1939):

Destry Rides Again (1939)

and Destry (1954):

Destry (1954) - Plot summary

*Fort Apache* (1948):

Fort Apache (1948)

*The Treasure of the Sierra Madre* (1948):

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

*The Magnificent Seven* (1960):

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

My roommate also suggests the following (I've not seen the first in ages, and not seen the second at all):

*Pale Rider* (1985):

Pale Rider (1985)

*The Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976):

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)



Hoo, boy.... there's got to be a site covering the Western genre.

EDIT: Right, here goes:

Western Films or Westerns

And, of course, nearly anything that has John Ford's name on it is well worth seeing.

One of the things, I think, that makes a really good Western is when -- as with any other genre -- it transcends the genre itself, and the form is used to address broader issues (*High Noon*, *The Ox-Bow Incident*, for example)... which just about all of these do....


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## dustinzgirl (Sep 11, 2007)

Oooooo I forgot about Pale Rider! Thats a darn good one too. So are the others.


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## HardScienceFan (Sep 11, 2007)

Stagecoach,anyone?


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## Kostmayer (Sep 11, 2007)

Was never overly fond of The Magnificent Seven as a whole film, but I must admit it has some classic scenes - my favourite being the salesmen trying to get an Indian buried, and the subsequent scene with Steve McQueen and Yul Brymner drying the hearse.

Its had mixed reviews, but I think Open Range is a great modern western. Robert Duvall is great as always, and he and Kevin Costner make a great pair.


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## Musky (Sep 11, 2007)

Lots of good westerns listed above. For something a little different, try _Lonely are the Brave_ with Kirk Douglas. He plays an old school cowboy who doesn't fit in the 1960's. He breaks out of jail, and is pursued through the wilderness by a sheriff using helicopters, etc. One of his best roles.

I've always thought few actors played a cowboy as well as Glenn Ford. He made a number of great westerns in the 50's and 60's.

_The Violent Men:_ "Don't make me fight, you won't like my way of fighting."

_Jubal_

_The Sheepman_

_3:10 to Yuma:_ Remake with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale coming soon. 

_The Fastest Gun Alive_

There's more. Glenn Ford's Film Credits

I just loved the _Lonesome Dove_ mini-series, and _The Wild Bunch_ which was mentioned earlier, is one of my favorite movies of any genre.


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## gully_foyle (Sep 11, 2007)

Just checking the IMDB top 50. (Top 50 Western movies by average vote). Probably my faves would be Unforgiven, The Shootist, Dead Man (I love Jim Jarmusch) and Blazing Saddles (why has no one else picked this one?).


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## Sephiroth (Sep 11, 2007)

Ah, _Blazing Saddles_.  Hilarious.


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## murphy (Sep 11, 2007)

gully_foyle said:


> Just checking the IMDB top 50. (Top 50 Western movies by average vote). Probably my faves would be Unforgiven, The Shootist, Dead Man (I love Jim Jarmusch) and Blazing Saddles (why has no one else picked this one?).


 
I was just going to mentioned Blazing Saddles.   You beat me to it.   I'll just have to move faster next time.


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## Quokka (Sep 11, 2007)

For something a little different _The Proposition_ (2005) is Australia's latest contribution to the western. Some great cinematography and Nick Cave writes the script and music score, if not great its certainly very watchable.


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## murphy (Sep 11, 2007)

Also, The Man From Snowy River is a good film.


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## Culhwch (Sep 11, 2007)

Kostmayer said:


> Its had mixed reviews, but I think Open Range is a great modern western. Robert Duvall is great as always, and he and Kevin Costner make a great pair.


 
That was certainly one I was going to suggest. A fantastic western. And Costner's _Dances with Wolves_ can't be left out, I don't think.

Actually, there are a couple of big ticket Westerns about to hit the cinemas. _3.10 to Yuma_ with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, and _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford _with Brad Pitt both look promising.


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## TK-421 (Sep 11, 2007)

Unforgiven was an amazing movie. Solid performances from a stellar cast.


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## Anomander (Sep 11, 2007)

Tombstone was nice. How about last man standing?


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## TK-421 (Sep 11, 2007)

Here's another but one that was so,so:

The Quick and the Dead with Sharon Stone, Russel Crowe, Leo di Caprio and Gene Hackman.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)


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## Overread (Sep 11, 2007)

Well this turned out well - some other western fans present then!
I will have to blame you all for the damage to my account that these suggestions will cause
Thanks for all responces - by bank manage will probably curse you though

sorry - someone please remove - rubbish internet connection!


