My A-list of high quality westerns
- Blackthorn
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:13 pm
My A-list of high quality westerns
My top two are:
Lonesome Dove
Culpepper Cattle Company
These two are my favorites because of the realistic characterizations, shootout scenes and costuming, as well as overall plot lines.
Others are:
Ulzana's Raid
Hondo
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Shootist
Stagecoach (1939)
Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
McCaber and Mrs Miller
Outlaw Josey Wales (it has flaws, but I like it.
Monte Walsh, the Lee Marvin version.
Lonesome Dove
Culpepper Cattle Company
These two are my favorites because of the realistic characterizations, shootout scenes and costuming, as well as overall plot lines.
Others are:
Ulzana's Raid
Hondo
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Shootist
Stagecoach (1939)
Man Who Loved Cat Dancing
McCaber and Mrs Miller
Outlaw Josey Wales (it has flaws, but I like it.
Monte Walsh, the Lee Marvin version.
Last edited by Blackthorn on Sat Aug 25, 2018 12:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything….Albert Einstein
- Herb Roflcopter
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2018 2:05 am
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't seen most of those movies; usually I try to see as many as I can of a certain genre, especially ones that are the standards of high cinema. But somehow most of these slipped by me.
I did love Stagecoach, and I have seen most of Clint Eastwood's filmography. Not so much of his recent efforts, but from the 1960's to the 1990's, I'm fairly caught up.
Just off the top of my head, and in no particular order- my own list of top-notch Westerns:
-For a Few Dollars More
-High Noon
-Stagecoach
-High Plains Drifter
-Pale Rider
-Dances With Wolves
-Once Upon a Time in the West
-Fistful of Dollars (I suppose I'm also a bit of a Leone enthusiast)
I did love Stagecoach, and I have seen most of Clint Eastwood's filmography. Not so much of his recent efforts, but from the 1960's to the 1990's, I'm fairly caught up.
Just off the top of my head, and in no particular order- my own list of top-notch Westerns:
-For a Few Dollars More
-High Noon
-Stagecoach
-High Plains Drifter
-Pale Rider
-Dances With Wolves
-Once Upon a Time in the West
-Fistful of Dollars (I suppose I'm also a bit of a Leone enthusiast)
- AeroDillo MkII
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 10:20 pm
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
Worth pointing out that The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a standout not only because you get both a conventional and revisionist western, depending how you want to watch it, but also Lee Marvin, Jimmy Stewart, and John Wayne for the price of a single ticket. Try as it might Hollywood hasn't managed to get that kind of acting horsepower on the same reel since.
Funny aside relevant to said movie:
Years ago I worked a gunshop where one of the regulars was an old Hollywood stuntman. He'd gotten into it in the late '40s and picked up a fair bit of work in westerns because a) he knew how to sit a horse and b) also impressed John Ford by knocking himself cold the first time he was told to take a hit and fall off during a chase scene. Woke up with Ford and Wayne standing over him. Per him, John Wayne said he wanted that Texas kid for his next picture because he by-God knew how to take a dive.
Anyway...
He appeared as a extra in Liberty Valance, though he didn't have any actual stunts or action scenes. As he told it, John Wayne was alright most of the time could but could turn into a regular prima donna if he didn't like how the show was progressing and there were a fair number of directors he could buffalo. John Ford was decidedly not one of those, and whoever John Wayne thought he was, it was Ford at the controls.
Alternately, Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin reportedly got along with Ford for the most, all three having been-there-and-done-that in the late dustup of 1941-45. So one day John Wayne's having a snit. Ford half-turns in his chair, points to the other two leads, and calls loud enough for the whole lot to hear:
"Hey, Marion - how's it feel working with a couple of real heroes?"
Probably we can chalk that one up with apocryphal. Still funny enough to pass on, though.
Funny aside relevant to said movie:
Years ago I worked a gunshop where one of the regulars was an old Hollywood stuntman. He'd gotten into it in the late '40s and picked up a fair bit of work in westerns because a) he knew how to sit a horse and b) also impressed John Ford by knocking himself cold the first time he was told to take a hit and fall off during a chase scene. Woke up with Ford and Wayne standing over him. Per him, John Wayne said he wanted that Texas kid for his next picture because he by-God knew how to take a dive.
Anyway...
He appeared as a extra in Liberty Valance, though he didn't have any actual stunts or action scenes. As he told it, John Wayne was alright most of the time could but could turn into a regular prima donna if he didn't like how the show was progressing and there were a fair number of directors he could buffalo. John Ford was decidedly not one of those, and whoever John Wayne thought he was, it was Ford at the controls.
