25 ESSENTIAL WESTERN MOVIES

I’ve foolishly let myself be tempted into entering the ‘lists’ game. I’ve previously avoided them because of the negative reaction it can stir up among browsers who disagree with your choices. All I’ll say is: the opinions expressed are mine, if you disagree, fine, we can still respect each other and be civil to each other.

This is deliberately NOT a BEST OF list of films in order. I’d find that impossible to compile – how do you rate one complete masterpiece over another? If I tried that, I’m sure I’d end up disagreeing with myself an hour after this blog was posted, and wanting to change things. Nor is it a list of my PERSONAL FAVOURITES. I freely confess some of my favourite western movies aren’t classics, just films that never fail to entertain me – ‘THE COMANCHEROS’ (1961) for example.

I decided to try and compile a list of ESSENTIAL westerns, movies you just have to see to appreciate the western at its best, at its most ground-breaking, and touching the main western bases. Films featuring the key western actors and directors. A guide perhaps for someone new to the western, to help them ‘get’ them. I ended up with 25, but it isn’t exhaustive and I’ll doubtless think of some others I might also have listed. So some western movies regarded as ‘classics’ don’t feature – for example I think THE BIG COUNTRY (1960) THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976) SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949) THE WESTERNER (1940) WESTERN UNION (1941) and WINCHESTER 73 (1950) are all very good/ great but not ground-breaking and therefore don’t make my essential list. However, I couldn't resist breaking my own rule about this once, as you will see...

I ended up supplementing this list with another list of some of those 'non-essential' westerns I refer to in the last paragraph. You can find that - 25 WESTERNS TO ENJOY - here:  https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2020/12/25-western-movies-to-enjoy.html

Meanwhile, here’s my 25 essential westerns. And because I’m expressing my opinions throughout, I decided to forgo the use of phrases like ‘in my view’ or IMHO as I’d be repeating them endlessly. Films are listed in alphabetical order, not in any order of merit.

THE COWBOYS (1972)

Late in his career, JOHN WAYNE played a father figure to a bunch of children/young teenagers he is forced to use to complete a gruelling trail drive. What could have been a horribly sentimental exercise becomes a gripping experience by dint of a gritty, authentic script, strong location photography and above all outstanding acting. The supporting cast are first-rate, from an effective cameo by SLIM PICKENS to ROSCOE LEE BROWNE’s trail cook to BRUCE DERN who is tremendous as perhaps the ultimate western villain. Wayne meantime gives a towering performance, one many consider the best of his career. 

FORT APACHE (1948)

The most important team in the history of western movies was actor JOHN WAYNE and director JOHN FORD. This is part of the so-called ‘cavalry trilogy’ they made together, Although Wayne gets top billing, and is excellent in his role, the most fascinating and compelling performance is by HENRY FONDA as Colonel Thursday. Thursday is clearly a brilliant man and soldier, but his ferocious ambition, plus a contempt for his Apache enemies, drives him and the troops he leads to destruction. One of the earliest westerns to depict Native Americans sympathetically.

THE GUNFIGHTER (1950)

An early example of the so-called ‘psychological western,’ this movie is similar to ‘High Noon’ in that it depends on nail-biting tension rather than action as the clock ticks down to a deadly appointment between the lone hero (an outstanding GREGORY PECK) and his adversaries.

HOMBRE (1967)

Adapted from ELMORE LEONARD’s superb novel, this is another slow-burning western with PAUL NEWMAN as an outsider, a white man who prefers living with Apaches. But he becomes the unlikely defender of a small party of whites trapped in the desert by bandits. With dialogue terse enough to match the stark landscape and fine performances from the supporting cast – FREDERICK MARCH, MARTIN BALSAM, DIANE CILENTO in one of the best women’s roles in westerns, and RICHARD BOONE as a menacing villain.

JESSE JAMES (1939)

The two most famous outlaws in the Old West were BILLY THE KID and JESSE JAMES, so their lives have to be covered in any essential list.

This take on the career of the notorious JESSE JAMES treats him sympathetically. So it could be dismissed as a whitewash job – but, if so, it’s an extremely well made one. TYRONE POWER (as Jesse) leads an outstanding cast, also featuring HENRY FONDA (as FRANK JAMES) and RANDOLPH SCOTT.

THE LEFT HANDED GUN (1958)

The best take on the Old West's other most famous outlaw: BILLY THE KID. PAUL NEWMAN plays the doomed young outlaw in this brooding and atmospheric ‘psychological western.’ Billy wasn’t left handed, by the way!