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## j d worthington (Sep 12, 2007)

While we're at it... though it's not quite as good as the novel, I'd also suggest *True Grit* (1969) and even *Rooster Cogburn* (1975):

True Grit (1969)

Rooster Cogburn (1975)

Not to mention, for a lighter touch, *McLintock!* (1963):

McLintock! (1963)

(Not exactly a big John Wayne fan, actually -- nor am I a big opponent of him as an actor -- but the man _did_ make one heck of a lot of Westerns, several of which are definitely classics of the genre....)


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## Stone (Sep 12, 2007)

> but the man _did_ make one heck of a lot of Westerns, several of which are definitely classics of the genre....)


 
no truer words have been said, i'm going to add "_The Searchers_", "_The Cowboys_" and "_Rio Bravo_" to the "Duke's" list of classics

also going to throw "_Young Guns_" and "_Silverado_" into the equation, by no means great acting but for pure action nice examples 

and although Sergio Leone has been mentioned already, i have to say "_The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_", probably my all time favourite western. Great cast, great story and possibly one of the best musical scores in the way that it follows what is happening on screen so closely

*Edit:* apologies just realised a couple of these have been mentioned already by Dustinzgirl

*Further Edit:* don't think anyone has mentioned it but can't believe i forgot "_Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_"


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## unclejack (Sep 12, 2007)

Okie dokie, here's a few titles for ya. Lonesome Dove..definately a must see, Broken Trail, Unforgiven, Tombstone if you like bullcrap....it's a great movie, very entertaining but NOT historically accurate in telling the story of Wyatt Earp. Go online and do a study on Wyatt Earp and compare it to that movie, very enlightening. My Darling Clementine, The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance, basically just about anything by Clint Eastwood. Oh and don't forget The Good the Bad and the Ugly. I'm not a John Wayne fan so I can't help you there. but The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance is John Wayne film. He isn't the main character though, it revolves around James Stewart.


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## ravenus (Sep 12, 2007)

Lots of excellent Westerns already mentioned, I won't repeat them. Some other ones I liked:
*Seraphim Falls
Wyatt Earp
*


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## murphy (Sep 12, 2007)

Then there's Cat Ballou, with Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda.   An oldie but goodie and very funny.


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## Connavar (Sep 12, 2007)

unclejack said:


> Okie dokie, here's a few titles for ya. Lonesome Dove..definately a must see, Broken Trail, Unforgiven, Tombstone if you like bullcrap....it's a great movie, very entertaining but NOT historically accurate in telling the story of Wyatt Earp. Go online and do a study on Wyatt Earp and compare it to that movie, very enlightening. My Darling Clementine, The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance, basically just about anything by Clint Eastwood. Oh and don't forget The Good the Bad and the Ugly. I'm not a John Wayne fan so I can't help you there. but The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance is John Wayne film. He isn't the main character though, it revolves around James Stewart.




I couldnt careless about Tombstone not being Historical accurate.  It was a  very good western. I dont care about his real life.  He is a myth like many other real life people blown into a hero/icon.

The last good Western i see it as.


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## murphy (Sep 12, 2007)

There's also a movie called Sunset.   Not strictly a western, though it takes place in California which is about as far west as you can get and still stay in the continental US.    Bruce Willis plays the part of Tom Mix and James Garner plays the part of Wyatt Earp.   Pretty good murder mystery.


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## Uylsse (Sep 12, 2007)

TK-421 said:


> Unforgiven was an amazing movie. Solid performances from a stellar cast.


totally agree.
Clint Eastwood,Gene Hackman,and Morgan Freeman are awsome in this.
the old westerns with John Wayne are all great films,my faves are True Grit,and Eldorado.
anything with Eastwood in plus Tombstone with Val Kilmer stealing the show as Doc Holiday.


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## TK-421 (Sep 12, 2007)

Uylsse said:


> Tombstone with Val Kilmer stealing the show as Doc Holiday.


 
That was indeed the best performance of that movie. But, poor Val, such promise when he was younger and now the last thing he did was that flop called Alexander.


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## j d worthington (Sep 12, 2007)

murphy said:


> Then there's Cat Ballou, with Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda. An oldie but goodie and very funny.


