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| List of the Best Western Movies of All Time |
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Unforgiven (1992) - The script floated around Hollywood for nearly 20 years before Clint Eastwood finally made the picture. He was rewarded with 4 Oscars, including a Best Picture win, which can only be claimed by three other westerns.
The Searchers (1956) - Features one of the most successful director/actor duos to ever come out of Hollywood in John Ford and John Wayne. Modern audiences may be turned off by the treatment of the Indians, so be forewarned.
The Good, the Bad and The Ugly (1966) - A Sergio Leone spaghetti western classic. Also known as Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo as most of the Spanish and Italian dialogue was dubbed in English after filming had completed.
The Wild Bunch (1969) - Sam Peckinpah directs William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan in one of the best westerns of all time. Rumor has it that more blank rounds were fired during production than were fired during all of the Mexican Revolution of 1914. That means it must be good.
Red River (1948) - Many might put this John Wayne classic at the top of any list of best westerns. An argument for that can certainly be made. Howard Hawks directs the script from Borden Chase who adapted his own Saturday Evening Post story.
Shane (1953) - "There never was a man like SHANE. There never was a picture like SHANE" reads the film's tagline. And many would argue that a movie as good hasn't been made since. Certainly belongs at the top of any list. Stars Alan Ladd and was the last film of Jean Arthur.
High Noon (1952) - Gary Cooper is Marshal Will Kane, a lawman who refuses to turn his back on his enemies, despite his own townsfolk who refuse to defend him. The film was criticized in its time as being un-American as it was linked to the rampant McCarthyism of the era.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - Robert Redford and Paul Newman collaborate on one of the best western films of all time. Features B.J. Thomas' rendition of Burt Bacharach's Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head. Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty were both offered the role of the Sundance Kid.
Jeremiah Johnson (1972) - Stars Robert Redford as real-life trapper John Johnston who was nicknamed "Crow Killer." Was originally to star Clint Eastwood in the title role and to be directed by Sam Pekinpah. They're both good, but it's fine just as it is.
Winchester '73 (1950) - James Stewart and Shelley Winters star in this movie about a gun. The DVD features an audio commentary given by Stewart himself. The only DVD commentary he ever did.
