What's Your Favorite Western?

[JJ]

I always loved Have Gun Will Travel but did learn till the last few years that Gebe Roddenberry wrote it. No wonder I liked it then and still find it watchable a half century later.

My very favorite thing back then was to drag the Electrolux canister vac into my room-a challenge since we lived on the second level and I had to carry it wither up stairs or down stairs every time-loop the cord around for reins and ride the plains astride it with Flint as he guided the Wagon Train every week. Herded a few cattle with Rowdy (Clint Eastwood) and the crew from it too.

And then there was Cheyenne.

Ahhh-How can I choose? It was a marvelous time to be a young cowboy. I have a sweet memory of a time a family friend let me ride their pony but forgot to mention till we were there it had never been ridden. Threw me off at least a dozen times till it gave up and as I sat very gingerly astride my trusty Electrolux steed that evening and watched Rawhide I felt such a cameraderie with the guys-especially when one got thrown by a bucking horse. Noting ever hurt so good as those scrapes and bruises

Johnny

[Guest Chrysee]

I notice that the names Lee Marvin and Jack Palance have come up a few times and yet no one has mentioned the 1966 Academy Award nominated Western hit 'The Professionals.'

It also stars Burt Lancaster, Ralph Bellamy, Woody Strode, and the lovely Claudia Cardinale.

It's a post Mexican Revolution shoot-em-up with great scenery, soundtrack, and a grungy/weary ambience, with a number of great actors of the time doing what they did best.

I rate it 'two guns up!'

[Guest PhoebeJoan]

A Fistful of Dynamite - starring James Coburn and Rod Steiger.

I adore that film too, I think it is one of the most underrated films of all time (partly due to different cuts and titles I guess).

Infact, this and the two Once Upon a Time films Leone did are just incredible works of art. For me, the Eastwood dollars films are nothing in comparison.

[Guest Kattja]

Wow Carolyn, yet another subject I thought I was the only one......Love it here, so glad I found my way here anywho...Love westerns.

Top fav, Sons of Katie Elder

The rest come in no particular order.

Rio Bravo, The Shootist, Rio Grand, The Cowboys, Big Jack, True Grit (the original) Rio Lobo, Chisum, El dorado, McLintock, Guess at this point you can tell I am a John Wayne fan 171 movies, died in 7 movies. He died in The Shootist witch was also his last movie (his name was John in that one) My dad had all of his movies and I grew up watching them. He had two photos signed by John Wayne and had met him a few times.

Out side of John Wayne movies, Young guns, Young guns 2, Tomb Stone, 310 to Yuma, Most of Clint Eastwood's westerns, Does Back to the Future III count? I love westerns

[Guest Chrysee]

Sorry, but I think the film Wyatt Earp presented a more accurate rendition of 'Long Nosed' Katie Elder. In the Wayne flick, they pawn her off as some sort of frontier Mother Theresa.

However, I recall when it came out, and I went to the theatre to see it again and again. Back then, it cost, what, thirty five cents to get in? A quarter for popcorn ($.35 for butter popcorn!) A soda pop was fifteen cents.

John Wayne had been diagnosed with cancer just before filming began on 'Elder'. So, he was dying and insisted on doing his own stunts.

[Guest]

Again just one?

Again, can't be done.

There are just too many, such as: Silverado, Blazing Saddles, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, Fist Full of Dollars, 3.10 to Yuma.

Told you.

Huggs,

Joann

[Guest Karen K]

Yes, there are way too many to list just one.

Silverado, Clint Eastwood's many spaghetti westerns, all of John Wayne's, Tom Sellec has made many good ones as well.

Laura Jane

[Guest]

Saddle up cowgirls and past the popcorn! Outlaw-Jane Russel, The Wild Bunch-William Holden, Treasure of Sierra Madre, I love when Bogie gets his head lopped off, "we don't need stinking badges!". Can you spot Ann Sheridan and a very young Robert Blake? And most of the others listed above were good too. Hug. Jody

PS---I tried a bottle of Rye once because of all the old cowboys, Gawd, it was awful. It must be that they shipped it out west to get rid of it and kept the good stuff back east! Giggle. JT

[Sally]

I am a Big fan of Silvarado and Rustler's Rhapsody - the first is a bit off beat and the other is a farce written by Hugh Wilson the creator of WKRP in Cincinnati.

But for quirky there was a series of spaghetti westerns after Clint came back to the states and became Detective Harry Callahan, check out Terrance Hill as a character named Trinity - introduced in a film with Henry Fonda called My Name Is Nobody.

For anyone who has been told at their company that executives do not make mistakes - one man working at Universal pictures decided to let go of a couple of bit players - Clint Eastwood because his Adam's Apple was too big and Burt Reynolds (I don't remember why Burt was let go but several years following this decision Burt Reynolds was the #1 box office actor followed by #2 Clint Eastwood.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Chrysee]

I am a Big fan of Silvarado and Rustler's Rhapsody - the first is a bit off beat and the other is a farce written by Hugh Wilson the creator of WKRP in Cincinnati.