 
Ah, yes... how could I forget. Even my parents (who despised Jane Fonda) really enjoyed that one. Absolute insanity... a wonderfully fun film....


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## unclejack (Sep 12, 2007)

Connavar of Rigante said:


> I couldnt careless about Tombstone not being Historical accurate. It was a very good western. I dont care about his real life. He is a myth like many other real life people blown into a hero/icon.
> 
> The last good Western i see it as.


 
Wyatt Earp was no myth, he was a real person and he really did the things they say he did. His life is very well documented and I don't see the point in Hollywood choppin his life's story up and servin us an entirely different version of what happened. If you're gonna have a movie based on a historical character the least you can ask is that it be accurate.


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## j d worthington (Sep 12, 2007)

unclejack said:


> Wyatt Earp was no myth, he was a real person and he really did the things they say he did. His life is very well documented and I don't see the point in Hollywood choppin his life's story up and servin us an entirely different version of what happened. If you're gonna have a movie based on a historical character the least you can ask is that it be accurate.


 
Or at least served up as an historical drama rather than a "biopic"....


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## Sephiroth (Sep 13, 2007)

It's a fair point, I think, but the movie was well made and well performed.  As someone who normally rails against historical inaccuracy, I still enjoyed it a great deal.  Sometimes you just have to shrug and say _that's Hollywood..._


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## Culhwch (Sep 13, 2007)

If I wanted facts I'd rent a doco. When I want entertainment, I turn to Hollywood. I've never seen the point behind the 'it's not historically accurate' argument, myself...


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## j d worthington (Sep 13, 2007)

I think the main problem for me is when it is touted as historically accurate, or somesuch. Otherwise, I simply take it as taking the same license as a historical novel or drama; but when it's given that sort of puff... then it does tend to make me want to slap some people around a bit with a 2x4.....


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## unclejack (Sep 13, 2007)

The point is that when you make a movie about someone if you have any respect for the memory of that person at all you won't go to great lengths to distort their image into something they weren't and make them out to be something more entertaining for you but ultimately unloyal to the memory of the real life person.


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## j d worthington (Sep 14, 2007)

unclejack said:


> The point is that when you make a movie about someone if you have any respect for the memory of that person at all you won't go to great lengths to distort their image into something they weren't and make them out to be something more entertaining for you but ultimately unloyal to the memory of the real life person.


 
On that one, though... that's something that has been the case with not only drama but fiction since the earliest examples of tales (other than biographies) about any famous figure. They do take on a mythic stature in the mind, and so the truth gets increasingly distorted. Which, as I said, I don't mind if it's presented as a piece of fiction using these historical personages... that's fine. But it does irk me when they make claims to being faithful to the facts and then completely ignore them in favor of something more visually or dramatically suitable to the format....


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## tangaloomababe (Sep 14, 2007)

I am not and have never been a huge fan of western's but the few that I do like have already been mentioned.  Tombstone and Pale Rider. Pale Rider being one of the very few Clint Eastwood movies I actually enjoyed.

Also a special mention to True Grit with the big man of Western's John Wayne, a fine Western.


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## unclejack (Sep 14, 2007)

j. d. worthington said:


> On that one, though... that's something that has been the case with not only drama but fiction since the earliest examples of tales (other than biographies) about any famous figure. They do take on a mythic stature in the mind, and so the truth gets increasingly distorted. Which, as I said, I don't mind if it's presented as a piece of fiction using these historical personages... that's fine. But it does irk me when they make claims to being faithful to the facts and then completely ignore them in favor of something more visually or dramatically suitable to the format....


 
I don't totally dissagree. I mean, I don't mind minor alterations to the story for dramatic purposes, I do understand that and alot of times it makes the story more entertaining. A perfect example is the move Apollo 13.....the scene where Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton all butt heads and accuse one another of being responsible the malfunction...in reality that never happened. it was just added to make the story more dramatic, and I'm ok with that. I just have a problem when they change so much that the story doesn't even resemble the true story.
  When it comes to Tombstone there are several flaws...first of all, one of the first things Wyatt Earp did when he came to Tombstone was to secure a job as the town marshall. So the first 45 minutes or so of the movie where he resists the idea is a total fabrication. Also, both of his brothers were shot several months apart...not on the same night like it is shown in the movie. There is also no record that Doc Holliday ever killed Johnny Ringo. He was found dead leaning up against a tree just like shown in the movie, but his killer is still a mystery to this day. The one thing that is accurate in the movie is the gunshot at the ok corral. It's hard to mess that one up because it's very well documented...the sherrif in the movie who jumped into the building right next to where the shooting began witnessed the whole thing and wrote about it in detail so they pretty much knew what had happened. Why they changed everything else, I don't know.


