Top Of The Back 40
From the silent era to revisionist allegories, with classic John Ford films in between, the Western film genre has produced many hard-to-forget titles. Not always the most historically accurate, they’re nonetheless valued for their sometimes-conflicting celebrations of freedom, wide-open spaces, individualism, and solidarity. Here are 40 of the best Western films.
1. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
Sergio Leone directed this groundbreaking Western about a widow’s risky stand against a railroad company, with Henry Fonda playing the bad guy—an unusual character for him. Charles Bronson memorably plays Harmonica, as he allies himself with Claudia Cardinale’s complicated femme fatale, Jill.
Paramount, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
2. The Searchers (1956)
Perhaps the greatest director of the genre ever, John Ford shot this film starring John Wayne as a veteran searching for his niece, who’d been abducted after the Comanches eliminated the rest of her family. The film’s take on history definitely reflects the time it was produced.
Warner Bros., The Searchers (1968)
3. Red River (1948)
Directed by Howard Hawks, this movie portrays a 14-year tale of a rancher, portrayed by John Wayne, whose tyrannical behavior alienates his adopted son. The film also stars Montgomery Clift, leading to a mutiny on a cattle run.
United Artists, Red River (1948)
4. High Noon (1952)
In this film directed by Fred Zinnemann, Gary Cooper is a sheriff who faces a moral dilemma: leave with his new wife, played by Grace Kelly, or wait to confront an ex-con, played by Thomas Mitchell, who’s arriving on the noon train and looking for revenge.
United Artists, High Noon (1952)
5. Shane (1953)
Great Western director George Stevens has Alan Ladd playing a former marksman in the title role, who comes to the defense of homesteaders in Wyoming as cattle ranchers aim to expand their territory.
6. Unforgiven (1992)
Clint Eastwood directed this film he also stars in—along with Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman—to tell the tale of a former outlaw teaming up with his old partner and a new kid on the block to avenge an injustice.
Warner Bros., Unforgiven (1992)
7. Johnny Guitar (1954)
Joan Crawford stars as a saloon owner named Vienna who’s targeted by a local mob after she helps a wounded young gang member and is then herself accused of dastardly misdeed. This Nicholas Ray film also stars Sterling Hayden as Vienna’s ex-boyfriend, Johnny Guitar.
Republic, Johnny Guitar (1954)
8. The Wild Bunch (1969)
Aging Texan outlaws pilfer Army weaponry to sell to a Mexican general fighting in the revolution, in Sam Peckinpah’s depiction of a frontier settling down too quickly for some. This violent, morally ambiguous film stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, and Robert Ryan.
Warner Bros., The Wild Bunch (1969)
9. Black Rock (1955)
John Sturges directs this film about a frontier town with a terrible secret, one that they’ll do anything to keep hidden when a stranger with just one arm walks in and disturbs their collective silence. It stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, and Anne Francis.
MGM, Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
10. Greed (1924)
A hugely expensive production, especially considering the time, this silent film directed by the near-mythical Erich von Stroheim tells the story of three people whose lives are ruined by a lottery win.
11. Stagecoach (1939)
A great John Ford Western that established John Wayne’s reputation has him playing an outlaw called The Ringo Kid, whose skill with a weapon comes in handy on a perilous stagecoach journey.
12. McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971)
Robert Altman directed this genre-busting film portraying a man and woman on the margins of society thriving in a mining town—until a business tycoon comes strolling in. Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, and René Auberjonois.
Warner Bros., McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
13. The Naked Spur (1953)
Anthony Mann directed this movie about a man on a mission who has to rely on two dubious strangers to catch a dangerous suspect and collect a bounty. Starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, and Robert Ryan.
14. They Died With Their Boots On (1941)
Directed by Raoul Walsh, this film is more myth than history as it portrays George Armstrong Custer’s time from West Point to the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. It stars Errol Flynn as Custer and Olivia de Havilland as the general’s wife.
Warner Bros., They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
15. Will Penny (1967)
As winter sets in, a fading cowboy takes a job on a ranch and discovers a destitute woman and her son camped out in his cabin. Tom Gries directed this film starring Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, and Donald Pleasence.
16. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)
John Huston directed this tense story of an experienced prospector who agrees to join up with two desperate drifters to mine gold in the mountains of Mexico. Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt star in this tale of greed and paranoia.
Warner Bros., The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
17. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
A pair of talkative outlaws have to flee after botching a thieving raid on a Wyoming train in this George Roy Hill film starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
Twentieth Century, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
18. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
William A Wellman directed this film about vigilantes who capture three men who may have slain a local farmer, but then can’t decide whether to lynch the suspects. It stars Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Mary Beth Hughes.
Twentieth Century, The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
19. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
James Stewart stars in this late John Ford Western about a senator who heads home for a funeral and recalls the reality behind the legend that made him famous. It also stars John Wayne and Vera Miles.
Paramount, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
20. Monte Walsh (1970)
William A Fraker directed this film about a cowboy who realizes he’s outlived the West as he knew it, and there may be no place for him in the new West. Starring Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau, and Jack Palance.
Cinema Center, Monte Walsh (1970)
21. Broken Arrow (1950)
Again we see James Stewart, this time as a would-be peacemaker between settlers and Apaches in frontier Arizona. Directed by Delmer Daves, the film also stars Jeff Chandler and Debra Paget.
