“A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.” -Shane
A scene from one of my favorite westerns:
Other favorites, in no particular order:
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
2. A Fistful of Dollars
3. For a Few Dollars More
4. High Noon
5. Pale Rider
6. Unforgiven
7. Most any John Wayne movie
8. Blazing Saddles
9. The Three Amigos
I’m sure I’ve left some out. What are your favorites? Link a video clip of a favorite scene, if you’d like.
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
You pretty nuch picked all of mine, but El Diablo was a funny one. It was a HBO release and had Anthony Edwards and Louis Gosset Jr.
3 Amigos? Yuck!
Lol….you know? You’re absolutely right! Have no idea why I included that in a “tops” list. But I think it had to do with liking this part, which was actually on my mind when I included it off the top of my head:
Ok….maybe it’s just me; but I liked that scene.
Hard Right,
I never saw El Diablo. Will have to look into it.
Lots of Clint Eastwood in there!
In the #7 slot I would not forget The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin. Plus it has a great theme about how order has to be established before the rule of law.
And even though this isn’t from a movie, how could Flopping Aces let this thread stand without a mention of this:
Couldn’t find the later seasons, colorized versions.
True Grit. : )
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4043243801/
And we raped the horses (YAY!!) and rode off on the women (YAY!!!)…
How can you not like the 3 amigos? Just because that a**hole Chevy Chase is in it doesn’t bother me enough not to watch it.
To me, High Noon is the best of all western movies. Here is a clip with that incredible song:
Silver Screen Classic: High Noon
In the late 50’s & Early 60’s every small boy had to have a cowboy suit & cap guns, duel pistols if you were a “gunslinger”. We never could figure out way back then why they had to keep putting in scenes with, “dumb ol’ girls in them to slow down the action”, LOL. (No offense intended ladies, but to 6-year old mentalities, the kissin’ scenes were “shear hell”).
Of course, GB&U, any of the Trinity series, and about anything by The Duke (Rooster, Grit, The Mountain Men, Angel & Badman, etc).
Also watched a lot of Roy Rogers & Gene Autry as a kid (Our Mom loved the singing cowboys)
Movies:
Cat Ballou (Yeah I know Jane Fonda yeech!, but just loved Lee Marvin’s classic duel roles as the old gunslinger Kid Shaleen & the heavy, especially where they were getting “the kid” off the wagon & back up to snuff)
Son of Paleface
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Little Big Man
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Tombstone
Long Riders
The Over The Hill Gang (Walter Brennan)
Evil Roy Slade (John Astin)
TV Series (in no particular order):
Wild Wild West
F-Troop
Lone Ranger (& Tonto)
Gunsmoke (We could have done without “Miss Kitty” back then though LOL)
Paladin, Have Gun Will Travel
Rawhide (Because Clint was in it)
Maverick
Branded
Does Kung Fu count?
Didn’t really care much for Bonanza, The Great Valley, Death Valley Days, or Wagon Train as we found them too boring (more like western soap operas). All I can recall from High Chapparal is the name.
Three nominations from my favorites list (obscure but right up there with Unforgiven):
Tom Horne – Steve McQueen
Pocket Money – Paul Newman, Lee Marvin, Strother Martin – from the book written by Dee Brown (who also wrote “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”)
Outland – Sean Connery (a space western that’s a near-rewrite of High Noon)
NOTE: (Since I’m new here) The handle “Lefty” is a very old one, dating from the 1940’s when things were much simpler. It just relates to the fact that I’m left-handed. Politically, I’ve been described as a Jacksonian: part Andrew and part Stonewall. For instance, during the 1952 Republican Convention I was rooting for MacArthur over Eisenhower so we could see Truman get some payback for relieving him of his command in Korea.