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## unclejack (Sep 14, 2007)

j. d. worthington said:


> On that one, though... that's something that has been the case with not only drama but fiction since the earliest examples of tales (other than biographies) about any famous figure. They do take on a mythic stature in the mind, and so the truth gets increasingly distorted. Which, as I said, I don't mind if it's presented as a piece of fiction using these historical personages... that's fine. But it does irk me when they make claims to being faithful to the facts and then completely ignore them in favor of something more visually or dramatically suitable to the format....


 
I really don't have a problem with minor alterations to the story for dramatic purposes, I'm totally ok with that. A perfect example of that is in the movie Apollo 13. The scene in the movie where Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon all butt heads and blame each other for the malfunction in reality never happened. That scene was added for dramatic purposes and I'm ok with that. When it comes to Tombstone the changes are very numerous. First of all, the first thing Wyatt Earp did when he came to Tombstone was to secure a job as the town marshall. So the first forty five minutes or so of the movie are a total fabrication. Also, Wyatt Earps brothers were shot months apart, not on the same night like it is portrayed in the movie. Another thing that they added is showing Doc Holliday killing Johnny Ringo. There's no evidence to support that. Johnny Ringo was found dead lying up against a tree just like in the movie but there's no evidence that Doc Holliday ever killed him. The one thing in the movie that is accurate is the gunfight at the ok corrall. It's hard to mess that one up. The sheriff in the movie who ducked into the building right next to where the shooting took place actually witnessed the whole thing and wrote about it in detail so it's actually very well documented. As for all the other changes...well, as much as I agree that it is an exciting movie, there's just too many innacuracies for me. And those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head, I'm sure there's many more.


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## gully_foyle (Sep 15, 2007)

Have we looked at any SFF/Western crossovers? Not exactly great westerns, but, for your entertainment....
Battle Beyond the Stars - The magnificent seven in space, with Robert Vaughn as a space faring gun slinger.
The Valley of the Gwangi - I haven't seen this, but there were some recent posts about it. James Franciscus as a cowboy trying to capture a T Rex ala The Lost World.
Back to the Future 3. Doc Emmett as Doc Holliday.


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## Kostmayer (Sep 15, 2007)

Firefly was kind of a western in Space. 
There was Outland with Sean Connery.
And lets not forget the classic BSG episode where Apollo has a duel with a Cylon.


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## unclejack (Sep 15, 2007)

sorry about the repost yall, I didn't think the first one went through.


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## murphy (Sep 15, 2007)

unclejack said:


> sorry about the repost yall, I didn't think the first one went through.


 
It's happened to me.   Oh, for a delete button.


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## Connavar (Sep 15, 2007)

unclejack said:


> Wyatt Earp was no myth, he was a real person and he really did the things they say he did. His life is very well documented and I don't see the point in Hollywood choppin his life's story up and servin us an entirely different version of what happened. If you're gonna have a movie based on a historical character the least you can ask is that it be accurate.




Of course he is real person.  I said in my last post word for word this : 
*
He is a myth like many other real life people blown into a hero/icon.*


Many people in history have been made bigger than they were in real life.

Plus its a western no one cares about historical accuracy.  Also its a Historical Fiction.  Havent you ever read Historical Fiction stories about real life person?


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## unclejack (Sep 16, 2007)

Historical ficton...uh...no. If it's historical how can it be fiction. And obviously SOMEONE cares about historical accuracy or we wouldn't be having this conversation.​


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## littlemissattitude (Sep 16, 2007)

gully_foyle said:


> The Valley of the Gwangi - I haven't seen this, but there were some recent posts about it. James Franciscus as a cowboy trying to capture a T Rex ala The Lost World.



Saw that once, a long time ago...just stumbled upon it one Saturday while channel surfing.  Strange little movie.

I'm not really sure what makes a "great" western.  A few I've really liked are:

_Will Penny_ (1968)
_Ride the High Country_ (1962)

And, for my obligatory John Wayne western..._The Undefeated_ (1969).


