What's your favorite Western?

[Icebox Bob]

In another attempt to redirect this thread back on track.........

The "Greats" are undoubted.  For me; Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, etc.   

But there is something about Lee Van Cleef and Richard Boone that really resonates for me. 

Should I be concerned? 

[Mean Bob Mean]

But there is something about Lee Van Cleef and Richard Boone that really resonates for me. 

Thanks for that!  Both those actors brought wonderfully rendered character studies to the screen.  They could menace with a mere look, or a smile.  I was thinking about Boone yesterday because of a short-lived western series where his character set up his pistol to twist draw.  Dio you recall that?

Mean Bob Mean

[Camille Eonich]

One name, Jack Eland....   

[El Tio Loco]

One name, Jack Eland....   

Jack Elam perhaps?  I have always been impressed how a character actor can make the whole film.  Victor McLaglen to Hank Worden in the John Ford movies dome to mind.   I saw a 60's modern western the other day called "Rancho Deluxe"  and it was a "so so" movie until Slim Pickens shows up as an old stock detective.  He made the whole movie.
So my hats off to all the Character Actors that have added so much spice to the movies.
Ken

[Mean Bob Mean]

One name, Jack Eland....   

Old Jack in "Support Your Local Sheriff" was a classic.  I always lioved his comedy roles but he made a terrific bad guy.

[Mean Bob Mean]

 I saw a 60's modern western the other day called "Rancho Deluxe"  and it was a "so so" movie until Slim Pickens shows up as an old stock detective. 

Yeah, Pickens was great but I did like the scene where they shot up the Lincoln with the Sharps.

[Camille Eonich]

Jack Elam perhaps? 

My smart phone is actually kind of dumb and I can't type on it either.   

[flyingcollie]

This is a mighty long thread - have we come to any conclusions ??

Seems to me westerns reflect the decades they were made pretty strongly. They started out early as a kind of celluloid version of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, silent, lots of trick riding and trick shooting. Then, they became "full entertainment", adding singing cowboys and dancing cowgirls. There was more emphasis on drama in the 50's, and at least a nod to "history". By the 60's, there was more "realism" with the introduction of real gore in the shooting scenes . . . since then, I'd say many are more accurate for detail (firearms and sll other kinds of era-correct detail) and also for historical accuracy, but we also get the revisionism.

" . . . it's a place, it's a feelin', and it's dang sure just a state of mind. It could be anything you ever dreamed of . . . and it's all these things, it's The West."  -Dave Stamey

Cast my vote for everything Glenn Ford and Randolph Scott ever did ! 

[Stillwater]

One name, Jack Eland....   

Elam... 

An Eland is an African antelope... 

Bill

[Grenadier]

When I first found this forum a few months ago, I really thought I found something special, but a few individuals on this forum act like 13 year old girls arguing over Justin Biebers haircut.

Reading the posts of these individuals is kind of like watching a monkey fornicate with a football.

Why don't you guys step away from the keyboard, buy some Vagisil, inflatable dounut pillow, apply Vagisil to irritated mommy parts and take a break from the board.

It would be highly benificial to those of us who would prefer not to read your Keyboard Tourettes Tantrums.

[Stillwater]

When I first found this forum a few months ago, I really thought I found something special, but a few individuals on this forum act like 13 year old girls arguing over Justin Biebers haircut.

Reading the posts of these individuals is kind of like watching a monkey fornicate with a football.

Why don't you guys step away from the keyboard, buy some Vagisil, inflatable dounut pillow, apply Vagisil to irritated mommy parts and take a break from the board.

It would be highly benificial to those of us who would prefer not to read your Keyboard Tourettes Tantrums.

An amazingly articulate post... And I agree with him...

Bill

[The Black Spot]

Cast my vote for everything Glenn Ford and Randolph Scott ever did ! 

Definitely! Especially Scott in "7 men from now"

Alan Ladd has some good westerns; "whispering Smith" , "branded" and of course "shane"

[Hambone Dave]

What makes a movie a "Western".
Some of those mentioned here are westerns because the characters wore a 'cowboy' hat.
Civil War movies aren't westerns.
What is needed is specific minimum elements that must be present in a movie for it to be considered a western.
Below are some suggestions:

Cattle, horses, stagecoach, gunfight, Indians, time period, buffalo, miners, robbers, covered wagon, majestic landscapes, blacksmith, ranch, railroad, campfire, coyote/bear/deer/elk/eagle/buffalo/trout, sodbusters, plains, cavalry and forts. 

[stuck_in_73]

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is my favorite. Then High Plains Drifter. Here is artwork I just finished!

[The Trinity Kid]

You are a very talented artist!



--TK

[medic15al]

I like "The Outlaw Josie Wales" and "Tombstone" as my favorites.   

That artwork kinda looks like the movie poster for Josie Wales.

[willcarter]

The Proposition is one of my favourite Westerns... 3:10 is great... Open Range was decent... Unforgiven is classic... watching more for research so I will update this post in a couple days!

[Mean Bob Mean]

Just watched over course of a few weeks the "Cavalry Trilogy" of John Ford with Wayne et al. 

If not seen, highly recommended.

[Gabriel Law]

I didn't go through all 19 pages of this thread, so I may be duplicating someone else's foavourite(s).

Lonesome Dove (all 11 1/2 hours of it)
HBO's Deadwood series
and I recently found Hell on Wheels on Nexflix...lots of fun.

[Willie Dixon]

and I recently found Hell on Wheels on Nexflix...lots of fun.

I gotta agree with that one.  Just found it on Netflix myself, and it's been a blast!  We've been watching it non-stop here for about a week.

on a non-historical side, but present day "westerns" I like:
"Pure Country"
"Country Strong"
and a little Canadian TV show "Heartland"

I think they count enough, if not, they certainly count as "country" or "cowboy."  We had family visiting, and little half-pint's Grandma told her to eat her breakfast.  It was so adorable, little half-pint told her: "I don't know where you come from, but out here, we take care of the animals first."

Basically, it's her chore (she just turned 4) to feed the cat in the mornings!



and yes, I love Clint Eastwood... and yep, his best role:


beautiful work Stuck_in_73