I can’t believe you all overlooked the most patriotic American cowpoke (off the screen) of all, and a British born naturalized immigrant to boot:
“The Paleface” & “Son of Paleface” star: Leslie Townes (AKA. Bob) Hope
Then there’s the stars of “The Merry Mavericks” “Out West” “The Outlaw sIs Coming” “Pals And Gals” “Shot In The Frontier” “Horses’ Collars” “Goofs And Saddles” “Rockin’ Through The Rockies” “Phony Express” “Punchy Cowpunchers” “Yes We Have No Bonanza”
Appearing also in a multitude of other films spanning 40 years, these starred a trio of short and dumpy Jewish fellows, (actually a variety of guys,) better known as The Three Stooges
And a lot of others:
“Pardners” (Martin-Lewis)
“Ride ‘Em Cowboy” “City slickers” & “The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap” (Abbot & Costello)
“The Shakiest Gun In The West” (Don Knotts)
“The Apple Dumpling Gang” & “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again” (Don Knotts & Tim Conway)
“Support Your Local Sheriff!” & “Support Your Local Gunfighter” (James Garner)
(1971) VHS
“The Villain” (Kirk Douglas, Ann-Margret & Arnold Schwarzenegger.)
“My name is Nobody” “They Call Me Trinity” “Trinity Is Still My Name” (the last two previously mentioned) “Lucky Luke” (Terrence Hill)
There are so many to choose from.
Your list looks like one my husband would write. he also likes Bruce Willis movies. He recently dug all his movies out of storage, I noticed they were scattered about down in his barn. Unfortunately, my memory was wiped out in the early 90’s because of allergy medication, most of it has come back, but old movies and songs are like watching and listening for the first time. So, I appreciate threads like this, sometimes it trips something up there.
Like your quote:
“A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.”
This is similar to what my husband explains to the grandchildren *every single time* they target practice with him. Now I’m going to ask him if that’s where it came from.
Those who believe guns cause violence have simply not read the Bible, The Illiad, Robin Hood, or even King Arthur.
Ditto on “any John Wayne movie,” especially El Dorado, Rio Lobo, and The Undefeated. Throw in Hellfighters with the bad guys being played by well fires. For others, don’t leave out Silverado and Jeremiah Johnson, the movie that said more with fewer words than anything in recent memory.
Wordsmith:
Ya’ll forgot Lonesome Dove!!!???? I spent the first half of the movie envying Robert Urich…..:-)
All those are my favorites except Blazing Saddles and Three Amigos. Can’t forget ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’, ‘Once Upon A Time In The West’
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (2nd)
2. A Fistful of Dollars
3. For a Few Dollars More
4. High Noon
5. Pale Rider
6. Unforgiven
7. Most any John Wayne movie
8. Hang ‘Em HIgh
10: Once Upon A Time IN The West (2nd)
11: Lonesome Dove (1st)
12: Streets of Laredo
13: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Rocky B:
Have all the ‘Have Gun…” DVDs, used to watch Paladin with my dad and now that he’s gone, they bring back wonderful memories. Don’t forget ‘Sugarfoot”
Missy:
So, so sorry to hear about that loss of your memory and I hope you get it all back.
Lefty, I’ll remember…………….. That’s what the name referred to as I was growing up, but now it’s over in left field somewhere…..:-)
I looked, but not exhaustively, for one of what I consider a classic Western—which began in
Texas and ended in the true last frontier, Australia (until they went insane and banned firearms
to the elation of the criminals–dumbass pols). The movie? “Quigley Down Under.”
Classic wrong-righting, suffering of the innocent, and final justice for the guilty in an
soul-warming shootout!! In spite of all the competition, it ranks right up at the top for me.
Add—anything based on a Louis L’Amour opus.
Marcel….
I think the greatest Western of all is “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” by John Ford and which starred John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Vera Miles. Lee Marvin played the villain, Liberty Valance.
Agreed on the ‘any John Wayne’ choice.
I’m also a big fan of ‘The Quick and The Dead’. Great newer western movie. Gene Hackman and Russell Crowe among others. Great movie about duels in a lawless frontier town.
Wooglin-12:
What?? Gene Hackman and Russell Crowe were great as usual but, Sharon Stone, LOL. 🙂
I have no patience with these newer movies where the female Always beats the male……..
Here’s one that’s a classic at this blog:
Wow, you guys have brought back a lot of memories. I too have to vote for Quigley Down Under among others.
Not long ago I saw an American Rifleman article that talked about the rifles Tom used in that movie. In fact I think they made a limited reproduction run of the rifle he used.