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## Steve Jordan (Sep 26, 2007)

I'll bid _Support Your Local Sheriff_.  James Garner made the most laid-back cowboy since the Waco Kid!


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## paranoid marvin (Sep 26, 2007)

Well , there don't seem to be many true-to-life westerns
I guess my favourite 'fun' films are Young Guns I & II 
Favourite 'serious' films are The Unforgiven - great performances by Richard  'English Bob' Harris and Gene 'Little Bill' Hackman , and Tombstone

And of course , don't forget the fantastic swearathon that is Deadwood - seems realistic , but did they _really_ cuss that much?

My overall favourite has to be Little Big Man , part comedy , part biopic of General Custer and the Cheyenne nation , but a film that is greater than the sum of it's parts.19th century America as viewed through the eyes of a bewildered Hoffman , one could almost say it is a social commentary on this period , in the same way that Forrest Gump was


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## manephelien (Sep 26, 2007)

I think they probably did cuss that much. I love Deadwood because you can almost smell it. The only thing that bugs me about it (as nearly all historical dramas) is that the actors have far better teeth than they would have had during that period. Most Westerns glamorize a very unglamorous lifestyle far too much. Most people died young at that time, mainly through disease, although a part of the population did die violently. Probably not more than in any inner city these days, in proportion to the population numbers.

My favorite Westerns are by Sergio Leone.


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## j d worthington (Sep 26, 2007)

unclejack said:


> Historical ficton...uh...no. If it's historical how can it be fiction. And obviously SOMEONE cares about historical accuracy or we wouldn't be having this conversation.​


 
Um, historical fiction is fiction set in a particular historical period... while the details in the life of a particular characer (or historical personage who is being utilized as a character) may not be entirely accurate, attention _is_ paid to the general detail of the time (if you will)... the prevailing mores, social currents, technologies available at the time in that region, etc., as well as keeping _by and large_ to the known facts of that person's life....

And yes, *Support Your Local Sheriff* is a very enjoyable film....


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## paranoid marvin (Sep 26, 2007)

manephelien said:


> I think they probably did cuss that much. I love Deadwood because you can almost smell it. The only thing that bugs me about it (as nearly all historical dramas) is that the actors have far better teeth than they would have had during that period. Most Westerns glamorize a very unglamorous lifestyle far too much. Most people died young at that time, mainly through disease, although a part of the population did die violently. Probably not more than in any inner city these days, in proportion to the population numbers.
> 
> My favorite Westerns are by Sergio Leone.


 
I guess it's something we have to accept with virtually all tv - all the characters have perfect pearly-white teeth. The fact that it ws actually fashionable in periods of history to have blackened teeth (to show off how rich you were , being able to afford sugar) , and that it is highly unlikely that ANYONE prior to the 20th century would have had a perfect set of gnashers is ignored by tv/film producers largely presumably because bad teeth is unpopular with the audience - perhaps Mr. Darcy may not have been as fashionable with the ladies if he had a set of bright yellow broken teeth!


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## qwik (Sep 30, 2007)

The old john Wayne movies rock!!!


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## Rosemary (Sep 30, 2007)

My favourite would have to be 'The Magnificent Seven'.  Not really a great fan of Westerns but I have watched that a few times!


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## Danny McG (Mar 17, 2017)

Adding onto an old thread again (wonder how many of the previous posters are still on this site?) Is my contribution to Great Westerns...
The Wild Bunch 1969 - set in the end of 'the cowboy era'

The Wild Bunch - Wikipedia


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## vonHelldorf (Mar 17, 2017)

For a Few Dollars More. Eastwood and van Cleef ... exceptional


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## Danny McG (Mar 17, 2017)

vonHelldorf said:


> For a Few Dollars More. Eastwood and van Cleef ... exceptional



Was that the one with a musical pocket watch? Draw after the last note?


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## Overread (Mar 18, 2017)

Yep that's the one!


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## mosaix (Mar 18, 2017)

Shane.

Heaven's Gate.


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## Vladd67 (Mar 18, 2017)

Had The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly been any other genre than a western it would have won plaudits for it's cinematography, but it was 'only' a western so Sergio Leone's work was largely ignored.


