What is your favorite western?

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New forum member here. Stumbled on this thread and started my own mental list. Many of them are favorites from childhood, some discovered much later. Most are "Hollywood" (that is, stylized and unrealistic). SO, in no particular order:

The Searchers
The Magnificent Seven (original one from the '60s)
Silverado
The Cowboys
True Grit
Rio Bravo
The Big Country
The Gunfighter
Shane
High Noon
Winchester '73
Shenandoah
Destry Rides Again
Once Upon a Time in the West
Nevada Smith
The Professionals
The Shootist
How the West was Won
Support Your Local Sheriff
Red River
Any Randolph Scott western :)
 
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I am a big fan of Westerns from all eras. I like movies and I liked TV shows. Outlaw Josey Wales is a favorite, although I like most of the Clint Eastwood movies (enjoyed Rawhide series as well). Oddly, I am not a real big John Wayne movie fan, as I found a lot of his movies way too campy (True Grit comes to mind, the remake was tons better). My favorite of the campy ones was Big Jake and my all time favorite of his was his last one, The Shootist. Of the series, High Chapperal was great, Wanted Dead or Alive, Have Gun Will Travel, and The Virginian were all good. The Lonesome Dove 3-part mini-series was about as good as it gets for casting. I have read all of the Larry McMurtry books, and Augustus Mcrae will forever be Robert Duvall for me. The first couple of seasons of Big Valley were good. I was never a big fan of Bonanza. There are just way too many great western movies and shows to list. Unforgiven is my favorite of the more modern-made movies. I am not into happy endings and fluff.
 
stevekozak said:
Clint Eastwood movies (enjoyed Rawhide series as well).
Click to expand...

My family were Rawhide regulars. Most of the ladies were charmed by the Young Clint but my Mother was more attracted to Mr Favor, Eric Fleming. Who unfortunately drowned on a South American movie location.

A coworker was fond of Clint in the Spaghetti Westerns but said he had only two expressions, "call them Off and On."
 
I like all the ones mentioned so far and one I don't think has been mentioned was "Dead Man" with Johnny Depp. At least it has to be the strangest western ever made. I watch it every time it comes back on Netflix.

Instead of trying to name all the good westerns it might be easier for me to name all the bad ones. The list is below.

*
 
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Three more I thought of that may have already been mentioned are:

Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman
The Keeping Room end of the Civil War
Bad Company with Jeff Bridges

All are on Amazon Prime Free right now.
 
There are the classics such as The Magnificent Seven and such,,,
But my personal favorites are a bit more obscure.

I can't decide between these two,,,
But they are my personal all time favs:

Valdez is Coming - Burt Lancaster
The Stalking Moon - Gregory Peck

In Valdez is coming Burt Lancaster plays an old Mexican who was once an Apache hunter,,,
He absolutely nailed this part making one of the best movies I've ever seen.

An interesting factoid is that when he first read the script,,,
The producers wanted him to play the bad guy,,,
I'm glad that he didn't.

I really don't know why The Stalking Moon appeals to me so much,,,
But I rented the DVD recently and it still held up for me,,,
Even after all the years between viewings.

Aarond

.
 
stevekozak said:
I am a big fan of Westerns from all eras. I like movies and I liked TV shows. Outlaw Josey Wales is a favorite, although I like most of the Clint Eastwood movies (enjoyed Rawhide series as well). Oddly, I am not a real big John Wayne movie fan, as I found a lot of his movies way too campy (True Grit comes to mind, the remake was tons better). My favorite of the campy ones was Big Jake and my all time favorite of his was his last one, The Shootist. Of the series, High Chapperal was great, Wanted Dead or Alive, Have Gun Will Travel, and The Virginian were all good. The Lonesome Dove 3-part mini-series was about as good as it gets for casting. I have read all of the Larry McMurtry books, and Augustus Mcrae will forever be Robert Duvall for me. The first couple of seasons of Big Valley were good. I was never a big fan of Bonanza. There are just way too many great western movies and shows to list. Unforgiven is my favorite of the more modern-made movies. I am not into happy endings and fluff.
Click to expand...

I sort of concur on John Wayne. For many years I couldnt take his roles or characters seriously. I just thought that his portrayal of the Great American Alpha Hero was not very convincing, inspiring or impressive. But eventually I heard the REAL John Wayne, the actor whose real name is MARION (LoL!), speaking his mind in an interview and he really earned my respect as a straight-up mindful person with good scruples and morals. The respect he earned from me had nothing to do with tough talk, war experiences, beating up bad guys or wrassling with monstrous beasts. In fact, John Wayne's words which finally won me over had mostly to do with his own take on the social and economic direction of America.I thought it was cool, and it had absolutely 0 to do with his macho screen persona or his movies.
 
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gtrgy888 said:
A lesser known gem is Compañeros, a 70’s b-movie western with a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. That’s my go-to-war soundtrack.

Click to expand...


Ok you got me, I watched the trailer to that movie and it has one of the nicest variety of firearms in it I have ever seen.. And any movie that has a Campo Giro, a Maxim machine gun and a Volley gun in it plus others. Thats gots to be a kick butt movie...
 
The Magnificent 7 is the best of all time for me. The original of course. A close 2nd is The Undefeated. Most awesome. If we are talking modern, Tombstone. Maybe Unforgiven. For comedy, I like Blazing Saddles. Probably not the most PC, but neither were the '70s.
 
gtrgy888 said:
A lesser known gem is Compañeros, a 70’s b-movie western with a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. That’s my go-to-war soundtrack.

Click to expand...



Watch that movie and it was pretty good.. Oh sure it was not Shakespeare in the round but its delivered what was expected.. Thanks.. Missed this one. I did like all the El Tigres in the movie.
 
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