I bet some
of you were as surprised as I to see promos for the new western movie,
Hostiles, released this month. I ask
you, when’s the last time a true western frontier film has been produced?
Certainly not many in the last few years. I’m not sure I’ll make it to the
“silver screen” to see it, but there’s always DVD rental later.
Seeing the trailer
prompted me to think back on a bygone era when western films were so popular
and it conjured up a nostalgic feeling for recalling some of my favorites. Granted, hundreds of 20th century cinematic
westerns Hollywood made were for pure entertainment, often at the expense of
factual and historical accuracy. Still others were commended for their
realistic portrayal of life on the frontier and because of that, didn’t do as
well at the box office.
Out of the
plethora of westerns I’ve seen and liked, I’ve listed ten in no particular
order of preference other than the first one, Dances with Wolves, which remains
my favorite. (In doing a Google search, I
also found many classics I hadn’t seen but would have liked to. I may soon add
them to my collection of DVD’s!)
So, here’s a
ride down memory lane. Sit back in the saddle with a handful of popcorn and let me know what you think, which ones you liked as
well your favorites not on the list.
2.
HIGH NOON (1952) starring Gary Cooper and
Grace Kelly. The movie was selected
for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as
"culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 1989, the
NFR's first year of existence.
3.
SHANE (1953) starring Alan Ladd. I remember
the scene of young Joey chasing after him and yelling, “Come back, Shane!”
4.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962) starring many well-known
actors including, to name a few, Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, James
Stewart, and directed by John Ford. The picture was one of the last
"old-fashioned" epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great
success. Set between 1839 and 1889 and covering several decades of Westward
expansion in the nineteenth century - including the Gold Rush, the Civil War,
and the building of the railroads, it follows four generations of a family as
they move westward.
5. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) starring Paul Newman and
Robert Redford as the notorious bank and train robbers whose exploits were made
famous in the Oscar-winning film.
6.
LONESOME DOVE (1989) starring Robert Duvall and
Tommy Lee Jones. Yes, I know this was a TV mini-series, but I considered it one
of the best. It was a four-part adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name
by Larry McMurtry which I enjoyed reading as well.
7.
UNFORGIVEN (1992) directed by and starring Clint
Eastwood as the lead actor, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman. Many may remember
Eastwood’s start in the TV western, Rawhide. From there, he rose to
international fame in numerous western movies, (some referred to as spaghetti
westerns made in Europe, typically by an Italian producer and director and very
popular in the ‘60’s), the famed Dirty Harry series of movies as well as many more
award-winning movies that he directed as well.
8.
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992) starring Daniel Day-Lewis. An epic
historical drama, set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and based on
James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 novel.
9.
TRUE GRIT (1969) starring John Wayne, who won
an Oscar for his performance, Glen Campbell, Robert Duval.
10. STAGECOACH (1939) starring John Wayne. I added
this movie even though I have not seen it; however, reading about it, I plan on
adding it to my DVD collection. This significant film which was made before I
was born launched the “Duke’s” acting career. The
movie was directed by the legendary director, John Ford and set in Monument
Valley, Utah. Monument
Valley became known as, “John Wayne country.” He made four more movies there in
his lifetime, “Fort Apache” (1948), “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”
(1949), “Rio Grande” (1950), and “The Searchers” (1956). In 2008,
The American Film Institute voted “The Searchers” the “Greatest Western
of All Time.