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## HanaBi (Mar 18, 2017)

"*Once Upon A Time In The West*"

Perfect in every way; not least the directing from Leone, the acting from Bronson & Fonda; but also Ennio Morricone's score (I loved this particular piece near the conclusion of the film)


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## WaylanderToo (Mar 18, 2017)

TBH I thought that the Magnificent 7 remake was a good fist at a western


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## vonHelldorf (Mar 18, 2017)

Vladd67 said:


> largely



That music gives me the chills everytime


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## Vladd67 (Mar 18, 2017)

vonHelldorf said:


> That music gives me the chills everytime


Music that will probably outlive the film that spawned it.


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## Rodders (Mar 19, 2017)

I'd second Support Your Local Sheriff.

One of my favourite westerns is Red Sun with Charles Bronson. I also saw a movie a few months ago called No Name On The Bullet with Audie Murphy. What a superb film.


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## Frost Giant (Apr 7, 2017)

I liked the remake of 3:10 to Yuma (2007).


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## Alexa (Apr 7, 2017)

I cannot get tired watching again and again *The Magnificent Seven* (1960) with  Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen. I didn't like the remake 2016 with Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke.


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## Danny McG (Apr 16, 2017)

Another spaghetti...
They call me Trinity
They Call Me Trinity - Wikipedia


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## Alexa (Apr 16, 2017)

I liked most of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer's spaghetti. They are both hilarious together.


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## Lumens (Apr 20, 2017)

Great Western is a railway here in the UK.


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## Randy M. (Apr 21, 2017)

A couple of oldies I haven't noticed listed:

_Winchester '73_ (1950) starring Jimmy Stewart and directed by Anthony Mann -- Mann had directed some films _noir_ during the late '40s and I've read tht some of that attitude and style rolled over into his Westerns. I recall Mann's _The Tin Star_ (1957) as pretty good, too. It starred Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins. 

The 1950s were a good time for mature Westerns, and Stewart's heyday in the genre, though his earlier _Destry Rides Again _(1939) was a fine, enjoyable effort. Odd to think of Marlene Dietrich as playing in Westerns, but I think _Destry... _is what prompted Madeline Kahn's character in _Blazing Saddles_ along with her turn in one of the better versions of _The Spoilers _(1942) with her beau of the time John Wayne and Randolph Scott -- not a great Western, but fun to watch Wayne and Scott, icons of the genre over the next two decades, match up when still young men.

As others have noted, before Sergio Leone, John Ford was probably the maestro of Westerns: _Stagecoach_ (1939); _My Darling Clementine_ (1946); _3 Godfathers _(1948)_; Fort Apache_ (1948); _She Wore a Yellow Ribbon_ (1949); _Rio Grande_ (1950). Howard Hawks was good, too, though more focused on action/adventure; probably his two best were _Red River_ (1948 -- a really good year for John Wayne with this one and two Ford movies) and _Rio Bravo_ (1959) -- Ricky Nelson and Angie Dickinson's debut movie, one of Dean Martin's better Dean Martin performances, and an interesting response to _High Noon_ (1952), a movie Wayne and Hawks are said to have disliked.

It's been years since I've watched any of these or _The Searchers _(1956), arguably the movie Wayne should have won the Best Actor Oscar for, or any of the Randolph Scott movies from the 1950s -- his decade as well. I'd like to catch a few of the Scott movies made with director Bud Boetticher; an article I read a few years ago made me think they'd be interesting to my older, arguably more mature self.

And just to second previous shout outs for _Cat Ballou_, _Support Your Local Sheriff_, _Blazing Saddles, _all great fun.


Randy M.


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## KGeo777 (Apr 24, 2017)

Once Upon A Time In The West is a sublime experience.
I generally hate dislike US westerns (except Chuka, High Plains Drifter and Breakheart Pass)-was never a fan of the genre except when it genre-mixed like The Valley of Gwangi.
Though I did watch western tv like Have Gun, Will Travel, Maverick, the Rifleman thanks to them being run on afternoon tv during a boring period.

I watch a lot of Euro or Spaghetti Westerns and rather enjoy them though.

Savage Guns is one of the proto-spaghetti westerns, though Vera Cruz is another earlier one that seems to have predicted the Spaghetti trend.




