# What's the BEST Western Movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395 "2016-01-27T18:55:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/1 "2016-01-27T18:55:39Z")
The B&W topic is bringing in many titles that deserve to be there, with no attempt to go for The Best of the batch. I know it’s a ridiculous quest but what (in your estimation) is the Best Ever Western Movie? I’ll name my choice later so as not to poison the well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/2 "2016-01-27T18:57:07Z")
“The Searchers”. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/3 "2016-01-27T18:59:47Z")
The Good The Bad and The Ugly ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/4 "2016-01-27T19:02:24Z")
Butch and Sundance ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/5 "2016-01-27T19:04:02Z")
The Searchers is a great movie. An all-time Western classic. No doubt about that. I wish you would have been more specific because there are so many diff kinds of Westerns with diff themes. Many love stories. Many action adventures. Many who dunnits as well. I’ll recommend one of my favorites to you. Better yet, how about letting me recommend a site that I found after Googling “best western movies ranked”? The following site lists 100 Western movies and ranks them in order: > **[\- IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls009668171/)** This site should keep you busy for a very long time. If I could pick only one of these, it would be “The Treasure of The Sierra Madre (1948)”. It is one of the finest films ever made. The Searchers is Number 14 and The Treasure of Sierra Madre is Number 39. There are a great many fabulous films on this list. I hope you will enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/6 "2016-01-27T19:06:52Z")
It’s not normally high on everyone’s list, but _ **Big Jake** _ is one of my favorites. I’d also add: Unforgiven Fistful of Dollars 3:10 to Yuma ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/7 "2016-01-27T19:10:49Z")
That IMDB list is clearly fucked up: it puts _My Darling Clementine_ (my favorite classic Western movie) at #90 FFS. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/8 "2016-01-27T19:29:08Z")
I have to go with [Shane (1953)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046303/?ref_=nv_sr_5) because it was the first “grown up” Western I ever saw when it was just out. I later saw many of the earlier ones that would probably outrank it on the list above. And it spawned many others that were technically and artistically “better” including several of Eastwood’s creations. But for my just-out-of-grade-school appreciation set, it was The Boss for many years. And it still holds up under scrutiny. Jack Palance will never be topped as a baddie. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/9 "2016-01-27T19:57:50Z")
High Noon, Unforgiven, Pale Rider. ETA - you asked for the best, so I’m going with High Noon. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/10 "2016-01-27T20:14:48Z")
_Support Your Local Sheriff Stagecoach_ ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/11 "2016-01-27T20:16:43Z")
_Once Upon a Time in the West._ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/12 "2016-01-27T20:16:53Z")
My top 7 (in chronological order): **The Wind** (Sjostrom, 1928) **The Man from Laramie** (Mann, 1955) **Rio Bravo** (Hawk, 1959) **The Good, the Bad and the Ugly** (Leone, 1966) **The Wild Bunch** (Peckinpah, 1969) **McCabe & Mrs. Miller** (Altman, 1971) **Dead Man** (Jarmusch, 1995) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/13 "2016-01-27T20:17:19Z")
Best: _Red River_ Favorite: _She Wore A Yellow Ribbon_ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/14 "2016-01-27T20:20:45Z")
Oh here we go again. How many threads is this gonna spawn? ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/15 "2016-01-27T20:21:03Z")
Difficult to name one. And there are some great ones listed above. But, the choice is obvious. It has to be _Blazing Saddles_. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/16 "2016-01-27T20:21:35Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That IMDB list is clearly fucked up: it puts _My Darling Clementine_ (my favorite classic Western movie) at #90 FFS. I have to agree. IMDB lists often have some wacky elements. I think it’s because they are formed by people voting and I don’t know just how easy or difficult it is for people to “control” parts of the voting process. I’ve seen My Darling Clementine. But it was so long ago that I don’t remember anything about it. It sure does have a stellar cast though. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an all-star cast in a Western: Henry Fonda, Victor Mature, Walter Brennan, Linda Darnell, Tim Holt, Ward Bond and John Ireland are all major actors in Hollywood Westerns. I will def have to watch it again and I thank you for the recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/17 "2016-01-27T20:49:15Z")
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Winchester 73 Hang Em High ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/18 "2016-01-27T20:53:51Z")
A tie between _The Magnificent Seven_, and _The Good, The Bad and The Ugly_. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/19 "2016-01-27T20:56:07Z")
The Good The Bad The Ugly Tombstone Unforgiven ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/20 "2016-01-27T20:58:21Z")
Back to the Future 3. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395.md?page=2)