LITTLE BIG MAN (1970)

The most notable film to depict the Indian Wars from the viewpoint of the Native Americans. It’s admittedly less subtle than the great THOMAS BERGER novel it’s adapted from, but manages to marry extremely funny moments with sections that are tragic and moving.

A MAN CALLED HORSE (1970)

An unusual western in that it’s about Native American life before they had much contact with the white man – represented here by their captive RICHARD HARRIS. Expanded from a short story by the great DOROTHY M. JOHNSON.

MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1946)

The story of Wyatt Earp/ Doc Holliday and their doings in Tombstone have featured in countless western movies. JOHN FORD’s take on it is the best. He cheerfully gets his hard facts wrong, he even deliberately sets it in the wrong year, but the end result is marvellous, a lyrical celebration of the Old West not as it was, but as it should have been.

THE NAKED SPUR (1953)

Another strong director/actor team was the pairing of actor JAMES STEWART and director ANTHONY MANN, producing a string of fine 1950s westerns. ‘The Naked Spur’ is a gripping morality tale that takes places entirely outdoors in stunning Colorado/Rocky Mountain locations. Stewart leads a brilliant cast; I particularly liked ROBERT RYAN’s treacherous, laughing villain. 

THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943)

Almost an anti-western in that it’s dark, claustrophobic and mostly studio bound. A good example of the ‘intelligent’ western, it’s a searing indictment of vigilante ‘justice’, with very effective performances by HENRY FONDA, DANA ANDREWS and ANTHONY QUINN.

RED RIVER (1948)

The classic trail drive western. JOHN WAYNE bravely risks hardening his image in his warts-and-all portrait of a tyrannical trail boss, a man whose harsh regime causes his drovers to mutiny. The result gave his screen persona a realistic edge that made him a film superstar.

RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (1962)

Here old meets the new – two aging western legends, RANDOLPH SCOTT and JOEL MCREA, are directed by up-and-coming SAM PECKINPAH. Both leads give wonderful performances in this elegiac western, and McCrea gets to utter the classic line ‘All I want to do is enter my house justified.’

RIO BRAVO (1959)

'Rio Bravo' is not ground-breaking or innovative, so I broke my own rules including this movie here. I felt it had to claim a place on any 'essential' list, simply because it is so good; you won't find a better made western. My dictionary defines ‘quintessential’ as ‘purest and most perfect manifestation or embodiment’ and ‘Rio Bravo’ must be a contender for the ‘quintessential’ western. Sheriff JOHN WAYNE and a few allies are besieged in a town gaol by a small army of bad guys. Even though Wayne and company are all flawed heroes, they prevail through sheer guts and skill. A long and leisurely film, but director HOWARD HAWKS never lets up on tension. He wisely uses the time to flesh out the characters, ably played by Wayne, DEAN MARTIN, WALTER BRENNAN and – in one of the best roles for a woman in westerns – ANGIE DICKINSON. 

THE SEARCHERS (1956)

I wouldn’t rate this the best western ever made – as many do – not even the best JOHN WAYNE/ JOHN FORD collaboration. I think the film sags after an electrifying first hour or so. But it makes my list because of WINSTON C. HOCH’s stunning photography, capturing Fords favourite location – Monument Valley – and Wayne’s performance. Again showing a brutal side, he powers through the movie like a force of nature, as in his spell-binding ‘Turning of the Earth’ speech – which led director MARTIN SCORSESE to describe the character Wayne played as ‘a poet of hatred.’

SHANE (1953)

OK, I’ll get my reservation about this movie out of the way. While ALAN LADD’s performance is adequate, I think he was miscast, and Gregory Peck (in ‘The Gunfighter’ mode) would have been more convincing. But the other elements of the film are superb – from the location photography to the period detail to the expertly staged action scenes. Ladd gets first-class support, including JACK PALANCE as a particularly memorable villain.

THE SHOOTIST (1976)

JOHN WAYNE’s final film performance also marks for me the end of the classic western film era. Appropriately enough it’s also sombre and elegiac in tone and features fine acting from veteran stars. The scenes between Wayne and JAMES STEWART, and between Wayne and LAUREN BACALL, are particularly rewarding. 

STAGECOACH (1939)

‘Stagecoach’ is a rarity – a perfect film script, in this case by DUDLEY NICHOLS. I challenge anyone to find one dud line in the entire movie. Director JOHN FORD worked for the first time with two elements that would feature strongly in his subsequent westerns - JOHN WAYNE in his breakthrough role, and Monument Valley, the Utah/Arizona location that would become perhaps the most iconic landscape in western movies.