Some other spaghetti euro westerns I liked a lot:

Red Sun
A Bullet For the General
The Big Gundown
Face to Face
The Great Silence
Django
The Belle Starr Story
Companeros
Sonny and Jed (with a great Telly Savalas role)


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## The Ace (Apr 24, 2017)

Not a big Western fan (apart from the aforementioned, "Blazing Saddles,") but;

"Carry on Cowboy," Sid James, Joan Simms, Charles Hawtrey et al on a set in Pinewood.

"Texas Across the River," 

Texas Across the River - Wikipedia

  Cavalry Captain "Aroar-Har."

2 men at the back "What did he say ?"

"Aroar-har."

"Oh!"

"Isn't that the Indian who set me up ?"

"In dark, all Redskin look alike."

And you will never look at a medicine-man in the same way again.


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## Randy M. (Apr 26, 2017)

As I recall, _Texas Across the River_ was a pre-_Blazing Saddles_ Western parody with a scene where, under attack, Dean Martin shoots his pistol and three riders fall off their horses. He's a little confused by that and shoots again and three more riders fall off. When he runs out of ammo, he throws the gun and three riders fall off.

Thought of another Western I like, though I'm not sure I'd call it great: _The Commancheros_ (1961) with Stuart Whitman and Ina Balin, and a lot of the usuals from Westerns and especially Wayne Westerns like Lee Marvin, Bruce Cabot, Michael Ansara, Edgar Buchanan, Jack Elam, Henry Daniell, Patrick Wayne. Whitman stood up better than most young actors to Wayne's presence and, frankly, bulk (Montgomery Clift and James Caan are others I can think of who did well when facing Wayne; Ricky Nelson didn't seem intimidated, but wasn't much of an actor). 

Probably my liking for this is tied to nostalgia. I saw it a couple of times as a kid and later found it was director Michael Curtiz' (_Casablanca_, _Yankee Doodle Dandy_, _White Christmas_, _Doctor X_; many, many others) last major movie and shows that even at that late stage of his career he could still pace his movies well.


Randy M.


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## The Ace (Apr 26, 2017)

Randy M. said:


> As I recall, _Texas Across the River_ was a pre-_Blazing Saddles_ Western parody with a scene where, under attack, Dean Martin shoots his pistol and three riders fall off their horses. He's a little confused by that and shoots again and three more riders fall off. When he runs out of ammo, he throws the gun and three riders fall off.
> 
> Thought of another Western I like, though I'm not sure I'd call it great: _The Commancheros_ (1961) with Stuart Whitman and Ina Balin, and a lot of the usuals from Westerns and especially Wayne Westerns like Lee Marvin, Bruce Cabot, Michael Ansara, Edgar Buchanan, Jack Elam, Henry Daniell, Patrick Wayne. Whitman stood up better than most young actors to Wayne's presence and, frankly, bulk (Montgomery Clift and James Caan are others I can think of who did well when facing Wayne; Ricky Nelson didn't seem intimidated, but wasn't much of an actor).
> 
> ...




No, it's his Indian sidekick who did the thing with the gun.

"Why weren't you born a Comanche ?"

"Mom and Dad Married."

Dean Martin took an arrow in the a**e.


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## Boaz (Nov 19, 2022)

I was thinking about The Man Who Shot Libery Valance.  I only saw it once, so I jumped over to IMDB and the names jumped out at me.  

A man named Liberty denies freedom to settlers. Also, Valance is a curtain or a cover.  So Liberty Valance is the man who covers up sufferage and self-government.  Liberty Valance enslaves the people.   But it hit me tonight that the name of his opposite is named.  Ransom is the man who frees the settlers.  He pays the price for to end their captivity.  

I noticed that John Wayne's chacter is named Tom.  Thomas means the twin.  Tom's life as the toughest guy on the frontier mirrors that of Liberty.  They are both men of violence.  Tom's pursuit of a peaceful life with the good woman is mirrored by Ransom's life goals.  Tom is an actual reflection of the best of Liberty and Ransom.


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## AllanR (Nov 19, 2022)

I liked *The Baron of Arizona*. Vincent Price tries to steal Arizona, the whole state.


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## Venusian Broon (Nov 19, 2022)

I am not much of a fan of trad cowboy films, but I love Sam Peckinpah's _The Wild Bunch. _I think it was the ridiculous bullet-storm last-stand ending that fills me with joy! (Also he did the fantastic _Cross of Iron_, but that's not a Western.)


