Topic: the Cowboy/Western genre

[Glock32]

So I was never really a fan of the Western genre, until recently that is. I started with Tombstone about a year ago, and I got onto that because Ann Barnhardt frequently posted a clip of the famous scene where Wyatt Earp slaps the loudmouth thug played by Billy Bob Thornton, his way of calling him out and demonstrating that he was just a mouthy coward. I was intrigued enough to watch the entire movie, and enjoyed it.

I think I simply always took that uniquely American genre for granted before, part of the cultural background of America. It is the history of the American people -- coming from various places but with a common denominator of not willing to be told what to do -- distilled into literature/cinema. I also think that's why I am now coming around to it with a belated appreciation, because those traits that defined the classic Western (rugged individualism, self-reliance, delineation of good and evil, refusal to submit regardless of the odds) are now so palpably under assault in this country.

The other night I watched The Magnificent Seven, which is basically Kurosawa's story of seven samurai enlisted to aid peasants against a tyrant, reimagined as a Western. I liked it.

What other films would you list as Western essentials?

[Weisshaupt]

So I was never really a fan of the Western genre, until recently that is. I started with Tombstone about a year ago, and I got onto that because Ann Barnhardt frequently posted a clip of the famous scene where Wyatt Earp slaps the loudmouth thug played by Billy Bob Thornton, his way of calling him out and demonstrating that he was just a mouthy coward. I was intrigued enough to watch the entire movie, and enjoyed it.

I think I simply always took that uniquely American genre for granted before, part of the cultural background of America. It is the history of the American people -- coming from various places but with a common denominator of not willing to be told what to do -- distilled into literature/cinema. I also think that's why I am now coming around to it with a belated appreciation, because those traits that defined the classic Western (rugged individualism, self-reliance, delineation of good and evil, refusal to submit regardless of the odds) are now so palpably under assault in this country.

The other night I watched The Magnificent Seven, which is basically Kurosawa's story of seven samurai enlisted to aid peasants against a tyrant, reimagined as a Western. I liked it.

What other films would you list as Western essentials?

I am partial to True Grit, Stagecoach, and The Big Trail ..  and of course Firefly if that counts.
Silverado was the last decent western I remember Hollywood making.  The reboot of the 3:10 to Yuma was okay, but I liked the original better.

[rustybayonet]

Lonesome Dove
Open Range
Quigley Down Under
about anything with Sam Elliot
Dances with Wolves


Maybe I'll think of more later

[ChrstnHsbndFthr]

Unforgiven

[AmericanPatriot]

I agree with most of those given.
I'll commit sacrilege here, though.
I think the Jeff Bridges True Grit was excellent. Better than the Duke's.
But John Wayne made a lot of good ones

I grew up with westerns on Saturday morning.
Not exactly what is asked.
Lone Ranger has to still be my favorite.
But Tex Ritter, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, Cisco Kid, Wild Bill Hickock, Roy Rogers were all part of ever Saturday morning.
And in the 50s a lot of nighttime series,too.
Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza just to name a few.

Sort of westerns was They Dies with their Boots On with Errol Flynn about Custer.

And my all time favorites were all the Davy Crockett or Alamo movies

[Glock32]

Yeah I just rewatched Disney's Davy Crockett the other night. It was a staple video of my childhood. My mom said I learned how to operate the VCR before I was 3 years old, and I have vague memories of stacking pillows from the couch and standing on them so I could reach the tapes. I knew which one was Davy Crockett because my parents had cut out a picture from TV Guide and put it under the sleeve of the tape case. It's a good one.

Thanks for the lists.  I'm basically just browsing through Netflix and Amazon Prime to see what's available for streaming.

[IronDioPriest]

I agree with AP's assessment of the True Grit reboot. Excellent.

True Grit (both)
Unforgiven
Open Range
Tombstone
3:10 to Yuma
Outlaw Josie Wales
High Plains Drifter
Silverado
Dances with Wolves

I'm sure I'm missing a ton.

Anybody watch the A&E series Hell on Wheels? I've caught a few episodes, and enjoyed them.

[ChrstnHsbndFthr]

Big Jake

[AmericanPatriot]

Glock, I was around with the original release in the mid 50s.
I had a coonskin cap, buckskins, and "Betsy".

I have a pic of me on my pony in full regalia

As far as I know, I have seen every Davy Crockett show/movie ever.
There was one in the early 50s where Davy was pretty scruffy and not the central figure that I only learned about in the last few years

I knew all the words to the song, btw

[rustybayonet]

Glock, I was around with the original release in the mid 50s.
I had a coonskin cap, buckskins, and "Betsy".

I have a pic of me on my pony in full regalia

As far as I know, I have seen every Davy Crockett show/movie ever.
There was one in the early 50s where Davy was pretty scruffy and not the central figure that I only learned about in the last few years

I knew all the words to the song, btw

With the words;

Ballad of David Crockett

What we all remember;

Fess Parker - Ballad of Davy Crockett (1955)

[AmericanPatriot]

Thanks, rusty.
That was nostalgic.

[Alphabet Soup]

High Noon.

[rustybayonet]

A few TV oldies to jog the memory;

Classic Western TV Show Intros / Openings 1950s, 60s

[AmericanPatriot]

I forgot some of those!
Cheyenne, Zorro and Have Gun were some my favorites.
But watched Fury and Rin Tin Tin and Death Valley Days before Reagan

[Libertas]

I will echo Unforgiven (best ending action sequence ever!), Open Range, Tombstone, True Grit (I like most all John Wayne's movies, The Shootist may be my favorite), Silverado, the Spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is perhaps my favorite), The Magnificent Seven, Once Upon a Time in the West, Maverick, there are lots!

[rustybayonet]

Real old classic that personally took me back.  Yes I do like trivia and this brings one back --Who was the most famous 'radio' "Lone Ranger", that led to this series.  Now while thinking of that --- enjoy;


"Enter the Lone Ranger" (Clayton Moore) 1949

[AmericanPatriot]

Wasn't Clayton Moore both on radio and TV?

[rustybayonet]

Wasn't Clayton Moore both on radio and TV?

Not on radio as the Lone Ranger.

[oldcoastie6468]

I agree with AP's assessment of the True Grit reboot. Excellent.

True Grit (both)
Unforgiven
Open Range
Tombstone
3:10 to Yuma
Outlaw Josie Wales
High Plains Drifter
Silverado
Dances with Wolves

I'm sure I'm missing a ton.

Anybody watch the A&E series Hell on Wheels? I've caught a few episodes, and enjoyed them.

The "Hell on Wheels" series of good.

"The Big Country" is on my best westerns list, as is "Shane."

[rustybayonet]

Lone Ranger trivia answer - Brace Beemer was the most popular and the last 'radio' voice of the mask man.  My reason for this is interest - when I was a kid, I had a early morning paper route and his son 'TV kiddies host 'Justice Colt' was one of my customers, but mostly my cousin lived less than a mile from the Beemer farm in Oxford, Michigan.  We would ride our bikes over there to 'catch a look at "the Lone Ranger" and to see his two horses  - yep a white stallion and a 'paint''.  I have a set of tapes of 60 radio episodes of most of the 1952 radio series at WXYZ radio in Detroit where the show originated from.

If interested more info. can be found at least two sites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brace_Beemer

http://www.lonerangerfanclub.com/radio.html