# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/21 "2016-01-27T20:58:42Z")
The Long Riders The Grey Fox ---
**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, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/22 "2016-01-27T21:06:01Z")
Oh god. I think Bundy watched #11 one time to many. 1. Open Range (2003) 7.5/10 A former gunslinger is forced to take up arms again when he and his cattle crew are threatened by a corrupt lawman. (139 mins.) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/23 "2016-01-27T21:06:59Z")
It usually doesn’t get picked as one of the best or even the best John Ford movie but I think _Fort Apache_ is a masterfully made Western. Henry Fonda plays very much against type and is fantastic. Well he played against his movie type anyway. Peter Fonda: “People ask me from time to time what it was like growing up with Henry Fonda as my father. I say, Ever see Fort Apache? He was like Colonel Thursday.” After that I would say the usual, \*The Searchers \*and _Once Upon a Time in the West_. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/24 "2016-01-27T21:31:13Z")
Winchester 73 There may be others I like more and watch more frequently (Silverado) but there is not part of that movie that isn’t perfect. I’m pretty sure Zeldar did a poll on this just last summer so we should have at least a Dope consensus somewhat recently. ---
**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, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/25 "2016-01-27T21:39:14Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > … > I’m pretty sure Zeldar did a poll on this just last summer so we should have at least a Dope consensus somewhat recently. Just for that I’m not even going to link to it! So there! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/26 "2016-01-27T21:42:23Z")
I knew there was a Holiday Inn movie, but I’ve never seen the Best Western one. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/27 "2016-01-27T22:00:09Z")
_The Searchers_ and _Once Upon a Time in the West_ have already been mentioned. I’ll add _The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance_ and _The Shootist_. ---
**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, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/28 "2016-01-27T22:07:00Z")
As a kid my favorite was _ **Cat Ballou** _. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/29 "2016-01-27T22:36:30Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > It’s not normally high on everyone’s list, but _ **Big Jake** _ is one of my favorites. I’d put it high on the list. It’s very much like a sequel to McClintock but that had more of a comedy element to it, and the characters though similar are supposed to be different people. I think it was a very good Western, but the genre was in decline by the 70s. In no particular order, and not a complete list: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Shane Silverado Once Upon a Time in the West Rio Bravo Little Big Man True Grit (I prefer the original nostalgically, the remake might be the better movie) Jeremiah Johnson The Cowboys ---
**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, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/30 "2016-01-27T23:07:44Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > As a kid my favorite was _ **Cat Ballou** _. Was that before or after puberty? Jane Fonda was a very frequent bedmate of mine. At least, in my imagination. So many wonderful movies she made and she just fulfilled my very horny young - imagination - most especially: Cat Ballou, Walk on the Wild Side, Barbarella and Klute. Oh, what wonderful films! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/31 "2016-01-27T23:25:12Z")
By definition, it’s whatever is playing at the [BEST WESTERN Movie Manor](http://bestwesterncolorado.com/hotels/best-western-movie-manor). ---
**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, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/32 "2016-01-27T23:33:36Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > By definition, it’s whatever is playing at the [BEST WESTERN Movie Manor](http://bestwesterncolorado.com/hotels/best-western-movie-manor). No doubt! 🙂 Any idea what’s tonight’s feature? Smiley Burnette and what? ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/33 "2016-01-27T23:45:04Z")
**Shane** ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/34 "2016-01-27T23:48:16Z")
It’s a tough question, there are a lot of greats that are deconstructions of the genre (The Good, The Bad; Trye Grit; etc.), but to be the best, it has to be the template all others acknowledge in their form and for that I’d have to agree with High Noon. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/35 "2016-01-28T00:01:05Z")
Surely Hombre has got to be up there. Tombstone 3:10 to Yuma ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/36 "2016-01-28T00:28:45Z")
Tombstone Unforgiven Dances With Wolves The Oxbow Incident Lonesome Dove (TV movie, but still a movie) Little Big Man ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/37 "2016-01-28T00:55:22Z")
Classic: **The Wild Bunch** Modern: **Unforgiven** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/38 "2016-01-28T01:08:41Z")
Favorite: **Rio Lobo** Best: **The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence.** ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/39 "2016-01-28T01:22:13Z")
So many good ones named already. My personal favourite is ‘ **The Magnificent Seven** ’, because of: - the testosterone-filled acting - the plot (thanks to Kurosawa 🆒 ) - the music Vin: We deal in lead, friend. Villager: If he’s the best with the gun and the knife, with whom does he compete? Chris: Himself Chico: Ah, that was the greatest shot I’ve ever seen. Britt: The worst! I was aiming at the horse. P.S. Can you name the seven actors? Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Jorge De Hoyos ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395/40 "2016-01-28T01:23:30Z")
**[Curse of the Undead](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052718/)**. Vampire western; has all the cliches of a standard horse opera, plus some Dracula hokum sprinkled throughout. I wouldn’t dare give away the ending. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-western-movie/744395.md?page=3)