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## Vince W (Nov 19, 2022)

Perhaps not a 'great' western but one of my favorites is *The Cowboys* (1972) starring an aging John Wayne. It's about a rancher that can't find hands to help him get his 'beeves' to market so he hires the local boys instead. I saw it when I was young and it was pure wish fulfillment for me.


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## paranoid marvin (Nov 19, 2022)

Venusian Broon said:


> I am not much of a fan of trad cowboy films, but I love Sam Peckinpah's _The Wild Bunch. _I think it was the ridiculous bullet-storm last-stand ending that fills me with joy! (Also he did the fantastic _Cross of Iron_, but that's not a Western.)



Cross of Iron is one of the great anti-war movies. Fantastic performances all round. And yes, The Wild Bunch is a truly awesome film with one of the most action packed endings to any film ever. Not so much of a Western as more of a war film.

All things considered, I find it hard to look past The Unforgiven as the greatest 'true-to-life' Western, which is the perfect antithesis to 99% of Eastwood's other Westerns, enjoyable as they are (the reason I don't say 100% is because of 'The Beguiled'). Another Western that I really like is the remake of 'True Grit', which feels authentic, but is also a tremendous movie in its own right. I haven't seen the John Wayne original, which is something that I really need to put right.


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## AllanR (Nov 19, 2022)

My avatar is from when I was in a extra in an 1980s made western called *Walker*, a strange take on William Walker: a American filibuster who took over Nicaragua in 1856 with intent on having the country join the USA as a slave state. The movie has its moments, yet some of the director's experiments fall flat.


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## JunkMonkey (Nov 19, 2022)

I would add The Gunfighter (1950) as one of the greats.   I'm not a connoisseur of the Western genre so I tend to judge films set in the Old West against any other historically set film rather than measuring them against what I know of other Westerns.  For me The Gunfighter is a great film - that also happens to be a Western.









						The Gunfighter (1950) - IMDb
					

The Gunfighter (1950) on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more...




					www.imdb.com


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## Christine Wheelwright (Nov 20, 2022)

Interesting homage to High Noon here:









						High Noon at 70: the politically loaded anti-western adored by US presidents
					

Loved by both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, the 1952 convention-defying film is like a political Rorschach test




					www.theguardian.com
				




I also like Shane (both the novel and the movie).  Pale Rider was a barely disguised remake.  Unforgiven is right up there as one of the greats.


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## THX1138 (Nov 20, 2022)

I like Ture Grit and Roster Cogburn (John Wayn), Based on the novel by Charles Portis.
The remake with Jeff Bridges is good too. 

I also like Big Jake and The Sons of Kady Elder. (Yes, there is a John Wayn theme.) There have been many other non JW westerns too, but still trying to find them.

There is also one I saw many years ago there the town drunk gets made the towns Sheriff. The acter Slim Pickens comes to mind as the MC, but not sure. What I liked about it was that the MC had a new fancy double action break open revolver, while everyone elce had singel action ones.


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## paranoid marvin (Dec 4, 2022)

KGeo777 said:


> *Once Upon A Time In The West is a sublime experience.*
> I generally hate dislike US westerns (except Chuka, High Plains Drifter and Breakheart Pass)-was never a fan of the genre except when it genre-mixed like The Valley of Gwangi.
> Though I did watch western tv like Have Gun, Will Travel, Maverick, the Rifleman thanks to them being run on afternoon tv during a boring period.
> 
> ...



One of the best openings to a movie ever.


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## redzwritez (Dec 5, 2022)

It's not a TV show but _Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid_ is a brilliant Western movie. It's well known but anyone hasn't got the chance to see it I'd highly recommend it. Especially if you like that overall genre.


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## JimC (Dec 5, 2022)

"Then there's Cat Ballou,"
with Nat King Cole.


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## Christine Wheelwright (Dec 5, 2022)

Great westerns? Pah!  I've stayed at a Best Western.


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## Alex The G and T (Dec 5, 2022)

Reruns of the old series "Tales of Wells Fargo" have been a favorite.  All the more so since was visiting my dad and found this news clipping about my twice-great Grandfather, and namesake tucked  into  the family Bible.  Jim Hardy never had it so good.


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## Alex The G and T (Dec 5, 2022)




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## paeng (Dec 12, 2022)

Also, _McCabe and Mrs. Miller_, and if Eastern versions of Westerns count, _Yojimbo_.


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