Official HTF Western Appreciation Thread (1 Viewer)

[Frank Ha]

My favorite western is The Searchers. It's in my top 5 list of favorite movies.
Coincidentally, we just watched The Searchers the day before yesterday. We had a colleague over for supper and a movie. She is in her early twenties. She has watched some classic movies with us in the past such as Frankenstein (1931), It Happened One Night and I Remember Mama. I suggested we watch The Searchers. After the movie, she said it was really good. I share this story because it is really gratifying to me to introduce classic movies to the younger generation that they end up enjoying (in this case showing a western to a young lady).

 

[bujaki]

It seems that the Ford/Wayne; Mann/Stewart; Boetticher/Scott; Leone/Eastwood westerns are justifiably held in the highest regard. All the lists submitted contain estimable titles, most excellent; none to be lightly dismissed.
I agree that this month's TCM's listings provide a crash course on the Western genre, so dip in and enjoy while learning.
I will, once again, plug MANN's pre-Stewart western, THE DEVIL'S DOORWAY, starring Robert Taylor as a Shoshone (can't have everything), shot by the great film noir specialist, John Alton; and featuring a tale of gross injustice of the white man against a Civil War veteran who happens to be a member of the Shoshone tribe. Unsettling and unforgettable. This film is a must for all Mann's admirers.

 

[Tony J Case]

I'm the opposite, I don't enjoy Spaghetti Westerns except for a select few.

So does this mean your my evil twin, or am I yours?

 

[Walter Kittel]

So does this mean your my evil twin, or am I yours?

Depends. Which one of you has the goatee?

- Walter.

 

[Bernard McNair]

So many great titles have been mentioned. Can I suggest that "Major Dundee" is well worth viewing (the TT presentation is outstanding IMO). For me "Sergents 3" has always been a guilty pleasure; good fun movie. I also recommend "Nevada Smith" with Steve McQueen. I have also enjoyed many of the Universal westerns with Rock Hudson and Audie Murphy. While they may not be regarded as classics they are an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes or so.

 

[Bob_S.]

No love for "How The West Was Won?" Surprised it wasn't mentioned yet.

Westerns and musicals are tied for my #1 genre.

Shane will always be my all time favorite western.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Confession time: I've never seen Shane.

 

[cinemiracle]

No love for "How The West Was Won?" Surprised it wasn't mentioned yet.

Westerns and musicals are tied for my #1 genre.

Shane will always be my all time favorite western.

HOW THE WEST WAS WON was a great film.I saw it many times originally in Cinerama. It wasn't so great when seen in cinemascope (where I worked).The finale was deleted, which was annoying. I never cared much for THE SEARCHERS. I can't understand why so many forum members rave over it?

 

[nara]

I never cared much for THE SEARCHERS. I can't understand why so many forum members rave over it?

Because it ranks alongside SHANE as one of the two greatest westerns ever made.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Confession time: I've never seen Shane.

Then you need to remedy that issue.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I never cared much for THE SEARCHERS. I can't understand why so many forum members rave over it?

Any film ever made doesn't resonate with everyone the same way. In this case, The Searchers didn't for you, but it's okay, this film still has its fans.

 

[Bernard McNair]

The Searchers is my favourite film of all time; I watch it at least yearly and am enthralled each time I view it. How The West Was Won when screened in Cinerama was a magnificent experience ( still enjoy it very much on Blu).
I recently rewatched The Outlaw Josey Wales and highly recommend it for consideration in this classics discussion.

 

[Tino]

I've watched The Searchers 3 times in the last week. Don't know yet if it's my favorite but it's definitely shot up into my top 5.

 

[Panamint Cinema]

Seems a pity that of the thousands of Westerns made these lists all boil down the the better known films, and sad to see Tom Mix, William S Hart and Randolph Scott missing. Here are some rarer films from my collection, which I am particularly fond of.

"Coroner Creek" (Ray Enright, 1948). Randolph Scott's first "violent" Western produced with Harry Joe Brown - perhaps the forerunner, with many later Ranown Westerns of the spaghetti Western? Looking great in Cinecolor.

"Ride Lonesome" (Budd Boetticher, 1959). Perhaps the great Scott Western - a grim tale of revenge with a fittingly grim ending.

"Seven Men From Now" (Budd Boetticher, 1956). A Batjac production intended for John Wayne, who stepped aside, thankfully, for Randolph Scott, due to a clash with filming "The Searchers". Great beginning.

"Fort Defiance" (John Rawlins, 1951). Another Cinecolor classic. Civil war veteran (Ben Johnson) seeks revenge from a blind man (Peter Graves) and his brother (Dane Clark).

