Definitive or Must Have Western Films

[maxxon]

Allegedly Randolph Scott once applied for membership in a club and was told that actors were not eligible.

He replied: "I'm not an actor, you can watch any of my films to verify that."

[juergen c. olk]

"Gunfight at the Ok-Corral-"My Darling Clementine"-"Big Jake"-"Yellow Sky"-But I agree w/ many "Ulzanas Raid" is that diamond in the rough.

[6milPhil]

Having seen loads of Westerns on TV as a lad I got quite bored with them, however I've found some of the modern remakes really good, like True Grit, 3:10 to Yuma, Texas Rangers, etc. I admit a bias for any film with good facial hair though.

Of older films I think my fave is Little Big Man, not to everyone's tastes I know but I liked the mad portrayal of Custer. Similar in a way to "Flashman and the Redskins", and although they're books not cinema I'd recommend those books which are in the states - the research is inspiring.

I've always wanted to see "Soldier Blue", hell of a fuss about it when it released, but never had the chance.

[HerbyF]

Many of my favorites have already been mentioned including "The Professionals" with Lee Marvin, late western era. Another favorite of mine is "The Undefeated" John Wayne & Rock Hudson, post ACW in Mexico during the Maximilian period. No one has mentioned "Dances with Wolves" with Kevin Cosner, losts of good background there. I also like "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman. I may have missed it but I didn't see "A Man Called Horse" mentioned here. And for comic relief I have always found the Trinity series entertaining, "They Call Me Trinity", "They Still Call Me Trinity", "The Brothers Trinity" etc.

[Vanvlak]

Blazing Saddles - for a number of reasons 

[The Gray Ghost]

I'm a big fan of the Trinity films and Support Your Local Sheriff.
Chisolm, John Wayne at His most Waynest
A lesser known favorite is The Deserter by Dino De Laurentiis

Never really liked The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, always felt Jimmy Stewart was the bad guy in it.
Rio Lobo is a pretty standard John Wayne film but I like it
From tv The Shadow Riders with Sam Elliot

[Cory]

Gary Ghost, Eastern attorneys trying to civilize the west are always the bad guy.

[Admiral Benbow]

Very nice collection of Wild West Films!

Will make it sticky. 

[Valerik]

The Cheyenne Social Club - The ultimate horse opera road picture with Henry Fonda & Jimmy Stewart

How The West Was Won - Cinerama, the original widescreen!!
What base doesn't it touch, long, yet leaves you wanting more, of everyone & everything

ANYTHING James Warner Bellah had a hand in:

     Sergeant Rutledge - Woody Strode as Top Soldier, "Sergeant Buffalo!!"

     She Wore a Yellow Ribbon  the best of John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy

Jeremiah Johnson  Man versus himself, and the rest of the West

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean another brilliant look at the West's roots, and ultimate, unfortunate, gentrification.

Glad to see others share my admiration for these gems:


Valdez Is Coming
Little Big Man
Major Dundee
Silverado
Cat Ballou
Blazing Saddles

all under-valued glimpses of truth in The Old West

There are, and will be, more, but wage slave as I am, duty beckons...

Valerik

"When an old man dies a library burns to the ground"

[hentzau]

I find myself an unabashed Duke fan.  As a kid, I hated westerns and I hated John Wayne in particular.  My dad would turn one on and I would quickly leave the room.  But then, in my 20's, we used to have movie marathon days, where one of our group would host and we would watch 3-4 movies, usually with a theme tying them together.  One afternoon, one of my buddies did a classic western marathon.  I groaned when he read off the titles:

Stagecoach
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
The Searchers

Six hours later, I was sold.  I was a lifelong western and John Wayne fan from that point forward.  And I find myself leaning more towards the classic westerns over the spaghetti and modern westerns.

A favorite John Wayne western that hasn't been mentioned here is "The Sons of Katie Elder."  A notable cast with John Wayne, Dean Martin (playing his brother?  That part always kind of bothered me.  Maybe he was adopted.) Earl Holliman (of Police Woman fame), James Gregory, George Kennedy, and a young Dennis Hopper.  There is one scene in this movie that always makes me laugh (and it probably shouldn't) where George Kennedy is holding the blacksmith's head under water to try and get information from him, and John Wayne sneaks up on Kennedy, grabs an axe handle, says "HEY!" and when Kennedy turns around just SMASHES him across the face with the axe handle.  The idea of someone getting his face smashed by an axe handle shouldn't amuse me, but damn if it doesn't.



So while we are talking about westerns, does anyone have a favorite on Amazon Prime or Netflix they can recommend?  I like to have a western playing in the background on my tablet while I'm painting or working on buildings.  I've run through all of the "big name" westerns and am down to a lot of the chaff.  Am I missing any hidden gems in the older stuff?

[Heisler]

I need to go through and compile a list but there are plenty of older films appearing in these posts.

[6milPhil]

How about "El Topo"?

[hentzau]

While we're talking westerns, my dad was trying to remember a movie when I was down visiting over the holidays.  He thinks it was a John Wayne movie, but the thing he remembered the most from the movie was that there was a duel between John Wayne (he thinks) and another guy, and the duel was with tar covered mops.  This movie ring a bell with anyone?  It would be a major coup for me if I can figure out what the movie was.

[Heisler]

How about "El Topo"?

What about it? I want to know why I should watch it, who's in it, who directed it, what makes it a must have/watch western film?

[frank xerox]

Having looked at the trailer, nope you don't need to watch it Pard. Jest ride on by.
Though I'd like to know, why all the pigs?

And...errm...no one's mentioned Rango have they?