Take 10: My All-Time Favorite Western Movies

Al Arabiya ^ | Saturday, 11 March 2017 | Hisham Melhem

[Mariner]

True Grit (the new one), Unforgiven, Gunsmoke, Liberty Valance, The Searchers, High Noon and Shane absolutely define the genre.

All others are copies of the above. And wish they had soared as high.

[Mr. Jeeves]

The Searchers is the best. Rio Bravo and its clones are lame. Hard to see putting any of those in a top ten list.

[Kartographer]

Stagecoach (1939)

Broken Trail (2006)

Open Range (2003)

Rio Bravo (1959)

3:10 to Yuma(The 1957 original The 2007 version is a tribute to gay-bdsm and is a travisty to the history of western movies!)

A Thunder of Drums (1961) (One of the great and often over looked Western works of author James Warner Bellah.)

John Ford’s Cavalry Trilogy – Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950) ( I know that’s cheating, but these three must be looked at as a whole.James Warner Bellah again I am luck in that I have his that these novies are based on.)

The Big Country (1958) (One of the few very long westerns that keep you engaged through the whole movie.)

The Missing (2003) (A good tell of failure and forgiveness.)

Westward the Women (1951) (A great tribute to western womanhood. Today’s feminist wouldn’t had made it to Rockies much less California.)

I am sure that many will disagree, but those are my choices and I am sticking with them.

I like to add that Broken Trail, Open Range, and 3:10 to Yuma are great movies to show boys how to be a man.

[Mariner]

Correction, Tombstone, not Gunsmoke.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

How about this entry?

The Villain (1979)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080097/

Starring;

Kirk Douglas as Cactus Jack
Ann-Margret as Charming Jones
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Handsome Stranger
Paul Lynde as Nervous Elk

[PAR35]

greedy cattle barons, and covetous railroad companies abused the law and used compromised lawmen to impose their will

That needs to be deconstructed a bit more. What was really going on was a communist infiltrated Hollywood was churning out anti-capitalist propaganda to subvert the American youth. Kids brought up on this 'entertainment' turned into the the counterculture of the late 50s and early 60s, and the radicals of the late 50s.

Now to a gander at your choices....

[Parley Baer]

I cannot argue with your list. In my opinion The Searchers has to rate right up there with the best western made. Everything came together in that movie from the acting to the director to the scenery.

[ex-snook]

4 sons of Katie Elder would fit the American morality mode.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Didn’t think it would be online. It is. Prepare yourselves for Western greatness;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HicFYknnQqk

[yarddog]

Without Val Kilmer, Tombstone would have been an ordinary movie.

[HotHunt]

When I was a kid, living in Tucson, AZ, my parents took us on a week-long camping trip through northern Arizona in the summer of 1955. We stopped in Tuba City, at the trading post, to get some Coca-Colas for a picnic lunch my mom was making.

The movie crew for "The Seachers" was there with lots of trucks, trailers and equipment parked next to the trading post where we were having lunch at a picnic table. My parents started talking to them, asking them what they were filming and who was in it.

Much to our surprise, the star of the movie, John Wayne, strolled up to the group and started talking to someone in the crew. He then graciously came over and introduced himself to my family where we were eating lunch. I remember my mom offered him a sandwich. He refused the sandwich but accepted a Coca-Cola and stayed a few minutes and visited with us.

We were all wowed by this big star acting just like regular guy and how friendly he was to us. I am not a celebrity watcher but I still have a post card from the trading post with his signature on it. It was an experience I've never forgotten.

John Wayne. Now there was a great American.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“Unforgiven” with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn

“Hondo” John Wayne

“3:10 To Yuma”. Glenn Ford

” The Professionals”. Ensemble cast with Gene Hackman

[HotHunt]

See my comment #31 above re: The Searchers.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I just watched the 2007 3:10 to Yuma starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. I sure don’t see how you concluded it is a “tribute to gay-bdsm.” Please enlighten us.

[PAR35]

I never did like Dean Martin in westerns. He didn’t seem like a good fit. Substitute in some Randolph Scott.

“High Noon” was directed in a heavy handed manner. Unlike the reviewer, I found the clocks overplayed and the characters a bit stereotyped.

The best not on the list would probably be one that is mentioned, but not featured - “The Shootist”

[Psalm 73]

Not a serious list without: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”

[Vince Ferrer]

Probably no one else would do this, but I would put

City Clickers

in my list. Yes, its a western.

[Rebelbase]

Is that the one with Ah-Nold in it?

[Afterguard]

Great list! I’d have to add to that any of the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns, and of course, Blazing Saddles... (I get no kick, from Champagne...)

[beelzepug]

Why no mention of Charles Bronson in the review of “Once Upon A Time In The West”? Without his character there would have been no story. Great picture, BTW. Acting, music, directing - I try to watch it whenever it is on. Drives the missus crazy!