What's your favorite Western?

[Ben Beam]

Just started reading My Sixty Years on the Plains: Trapping, Trading, and Indian Fighting by William Thomas Hamilton. A fascinating first-hand account. "William Thomas Hamilton was born into a wealthy family in England but was brought to American when he was two years old. A sickly youngster, he was sent west by his father in 1842 with a trapping party headed by “Old Bill" Williams (who would gain notoriety as the guide of General John C. Frémont's fourth expedition into the Western territories) to improve his health. Hamilton remained in the West for the rest of his life. He died in Missoula, Montana."

[Cowtown]

Too many to list in any rational order.

Rio Bravo
The Shootist
The Cowboys
Culpepper Cattle Company
Appaloosa
Lonesome Dove
The Outlaw Josie Wales
Good, Bad, Ugly/Fistful of Dollars/For a Few Dollars More
Open Range
Broken Trail
Winchester 73
3:10 to Yuma
True Grit  (s)
Monte Walsh (Selleck)

There just cain't not be no favorite!

[Stillwater]

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. 

If the cowboys wear big hats and KISS their horse, that makes it a western...

Bill

[Mean Bob Mean]

Too many to list in any rational order.

Rio Bravo
The Shootist
The Cowboys
Culpepper Cattle Company
Appaloosa
Lonesome Dove
The Outlaw Josie Wales
Good, Bad, Ugly/Fistful of Dollars/For a Few Dollars More
Open Range
Broken Trail
Winchester 73
3:10 to Yuma
True Grit  (s)
Monte Walsh (Selleck)

There just cain't not be no favorite!

Agree

[dusty texian]

So many good ones. Really like the movie ,    Valdez is coming !  ( Before I know better! ),,,DT

[Capt Quirk]

I hope this doesn't get me hung, or worse, banned... but I was never a really big John Wayne fan. I'm sure that is heresy around here, but he was just too over the top. I mean, I enjoyed The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The War Wagon, but he wasn't my favorite star.

As I have mentioned in the other Western thread, I like Appaloosa.
I also love some Tom Selleck movies, Monte Walsh and Quigley Down Under-which technically isn't a western.
Jeramiah Johnson, which technically is a western.
The Quick and the Dead.
Deadwood, which isn't a movie, but is a western, none the less.
For a very tongue in cheek movie, Zachariah with Don Johnson, a Rock N Roll western.
And then there is The Ballad of Cable Hogue. I hate the singing, but still watch it for a laugh.

[Mean Bob Mean]

I hope this doesn't get me hung, or worse, banned... but I was never a really big John Wayne fan. I'm sure that is heresy around here, but he was just too over the top. I mean, I enjoyed The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The War Wagon, but he wasn't my favorite star.

Suggest you watch or watch again "The Quiet Man" with Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. 

[Stillwater]

Too many to list in any rational order.

Rio Bravo
The Shootist
The Cowboys
Culpepper Cattle Company
Appaloosa
Lonesome Dove
The Outlaw Josie Wales
Good, Bad, Ugly/Fistful of Dollars/For a Few Dollars More
Open Range
Broken Trail
Winchester 73
3:10 to Yuma
True Grit  (s)
Monte Walsh (Selleck)

There just cain't not be no favorite!

I like all of the movies you mentioned, with the addition of Monte Walsh with Lee Marvin.

True Grit with John Wayne was a good movie. I didn't care for the last one though. I thought almost everybody was miss-cast.

[PJ Hardtack]

I thought the casting in the remake was good, especially Mattie.

Different strokes ....

[Capt Quirk]

I thought the casting in the remake was good, especially Mattie.

Different strokes ....

Hey now! I remember watching Different Strokes, and it weren't no Western! 

[greyhawk]

I hope this doesn't get me hung, or worse, banned... but I was never a really big John Wayne fan. I'm sure that is heresy around here, but he was just too over the top. I mean, I enjoyed The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The War Wagon, but he wasn't my favorite star.