Twentieth Century, Broken Arrow (1950)
22. My Darling Clementine (1946)
In this John Ford Western featuring a famous shootout at the OK Corral, the Earp brothers plot revenge after suspecting the Clanton family of mortally attacking their brother and seizing their cattle. Starring Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature—and Cathy Downs as Clementine.
Twentieth Century, My Darling Clementine (1946)
23. Lonely Are The Brave (1962)
Directed by David Miller, this Western, set in the 1960s, tells the tale of a friend who plots to get thrown behind bars so he can help a friend escape. It stars Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, and Walter Matthau.
Universal, Lonely Are the Brave (1962)
24. Rancho Notorious (1952)
Directed by Fritz Lang and starring Marlene Dietrich as the boss of Rancho Notorious, this is the story of a Wyoming ranch hand, played by Arthur Kennedy, who vows to catch whoever robbed him of his fiancée. Also stars Mel Ferrer.
25. Fort Apache (1948)
John Wayne plays a long-serving captain at Fort Apache who chafes at Henry Fonda’s young upstart of a lieutenant colonel who disrespects the local Apache tribe. Directed by John Ford, this film also stars Shirley Temple.
26. She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949)
In yet another John Ford film starring John Wayne, a retiring captain goes on one last patrol and faces danger as he tries to evacuate his wife and niece in the face of an impending Native attack. Also starring Joanne Dru and John Agar.
RKO, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)
27. Rio Grande (1950)
Again we have John Wayne in a John Ford film, this time facing Apaches on the Rio Grande, and his son and wife on a more personal home front. It also stars Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson, and Claude Jarman Jr.
28. The Gunfighter (1950)
Jimmy Ringo is a man who knows his way around a revolver—but trying to reconcile with his estranged wife and son is tough when every other man wants a showdown. Directed by Henry King, this Western stars Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, and Millard Mitchell.
Twentieth Century, The Gunfighter (1950)
29. Rio Bravo (1959)
This Howard Hawks film stars John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson as a sheriff and his would-be deputies struggling to prevent a local villain from breaking his brother out of custody. An awkwardly-named deputy, Stumpy, played by Walter Brennan, also chips in.
Warner Bros., Rio Bravo (1959)
30. Winchester '73 (1950)
James Stewart plays a cowboy who wants to get his prized weapon back from the brother who not only took it, but also fatally shot their father. Directed by Anthony Mann, the film also stars Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, and Stephen McNally.
Universal, Winchester '73 (1950)
31. Hondo (1953)
John Ford directed the last few scenes of this John Farrow film, starring John Wayne as an Army messenger who tries to protect a woman (played by Geraldine Page) who believes her friendship with the Apaches will protect her and her young son (played by Lee Aaker) from Apache fighting. The film also stars Ward Bond.
32. The Man From Laramie (1955)
Anthony Mann directed this tale of an outsider, played by James Stewart, who resists the power of the local cattle baron and his sadistic son by helping out their rival, all the while trying to find out who sold arms to the Apaches who felled his brother. It also stars Arthur Kennedy and Donald Crisp.
Columbia, The Man from Laramie (1955)
33. Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
Burt Lancaster, Bruce Davison, and Jorge Luke star in this Robert Aldrich film about forces ordered to find marauding chief Ulzana and his band of settler-attacking warriors who have slipped past the confines of their reservation. Though based on a true story, the movie is seen as an allegory for US involvement in Vietnam.
Universal, Ulzana's Raid (1972)
34. Blood On The Moon (1948)
Combining film noir and the Western, Robert Wise directed this film about a cowhand tricked by a friend into helping a cattle baron who’s intimidating homesteaders. Starring Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Preston.
35. Major Dundee (1965)
Sam Peckinpah directed Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, and Jim Hutton in this story of a soldier who leads a mixture of Union comrades, POWs, mercenaries, and scouts over the Mexican border to attack Apaches in the 1860s.
36. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
John Sturges directed this story of peasants who hire a protective detail of seven to repel roaming bandits lurking outside their Mexican village. It stars Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson.
United Artists, The Magnificent Seven (1960)
37. No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Coen brothers’ account of the hunt for missing money from a drug deal is far from a John Ford Western, even if the Rio Grande and Javier Bardem’s chilling performance evoke a modern form of frontier danger. Also starring Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, the movie has been called one of the greatest Westerns of all time—but years after its release, its shocking and unexpected ending still has fans divided and furious.
Paramount, No Country for Old Men (2007)
38. A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)
Sergio Leone directs Clint Eastwood as an outsider who tricks a town’s two proud and greedy clans into turning on each other. Also starring Gian Maria Volontè and Marianne Koch.
Constantin, A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
39. For A Few Dollars More (1965)
Here’s another Sergio Leone movie starring Clint Eastwood, who plays a man seeking a bounty on a Mexican outlaw, and who teams up with a rival to stop a bank holdup and a likely massacre in the process. It also stars Lee Van Cleef and Gian Maria Volontè.
Constantin, For a Few Dollars More (1965)
40. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
And we close with another Sergio Leone spaghetti Western featuring Clint Eastwood, as three men jostle to retrieve a gold fortune buried in a far-off cemetery. Also starring Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef.
United Artists, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Riding Into The Sunset
And our cinematic horses ride into the sunset—but not to worry, this most American of genres will be back in the morning. As Hollywood constantly tries to reinvent itself, expect new trails to be blazed, and old tracks remembered fondly.
