The 25 greatest westerns of all time (2023)

FAQs

What is the #1 Western movie? ›

1 The Searchers (1956)

The Searchers is John Ford's epic Western, one which most cinephiles consider to be his best, and it truly does live up to the hype. The movie was released in 1956 and stars John Wayne as a Civil War veteran searching for his abducted niece (Natalie Wood) and her sister.

Unfortunately, this dream proposition never came to be. These icons, instead of facing off in a pistol duel in the old West, were entangled in an off-screen feud initiated by Wayne. As the original face of the Western genre, he did not hold favorable opinions of the new gunslinger riding into town in Eastwood.

High Noon is a true classic of the Western genre, and is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time.

However, head and shoulders above everyone was Tom Mix. He worked for the Miller Brothers in the 101 Ranch shows before he and his horse Tony became motion picture's best riding duo.

Speaking in an interview with Patrick McGilligan, which features in the 1999 book Clint Eastwood: Interviews, Eastwood revealed that his favourite actor was the star of White Heat, James Cagney.

Francis Benjamin Johnson Jr. (June 13, 1918 – April 8, 1996) was an American film and television actor, stuntman, and world-champion rodeo cowboy.

How Clint Eastwood REALLY spends his fortune – 'world's richest cowboy!

Western movie star John Wayne frequently rode a horse to complete his cowboy image. However, he grew an affinity for one animal in particular. Wayne went out of his way to ensure that he could ride the same horse named Dollar across seven of his movies.

Why did John Wayne walk that way? ›

He was hired because he looked and talked like a hero, but he didn't know how to move like one. Slowly but surely, he learned to move in a very slow, deliberate way; his slow and deliberate walk was simply his way of controlling his body. By the time his body had filled out, the style was pretty much set.

Sandra Louise Anderson (née Smith; May 28, 1944 – November 3, 2018), professionally known as Sondra Locke, was an American actress and director. She achieved recognition for her relationship with Clint Eastwood and the six hit films they made together.

But the truth about Wayne in real-life led some writers to describe the public image he cultivated as a "living lie." According to the biographer Scott Eyman, author of John Wayne: The Life And Legend, Wayne struggled to live up to his tough guy image by hiding the sensitive side of his personality.

The period from 1940 to 1960 has been called the "Golden Age of the Western". It is epitomized by the work of several prominent directors including Robert Aldrich, Budd Boetticher, Delmer Daves, John Ford, and others.

'The Magnificent Seven' (1960)

In the days when westerns were big box office and TV attractions, cowboys and their horses often shared equal billing. Champion, wonder horse of the West, was Gene Autry's mount. John Wayne rode Duke, his devil horse, and, of course, there was Roy Rogers and Trigger billed as the smartest horse in the movies.

Morrison is the brother of John Wayne (real name: Marion Morrison). Andrew V. McLaglen directed 96 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955), reuniting him with James Arness. James Arness rode the same Buckskin horse (Buck) in this movie as he rode in many episodes of Gunsmoke (1955).

He was said to have been on the set during the production of the movie, Wild Bill Hickok, in 1923. Five years later, John Wayne apparently met Wyatt Earp on a film set. They got talking and Earp related many of his hair-raising exploits to the actor known as “The Duke”.

Are Jim Carrey and Clint Eastwood friends? ›

In fact, it appears that a friendship developed between the two. According to film critic Richard Schickel's book Clint Eastwood: A Biography, Eastwood was one of the special guests at Carrey's 1995 ceremony at the Chinese Theater, where he had his feet and handprints immortalized.

The star of 31 movies throughout his illustrious career, Elvis Presley was the epitome of an entertainer. His proposed co-star, John Wayne, known as “The Duke” to his fans, starred in an estimated 150 movies throughout his career that spanned over 50 years.

Clint Eastwood is an iconic Hollywood actor known for movies such as Heartbreak Ridge, Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino. He has also produced and directed many famous films, including the Oscar winning film, American Sniper. Eastwood served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood have been good friends since working together in the early '90s on the Eastwood directed Unforgiven. They later teamed up for Million Dollar Baby and Invictus, both of which Eastwood again directed.

In the 1970s, he had a fling with restaurant critic Gael Greene whom he started seeing after she interviewed him on the set of Two Mules for Sister Sara. According to McGilligan, Eastwood also had affairs with his co-stars Inger Stevens on Hang 'Em High, Jean Seberg on Paint Your Wagon, Jo Ann Harris on The Beguiled.