But for quirky there was a series of spaghetti westerns after Clint came back to the states and became Detective Harry Callahan, check out Terrance Hill as a character named Trinity - introduced in a film with Henry Fonda called My Name Is Nobody.

For anyone who has been told at their company that executives do not make mistakes - one man working at Universal pictures decided to let go of a couple of bit players - Clint Eastwood because his Adam's Apple was too big and Burt Reynolds (I don't remember why Burt was let go but several years following this decision Burt Reynolds was the #1 box office actor followed by #2 Clint Eastwood.

Love ya,

Sally

One of my first rules for watching movies as to never, ever see anything that features Burt Reynolds. I broke that rule when I suffered through Boogie Nights, which for me was like watching an agonizingly slow toilet flush.

And a former college mate of mine--William H. Macy--was in it and remembering good times hanging with him didn't help me to appreciate that hideous flick.

[Guest]

"One of my first rules for watching movies as to never, ever see anything that features Burt Reynolds. I broke that rule when I suffered through Boogie Nights, which for me was like watching an agonizingly slow toilet flush."

Someone please call a paramedic! I'm laughing so hard I can't breath! Jody

[KathrynJulia]

My favorite western was a musical, "Paint your Wagon", with Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seeburg. It's a funny musical about a California Goldrush city called No-Name City. Kathryn

[Guest Chrysee]

"One of my first rules for watching movies as to never, ever see anything that features Burt Reynolds. I broke that rule when I suffered through Boogie Nights, which for me was like watching an agonizingly slow toilet flush."

Someone please call a paramedic! I'm laughing so hard I can't breath! Jody

Thanks, Sweetie.

You owe me one!

Cissy

[Guest Alex_Di]

Unforgiven, hands down. I'm not into classics, I like modern cinematography and pacing a lot more.

[Guest Chrysee]

Unforgiven, hands down. I'm not into classics, I like modern cinematography and pacing a lot more.

I hear what you're saying, but don't dismiss black and white films. Also, I so highly recommend The Magnificent Seven (which is in color). One of the greatest movie makers of all time was Akira Kurasowa, who made a film called The Seven Samurai. This provided the inspiration for 'Magnificent Seven', and it is fascinating to see what an American filmmaker did with a Japanese movie, setting it in the old West.

The cinematography is rustic, true, and the pacing is not MTV blink-and-you'll miss-it quick, but it provides amazing character studies.

With love,

Cissy

[Guest Alex_Di]

Unforgiven, hands down. I'm not into classics, I like modern cinematography and pacing a lot more.

I hear what you're saying, but don't dismiss black and white films. Also, I so highly recommend The Magnificent Seven (which is in color). One of the greatest movie makers of all time was Akira Kurasowa, who made a film called The Seven Samurai. This provided the inspiration for 'Magnificent Seven', and it is fascinating to see what an American filmmaker did with a Japanese movie, setting it in the old West.

The cinematography is rustic, true, and the pacing is not MTV blink-and-you'll miss-it quick, but it provides amazing character studies.

With love,

Cissy

Yeah, I actually like The Magnificent Seven. Yul Brynner is awesome in it, as he usually is.

[Guest Skuld]

Well my favorite western is The good, the bad and the weird

[Guest Chrysee]

Well my favorite western is The good, the bad and the weird

Not to be confused with 'The Nice, the Naughty, & the Nauseous'?

[Guest Emma P]

Not really a fan of westerns but I did like Young guns 1 and 2. Yea thats about it

[Guest *Charlotte P*]

Blazing Saddles, I know just about every line of the movie, and the re-make of True Grit.

[Guest Chrysee]

Blazing Saddles, I know just about every line of the movie, and the re-make of True Grit.

Do you remember this one:

"Sorry about the 'up yours', Charlotte!"?

[Guest crocsrule4]

High Plains Drifter, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

[Guest Sarah21]

I love Westerns.

My favorites are The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven and any many of the John Forde movies.

I'd also include Dances With Wolves and Gone With The Wind (I presume they can be considered Westerns?).

On a side note, I know I'm going to go off topic here but I always found myself identifying with the ladies in the older western movies (not the saloon girls!).

I just loved the fashion and there was always a romantic storyline.

I often wondered how non genetic females who rode "side saddle" back then coped.

[Guest Razilee]

My favorite Western would be "Cat Ballou".

[Guest princessofdarkness]

I could say 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'...and I will, because that's my answer. But 'Duck, You Sucker' is the most underrated (also from Leone). I really love that one, and I always have to mention it because no one's ever seen it. I suspect many haven't seen it because the title sounds like a parody of 'Shaft' or something (although the title is WHY I saw the movie, and I expected some good Italian B movie trash...but instead I got a masterpiece).