***Official 2nd Annual HTF Western Movies/TV Shows Challenge 2025*** (3 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

***Official 2nd Annual HTF Western Movies/TV Shows Challenge 2025***

1. Watch Western-Movies/TV Shows from midnight March 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025 (use your own time zone to set the ending time).

2. Each Western-Movie/TV show can be viewed by physical media such as DVD, Blu-ray, 4K/UHD, etc. Other means of viewing can be done either by streaming or just watching a TV broadcast such as TCM or any other TV channel and/or internet outlet/app. Recorded or not recorded doesn't matter.

3. Unlike other HTF Movie Challenges, there isn't a minimum number of Westerns you have to watch during this Challenge. Each movie/TV show episode counts as one point each.

4. The only requirement during this Western Challenge is to briefly tell us why you liked or disliked each Western you watched. Please note the viewing means by which you watch the movie/TV show. Whether it was by physical media, streaming, TV broadcast and etc. Furthermore, your opinion can be expressed in just a few sentences or even longer paragraphs as to why you enjoyed the movie/TV show or why the movie/TV show didn't work for you. Such comments serve as an incentive for other people to watch or not watch a Western they never seen beforehand.

5. At the end of the challenge, the point totals will be added up based on the one-point system outlined in number 2 above. There won't be any participation categories like there are in other HTF Challenges. At the end of the Challenge, I will simply tabulate the total number of points each participant accumulated during March. Each participant will be listed with the number of points each has accumulated during March.

 

[Mark-P]

Entry #29
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Paramount, 1962. One of the best of John Ford’s later films, and probably his last great one. John Wayne’s performance as Tom Doniphon (the title character, spoiler alert) is among his best. His swagger when standing up to Liberty Valance in the restaurant scene is spot on, and later when he realizes he has lost Vera Miles to Jimmy Stewart, he gives an acting bravura. Lee Marvin, as Liberty is at his absolute meanest. Telling the story out of order was a brilliant device, as it sets up the premise to find out who Tom Doniphon was, as the sole mourners at his funeral were a famous Senator and his wife, and Pompey, Tom’s sidekick. So the story is told in flashback, and of course “This is the West, Sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
Viewing was on iTunes in 4K HDR
Rating 4 stars out of 4.

Entry #30
Shane, Paramount, 1953. I’ve saved the best for last. I consider Shane to be the greatest Western ever made. It is perfectly written, skillfully edited, sincerely acted, and beautifully photographed. All three members of the Starrett family idolize Shane. Young Joey worships his masculine bravery, Joe admires his character, and Marian has a bit of a crush on him as well. Over time it has settled into the perfect archetypal Western.
Viewing was on iTunes HD (1.66:1 aspect ratio) I chose this version over the Blu-ray which has the original aspect ratio, because I wanted to get a sense of how it played in 1953 when the studio forced it into a faux widescreen presentation.
Rating 4 stars out of 4.

And that closes out the challenge for me. I’ve had a great time participating this year.

Spoiler: Running tally

Running tally:
1. Conquest of Cochise 3-1-25
2. Westward the Women 3-2-25
3. Oregon Passage 3-3-25
4. The Tall T 3-4-25
5. Vera Cruz 3-5-25
6. Conagher 3-6-25
7. California Conquest 3-7-25
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller 3-9-25
9. Fort Dobbs 3-10-25
10. Bend of the River 3-11-25
11. Jubal 3-12-25
12. The Law and Jake Wade 3-14-25
13. The Shadow Riders 3-15-25
14. Cimarron (1960) 3-17-25
15. Santa Fe Trail 3-18-25
16. Apache Rifles 3-19-25
17. The Big Trail 3-20-25
18. Broken Arrow (1950) 3-21-25
19. Garden of Evil 3-22-25
20. War Arrow 3-23-25
21. Northwest Passage 3-23-25
22. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean 3-24-25
23. Bad Company (1972) 3-25-25
24. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 3-26-25
25. Duel in the Sun 3-27-25
26. The Light in the Forest 3-29-25
27. The Iron Horse 3-30-25
28. High Noon 3-30-25
29. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence 3-31-25
30. Shane 3-31-25

 

[Robert Crawford]

Thank you for all that participated in this year's Western Challenge. I hope everyone had a good time doing so because I know I enjoyed this challenge. Please, contact me, if I missed anyone or if the totals are incorrect. Again, thanks to all.


Official "Western Movie/TV Show Challenge" Results:

Robert Crawford (155)
Compson (121)
benbess (41)
Doug Wallen (41)
Josh Steinberg (32)
Jeff Flugel (31)
Mark-P (30)
t1g3r5fan (27)
Tino (19)
Malcolm R (17)
Scott Merryfield (17)
cineastdan (12)
Nelson Au (11)
RCRochester (10)
Bryan H (4)
Dave Moritz (4)
Rodney (4)
Walter Kittel (4)
cda1143 (2)
Winston T. Boogie (2)
Jeffrey D (1)
Tony Bensley (1)

 

[Nelson Au]

Cool, Robert, I wasn’t keeping a tally. That’s impressive you and Compson watched over 100 films!

 

[Malcolm R]

I think my total came to 17, but no biggie. I hadn't yet put the last episode I watched of Godless on my list on the front page.

I think I did better this year, and had fun with most all of the shows and movies I watched. I may be a bigger fan of westerns than I'd thought. I really liked all three of the Audie Murphy titles from Kino's Collection Vol 1, with No Name on the Bullet being my favorite film of the challenge. Will look forward to watching the rest in the future (have Vol 2 & 3, will need to order 4).

 

[Robert Crawford]

I think my total came to 17, but no biggie. I hadn't yet put the last episode I watched of Godless on my list on the front page.

Corrected!

 

[Tino]

What about the 50 episodes of Little House On The Prairie I watched?? Whaaa.

Seriously tho this was a lot of fun.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I’m sorry I didn’t get to watch more this month - life got in the way - but I’m glad to have gotten back in the saddle, so to speak, with this genre. There are definitely certain types of western stories I enjoy more than others, and I’m going to make an effort to include more westerns in my movie diet.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey guys- I thought this might be of interest. I saw some comments here about the film, Yellow Sky. So I found a copy from a third party seller on Amazon and ordered it. It arrived a few days ago and the seller included a very nice hand written note, and it made me wonder if he’s a member here. I’ll paraphrase the note as it said he hoped I enjoy the film, from one film lover to another. That was a very nice note!

I haven’t watched the film yet, but will eventually.