"The Law And Jake Wade" (John Sturges, 1958). Robert Taylor on the trail of man who once helped him (Richard Widmark).

"The Toll Gate" (Lambert Hillyer, 1920). Perhaps the best example of William Surrey Hart's realistic portrayals of the old west.

"Today We Kill ... Tomorrow We Die" (Tonino Cervi, 1968). I saw this twice in the Edinburgh Playhouse, then titled "Today It's Me - Tomorrow You". My favourite Spaghetti, featuring an exciting shootout in a beautiful sylvan setting amongst silver birches,

"The Culpepper Cattle Co." (Dick Richards, 1972). A youngster, desperate to become a cowboy, joins a cattle drive.

"The Gambler From Natchez" (Henry Levin, 1954). My favourite Dale Robertson film, with a deadly sword fight on a Mississippi Riverboat.

"Rancho Notorious" (Fritz Lang, 1952). Arthur Kennedy's quest for revenge leads him to the lair of Marlene Dietrich.

"The Thousand Hills" (Richard Fleischer, 1959). One of two superb Westerns featuring Don Murray ("Bus Stop"). Murray plays a man whose ambitions become his undoing. Think "Giant".

"The Rider of Death Valley" (Albert Rogell, 1932). By far the best of Mix's sound Westerns. Mix tries to stop his cowhands deserting to go gold prospecting.

The Great K & A Train Robbery" (Lewis Seiler, 1926). Tom Mix performed his own stunts with horse Tony, in this beautifully filmed adventure in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado. Best line "Don't be alarmed Miss Cullen, I'm just a young bandit trying to get along."

"You Know My Name" (John Kent Harrison, 1999). Sam Elliott plays an elderly lawman, in a true story. Outlaws now peddle whiskey instead of cattle.

"The Lonely Man" (Henry Levin, 1959). A thoughtful performance by the usually sinister Jack Palance. A reformed outlaw confronts his estranged son (Anthony Perkins).

"Pursued" (Raoul Walsh, 1947). Civil war veteran (Robert Mitchum) meets trouble when he marries his stepsister (Teresa Wright - "Shadow of a Doubt).

Finally, before I start watching Andy Murray, every Western collection should include a Hopalong Cassidy film:

"Three Men From Texas" Lesley Selander, 1940). From the long-running series, starring William Boyd (66 films), this is one of the best. Sadly Gabby Hayes had left the series by then, but Russell Hayden and Andy Clyde, hold the show together well. The ubiquitous Morris Ankrum (aka Steven Morris) also features - twenty odd years on he would appear as one of the judges in "Perry Mason".

and any one of Charles Starrett's "Durango KId" series with Smiley Burnette is also a must.

Russell Cowe

 

[Tino]

Also at the near top of my list is, strangely not mentioned here perhaps because it's only 25 years or so old , is Kevin Costner's Dancing With Wolves. A modern classic that I loved from beginning to end and imo rightly won best picture in 1990.

 

[Frank Ha]

Then you need to remedy that issue.

Josh, Robert is right. You need to remedy that. Shane is probably my second favorite western. Of course there are no guarantees, but I think you'll really like it. And the blu-ray looks really good.

 

[dpippel]

Seems a pity that of the thousands of Westerns made these lists all boil down the the better known films, and sad to see Tom Mix, William S Hart and Randolph Scott missing. Here are some rarer films from my collection, which I am particularly fond of.

Wow, what a list! Thanks! Now I have some new to me films to hunt down and view.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Seems a pity that of the thousands of Westerns made these lists all boil down the the better known films,

Russell Cowe

I guess you missed my earlier listing of some westerns that aren't as well known as some others listed in this thread:

South of St. Louis
Last Train from Gun Hill
The Bravados
The Tin Star
Apache
The Last Wagon
Escape from Fort Bravo
Ambush
Hombre
Cowboy

 

[Mark McSherry]

Mr Russell Cowe is too modest to mention it, but many of us are greatly anticipating his Panamint Cinema release on blu of CANYON PASSAGE. It is Region B though.

Turner Classic Movies has an article about the movie.

 

[John Hermes]

I guess you missed my earlier listing of some westerns that aren't as well known as some others listed in this thread:

South of St. Louis
Last Train from Gun Hill
The Bravados
The Tin Star
Apache
The Last Wagon
Escape from Fort Bravo
Ambush
Hombre
Cowboy

Good group of titles here. I am a big Kirk Douglas fan and think Last Train From Gun Hill is great, of course. Other titles of his to check out are Man Without A Star and The Big Sky (which I wish WB could find all the footage of and put out a great DVD or Blu-ray).