As I have mentioned in the other Western thread, I like Appaloosa.
I also love some Tom Selleck movies, Monte Walsh and Quigley Down Under-which technically isn't a western.
Jeramiah Johnson, which technically is a western.
The Quick and the Dead.
Deadwood, which isn't a movie, but is a western, none the less.
For a very tongue in cheek movie, Zachariah with Don Johnson, a Rock N Roll western.
And then there is The Ballad of Cable Hogue. I hate the singing, but still watch it for a laugh.

with you on the Duke thing - some good some ordinary - I liked Sam Elliot, Kostner, Selleck ----early westerns gave us some beeeyutiful scenery but then the guns and gear all out of sync - hate that! -- Back in the 50,s 60,s there would have been plenty of original guns around at reasonable cost, they could have made it authentic! Same for saddles and tack --- now we get the newer westerns and the language is so foul in some of em I just am not interested - not a wowser just spent a life working in male crews and tired of the disrespect of potty mouth language. Sure the old timers used it but I bet they never did around women.   

[Capt Quirk]

This isn't necessarily a favorite, but if you get a chance, check out Gunless- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwib__esluXUAhVKcD4KHdHdDSMQFghBMAg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGunless&usg=AFQjCNED1P-kuwCFHwflo3IC0kIWgZRZyA

[merlen]

maybe it's very easy from my side, but it is The Good, Bad & Ugly

[PJ Hardtack]

This isn't necessarily a favorite, but if you get a chance, check out Gunless-

I liked "Gunless" 'cause it's Canadian, eh? I am also familiar with the country where it was filmed. I think Paul Gross did a good job on a Western parody.

[Roscoe]

I would favor the one where they stop to reload after 5 shots. I just watched the modern Magnificent 7 and noticed only one scene before the ending gun battle, mostly with rifles, where there was any reloading, and then followed by a trick ejection that would never work on any of my guns. And I didn't get Denzel carrying reverse grip, strong side, but it is Hollywood.

[Capt Quirk]

I liked "Gunless" 'cause it's Canadian, eh? I am also familiar with the country where it was filmed. I think Paul Gross did a good job on a Western parody.

The best part of Gunless, is the end credits. They put all the gag scenes and gafs there. I was rolling!

[PJ Hardtack]

Like the scene where Gross is explaining his life philosophy and the horse farts? Don't see that very often in Dusters. All of the bloopers were great and even better than the successful takes in the movie.

I gave a copy of the film to a pal whose deceased wife closely resembled the heroine of the story. Her favourite gun was a 5 shot Colt '49.

[Capt Quirk]

Like the scene where Gross is explaining his life philosophy and the horse farts? Don't see that very often in Dusters. All of the bloopers were great and even better than the successful takes in the movie.

I gave a copy of the film to a pal whose deceased wife closely resembled the heroine of the story. Her favourite gun was a 5 shot Colt '49.

"I'm a man, that's what I do" (Fart!) "He's a horse, that's what he does. I do it too sometimes, but I don't lift my tail."

[MattSnow]

One of my favorite westerns is Dead Man with Johnny Depp. Great story line, Depp played really impressive, just cut out for William Blake character. 1995 movie but the one I still remember when someone asks about a good movie. I like Depp not only for being a remarkable actor, but also for his personality and charity involvement, when he sold his house in France  a generous sum of money went to charity (orphanage). Great man.

[Jake C]

I would favor the one where they stop to reload after 5 shots. I just watched the modern Magnificent 7 and noticed only one scene before the ending gun battle, mostly with rifles, where there was any reloading, and then followed by a trick ejection that would never work on any of my guns. And I didn't get Denzel carrying reverse grip, strong side, but it is Hollywood.

The reloading thing bothered me about that too. I thought Appaloosa did a good job about showing the characters reloading after using their firearms.

The butt-forward, strong side is actually a style I like. I carry my Cav. length SAA that way when I'm out in the country, and use the Cavalry-twist draw. Very comfortable way to carry and draw a long barreled pistol.