Alternately, Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin reportedly got along with Ford for the most, all three having been-there-and-done-that in the late dustup of 1941-45. So one day John Wayne's having a snit. Ford half-turns in his chair, points to the other two leads, and calls loud enough for the whole lot to hear:
"Hey, Marion - how's it feel working with a couple of real heroes?"
Probably we can chalk that one up with apocryphal. Still funny enough to pass on, though.
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
Dillo, that was a damn funny story.
Blackthorn and Herb, your lists are very good and I have seen most of the films mentioned. I would like to add:
-The professionals
-Shane
-El Dorado (Or one of the other two films that used the exact same script.)
-The Searchers
The Magnificent Seven 1960 Yes, I know it is a rip off of The Seven Samurai but six guns beat swords.
-Winchester 73
Blackthorn and Herb, your lists are very good and I have seen most of the films mentioned. I would like to add:
-The professionals
-Shane
-El Dorado (Or one of the other two films that used the exact same script.)
-The Searchers
The Magnificent Seven 1960 Yes, I know it is a rip off of The Seven Samurai but six guns beat swords.
-Winchester 73
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Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
The Western being one of my favorite genres, I certainly agree with all of the above films being classics. However, one I don't often see mentioned is a little movie called Will Penny.
Will Penny is reportedly lead actor's Charlton Heston's favorite movie that he acted in and I can see why. It's very low-key in its story and characters. No dramatic high noon duels or other western cliches. Just the story of a cowpuncher, a single mother and her son, and a scruffy clan of bandits. Very understated yet full of character. Definitely a movie that stands the test of a great Western.
Will Penny is reportedly lead actor's Charlton Heston's favorite movie that he acted in and I can see why. It's very low-key in its story and characters. No dramatic high noon duels or other western cliches. Just the story of a cowpuncher, a single mother and her son, and a scruffy clan of bandits. Very understated yet full of character. Definitely a movie that stands the test of a great Western.
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
No love for Appaloosa? I really enjoyed that one. I'm not a huge western fan, but I've seen several of the ones listed here and do not disagree with the assessments given. My top 5 would be (in no particular order):
Appaloosa
Magnificent Seven (1960, although the remake of the re-imagining wasn't bad, it's just not in the same stratosphere)
True Grit (1969, although the remake was dam good)
The Man With No Name or "Dollars" series: Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (yes, I know its not one movie but I'm giving it two slots so deal with it)
Appaloosa
Magnificent Seven (1960, although the remake of the re-imagining wasn't bad, it's just not in the same stratosphere)
True Grit (1969, although the remake was dam good)
The Man With No Name or "Dollars" series: Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (yes, I know its not one movie but I'm giving it two slots so deal with it)
- Blackthorn
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:13 pm
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
Good point, RR, I should have included Will Penny in my A list. It's a perfect western, in my book.RetroRebel wrote: ↑Sat Aug 25, 2018 9:17 pmThe Western being one of my favorite genres, I certainly agree with all of the above films being classics. However, one I don't often see mentioned is a little movie called Will Penny.
Will Penny is reportedly lead actor's Charlton Heston's favorite movie that he acted in and I can see why. It's very low-key in its story and characters. No dramatic high noon duels or other western cliches. Just the story of a cowpuncher, a single mother and her son, and a scruffy clan of bandits. Very understated yet full of character. Definitely a movie that stands the test of a great Western.
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything….Albert Einstein
- Blackthorn
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:13 pm
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
I enjoyed Appaloosa, with Ed Harris and Vigo Mortenson, but I didn't like The Appaloosa with Brando.
The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything….Albert Einstein
Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
Blackthorn wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:54 pmI enjoyed Appaloosa, with Ed Harris and Vigo Mortenson, but I didn't like The Appaloosa with Brando.
Agreed! Appaloosa was very good and more or less true to the book. I think the problem with making a list of favorite Westerns is that it is such a rich genre that a lot of very good films are overlooked simply because of so many from which to choose.
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Re: My A-list of high quality westerns
My favorite westerns in no particular order:
1. Unforgiven
2. Silverado
3. Tombstone
4. True Grit (John Wayne)
5. High Noon
6. Rio Bravo
This is a semi-fluid list depending on mood but Silverado is always in the to three.
1. Unforgiven
2. Silverado
3. Tombstone
4. True Grit (John Wayne)
5. High Noon
6. Rio Bravo
This is a semi-fluid list depending on mood but Silverado is always in the to three.