Dudley Nichols

THE TALL T (1957)

Another notable actor/director team was RANDOLPH SCOTT and BUD BOETTICHER. The best of their collaborations is this lean, taut adaption of an ELMORE LEONARD short story. One of the most enjoyable aspects is the interplay between the good guy – Scott – and the lead villain, RICHARD BOONE, excellent in the role. The only jarring aspect is the title, which doesn’t relate to anything in the movie!

3.10 TO YUMA (1957)

Like ‘The Tall T’ this movie is based on an ELMORE LEONARD short story, and focuses on the grudging respect that grows between an outlaw – GLENN FORD – and the rancher who holds him captive, a performance of quiet intensity by VAN HEFLIN. Another western that demonstrates tension can be more effective than action.

UNFORGIVEN (1992)

CLINT EASTWOOD had been a staple of western films  since his breakthrough to stardom in Spaghetti Westerns of the 60s. Here he directs himself in arguably his greatest western, as a grizzled former gun man who comes out of retirement to confront corrupt sheriff GENE HACKMAN.

VERA CRUZ (1954)

A Mexico-set western with a veteran western legend – GARY COOPER – up against a rising star – BURT LANCASTER. Lancaster gives a roistering performance playing against type as a ‘laughing’ villain in what one critic called ‘great outdoor entertainment.’ 

WAGON MASTER (1950)

JOHN FORD’s personal favourite of his own westerns is this low-key affair about Mormons travelling an arduous desert trail to their promised land. It’s low on action, or even incident. Ford instead presents a mood piece with the emphasis on atmosphere, character, a warm sense of community and what he called ‘grace notes.’ He eschewed using stars, letting some of the best western character actors – BEN JOHNSON, HARRY CAREY Jr. and WARD BOND – shine instead. A poem of a film, beautifully made.

THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

Part of the ‘revisionist’ western trend, SAM PECKINPAH’s second western masterpiece after ‘Ride the High Country’ was another end-of-the-west tale set in the early 20^th Century. Unable to survive in a changing America, a band of outlaws are driven south of the border into the savagery of the Mexican Revolution. Its stunning action sequences have been called ‘a ballet of violence.’

WILL PENNY (1967)

Westerns are routinely described as ‘cowboy movies’ but only a minority deal with the Spartan lives of real cowboys. CHARLTON HESTON plays an aging cow hand who finds hope of escape from his semi-monastic existence in a relationship with a settler woman – JOAN HACKETT in a marvellous performance – and her child. I like everything about this poignant tale except the last 5 minutes, which I would change!

ESSENTIAL MODERN WESTERNS:

BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1954)

SPENCER TRACY arrives in an isolated western desert town in 1945 to find it’s hiding a very guilty secret. A masterpiece of tension and a feast of fine acting from character actors of the calibre of ROBERT RYAN and WALTER BRENNAN. Of Tracy’s majestic performance, ROBERT DUVALL said, ‘It doesn’t get any better than that.’

LONELY ARE THE BRAVE (1962)

KIRK DOUGLAS is superb in this moving fable of a lone cowboy trying to live an independent life in the 1960s. When he falls foul of the law, he ends up in a desperate flight to freedom, taking on the modern world with just his rifle, his horse and his wits.

ESSENTIAL TV WESTERN SERIES:

THE HIGH CHAPARRAL (1967-1971)

Unlike most TV Westerns, ‘The High Chaparral’ wasn’t filmed on the cheap and on sound stages and familiar Hollywood locations. It had the production values of a Hollywood movie and the location photography in Old Tucson, Arizona made it physically beautiful. This, plus gritty, authentic scripts (particularly in Seasons 1 and 2) and an excellent cast portraying flawed and complex characters – not the ‘strong, silent’ heroes of too many TV Westerns – made it the best of this genre.

ESSENTIAL MINI SERIES:

None (sorry ‘LONESOME DOVE’ fans!)

Reflecting on my completed list, I realised there were no ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ included. Without wanting to sound too high-brow about it, I find them entertaining but lacking in depth. I wasn’t surprised no westerns after 1992 feature. Films like ‘TOMBSTONE’ (1993) and ‘OPEN RANGE’ (2003) have their merits and plenty of admirers but for me, they don’t match the standard of the best westerns from the classic period, which I would define as 1939 - 1976. I find it a bit depressing that modern film makers can’t seem to make a great western any more. I’d be delighted for some of them to prove me wrong!

Monument Valley

Two omissions I noted were ‘HIGH NOON’ (1952) and ‘THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ (1960.) I have to say that ‘HIGH NOON’ has never really grabbed me. As for ‘MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ I find it entertaining, with a great score and good action scenes, but I’ve never shared the general feeling it’s a classic. But, as I said at the beginning, that’s just my opinion. Feel free to disagree!