“Join me as we go back in time and into the life stories of the oldest-known living cowboy on the planet. John Hoiland was born in 1927 and has been a cowboy since day one living on the same land for 95 years.

The Film. The Last Cowboy follows 23 years in the life of Vern Sager, a real American cowboy in one of the most isolated places in America.

Who was the last famous cowboy? ›

Every era eventually ends, and the Old West was no exception. The lawlessness that began with the Civil War's conclusion stretched into the earliest days of the 20^th Century. And when that era finally wrapped up, who was its final desperado? Meet Harry Tracy, who went down with guns blazing in 1902.

As of February 2023, Samuel L. Jackson was the highest-grossing leading actor in the United States and Canada, which combined are known as the North American movie market. Movies featuring Jackson as a protagonist collectively amassed 5.72 billion U.S. dollars domestically.

Who is the number one richest actor in the world? Currently, Jami Gertz is the richest actor in the world with a net worth of $3 billion.

None of John Wayne's show-business friendships were as enduring, or as entertaining, as the kinship he forged with two men he met around the same time—character actor Ward Bond and director John Ford.

Western movie star John Wayne frequently rode a horse to complete his cowboy image. However, he grew an affinity for one animal in particular. Wayne went out of his way to ensure that he could ride the same horse named Dollar across seven of his movies.

The Mark of Zorro was the film which Bruce watched with his parents at the Monarch Theatre on the night of their death. One of Dr. Thomas Wayne's last words to Bruce was, "They'd probably throw someone like Zorro in Arkham" in response to Bruce's idolization of the masked vigilante.

It might come as no surprise that the home of Hollywood is the setting for most movies, with 543 films shot in Los Angeles.

With a career that spans over a hundred movies so far (and two soon-to-be-released projects on the way), Susan Sarandon is widely renowned as one of the actresses with the most movies in her career.

As of 2022, Katharine Hepburn maintained her lead as the actor with the most Oscar wins of all time. While the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" star scored four acting accolades during her career, six fellow actors tied for the second spot with three wins each.

What was John Wayne's famous line? ›

1. "Whoa, take 'er easy there, Pilgrim." 2. "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."

Clint Eastwood Used Andalusians in His Westerns

When you think about it, it only makes sense. It's fitting that tall, rugged, and brooding Clint would ride into town from over the horizon on an Andalusian. , Spanish breeds, including the Andalusian, were common mounts in the time.

In his personal life Wayne's vehicle of choice was full-size Pontiac station wagons. It seems that he owned at least three during the 1970s.

The first Western to win a Best Picture Oscar.

The first western movie star was Gilbert M. “Broncho Billy” Anderson. His Broncho Billy films, starting in 1910 with Broncho Billy's Redemption, portrayed the original good-bad man, the outlaw with a bit of humanity who does the right thing when the chips are down.

1993's Tombstone is definitively the best western movie ever made. Here's why. The story of Wyatt Earp has been told many times over the years, from history books teaching us about the O.K. Corral, to television shows, and all the way to the big screen and back.

In 2021, an 83-year-old Sir Anthony Hopkins became the oldest person to ever win an acting Oscar for his performance in The Father.

Only three traditional Westerns — 1931's “Cimarron,” 1990's “Dances with Wolves” and 1992's “Unforgiven” — and one contemporary Western (2007's “No Country for Old Men”) have won the Best Picture Oscar.

Who is the oldest Western actor still alive? ›

Norman Lloyd's career spans an incredible eight decades, and it's still going, making him the oldest actor and working person in the world. Tim McIntire passed away at the age of 41 on April . Clint Eastwood. Elliott is known for his distinctive lanky physique, full .

However, head and shoulders above everyone was Tom Mix. He worked for the Miller Brothers in the 101 Ranch shows before he and his horse Tony became motion picture's best riding duo. Ben Johnson and Joel McCrea were good riders, and recently both Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are fine horsemen.

The box office shootout was won by Tombstone, which was released in December and earned $56 million, more than double the $25 million raked in by Wyatt Earp, which premiered in June the following year.

As far as the box office goes, Tombstone made three times as much as Wyatt Earp, which was really Costner's first flop.

Overall, Tombstone wins by having won most of the categories. The film is overall more memorable and has a tighter focus than Wyatt Earp. The performances stick out as being particularly memorable, with there being many quotable lines that grab your attention.

The period from 1940 to 1960 has been called the "Golden Age of the Western". It is epitomized by the work of several prominent directors including Robert Aldrich, Budd Boetticher, Delmer Daves, John Ford, and others.