Second the motion on Quigley Down Under and raise you:
The Grey Fox – Richard Farnsworth
Breakheart Pass – Charles Bronson
… And here’s another nobody’s mentioned:
Open Range – Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner
Anybody want to start a list of the worst stinker Westerns?
Blazing Saddles, opening scene where they sing and dance like idiots. Funny!
I’m a little late to this one, but I tend to take weekends off from the net. Wanted to add my favorite western to the list, though: Silverado. This one is not just my fave western, but one of my fave movies of all time. Quirky humor, an all-star cast, and great visuals. Where else are you going to get Kevin Klein, Scott Glenn, and John Cleese all in the same movie?
Honorable Mention: The Cheyenne Social Club. Hank Fonda and Jimmy Stewart. Totally priceless!
I did chime in before to say True Grit. But I am going to tell you, as a kind of r&r from all the more serious thoughts of the political present, y’all have provided quite a list of unfamiliar movies for me to rent over the long cold winter!
Back in the day, I actually was a teeny bopper. LOL So Cowboy Shoot ’em Up flicks were not something I even tried, exception being True Grit. My daddy encouraged me to watch that one with the bait that Glen Campbell was in it! LOL
Daddy loved the Westerns. He watched ’em all and checked out every single Western book at the public library.
I had no idea how much the true and right values were being expressed in much of his movie genre. So now I have a good list from all of you and am going to share them with my kids.
Lonesome Dove was an awesome mini-series. Gotta renew my fix about once every six months or so.
In my book, the best western movie is “The Outlaw Josie Wales”. “Dying ain’t much of a living, son.”
Besides, Clint himself says it’s his favorite, too. Who’s to argue that?
@Lurkin’no-mo:
Definitely another great movie. The line reminds me of one of the songs from Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory” soundtrack. I don’t remember much of the actual movie (“Young Guns”? “Young Guns II”?), but I somehow ended up with the album and liked much of the lyrics. And he used the line, “dyin’ ain’t much of a living” on one song:
One of my favorites is “Santa Fe”:
I like the whole album. Miracle. Blood Money:
They tell me you want me but I hear they’ve got you
They made you a lawman with a badge made of silver
They paid you some money to sell them my blood
But you say, this ain’t about me and this ain’t about you
Or the good and the bad times we’ve both been through
When the lines between brothers and justice have changed
You do what you’ve gotta cause you can’t walk away
Wonder what would of have happened if you were the killer and I was the hero
Would things be the same ?
Or would I have traded your life for my own life ?
Would I have paid your debts in your place ?
I don’t know
But this ain’t about me and this ain’t about you
Or the good and the bad times we’ve both been through
When the lines between brothers and justice have changed
You do what you’ve gotta cause you can’t walk away
Blood money, that’s what I call it
‘Cause money for blood ain’t no fair exchange
Blood money
Bought and then sold you
But your conscience is all you can take to your grave
Lots of great movies on this thread. My all time favorite would probably be “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” followed up by “Unforgiven”
High Noon and Open Range also are in my top 10.
You know….there’s also “The Magnificent Seven” (Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson…), which is based upon the Kurosawa classic “The Seven Samurai”…..which in turn was inspired by American westerns. Same goes for “A Fistful of Dollars” (“Yojimbo”).
Feeling a bit of movie nostaglia again, as well as a love for the American western:
A Man Called Horse was a classic, Last of the Mohicans was another.
Stagecoach (the 1939 version with John Wayne)
Will Penny
Shane
The Searchers
Dances With Wolves
The Shootist
Open Range
I watched westerns as a kid so that had some influence on my favorite western films, a few more good ones:
Every film by Roy Rodgers.
The Frisco Kid
Bandolero!
Cowboys Vs Aliens
James Garner’s westerns (as well as his TV series Maverick). Speaking of TV, The Wild Wild West kept me glued to the set.
WOW
what a keepsake for movies choice,
can we find them all again today 6th of JULY 2013,
WHERE ARE YOU ALL GONE?
2008, 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013, WE STILL WOULD ENJOYED TO READ YOUR CHOICE OF LIVES TOO.
I came in 2009, and glad to see this post, so many other to see.
Wordsmith thank you,