There have been many Western movies made over the years. Many famous actors strapped on the pistol and rode off into the sunset. Actors such as John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Clint Eastwood practically made a living as actors in westerns. John Wayne starred in over 200 movies, most of them were westerns. Ranking the top five is a daunting, if not impossible task. Below is a list of the five best Western movies of all time.
5: “High Noon”. Gary Cooper stars as marshal, Will Cain. He is retiring as the town marshal and is planning on marrying Grace Kelly on his last day on the job. Unfortunately, a message arrives and he finds that four gunslingers are coming to town that day to kill him. His deputy quits and he can recruit no townspeople to join his posse. He must face the killers alone.
4: “The Magnificent Seven”. A poor town south of the border is being harassed by the local bandit and his gang. The town hires seven gunfighters to protect them from a gang of over 40 bandits. The seven battle the bandits and protect the small farming town. Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen star as the lead gunfighters.
3: “Outlaw Josey Wales”. Josey Wales, played by Clint Eastwood is a peaceful farmer at the end of the Civil War. He witnesses the murder of his family by renegades and in revenge, joins a band of Confederate guerillas. After the war is over, all he wants to be is left alone. However, others have a different idea. A price is put on his head and a posse is assembled to hunt him down.
2: “Dances with Wolves”. Kevin Costner stars as a cavalry officer assigned to a remote outpost in the distant Western frontier. As he arrives at the post, he finds it to be deserted. Nevertheless, he mans the post alone and befriends the nearby Indian tribe. Eventually, he deserts his post and joins them.
1: “The Unforgiven”. Clint Eastwood stars as Will Muny, a notorious gunfighter and killer. He is attempting to live a clean life after marrying a Christian woman. He struggles with remaining clean and goes on one last killing in order to earn enough money to support his family.
There are many excellent western movies not listed in this top 5. “Shane”, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, “The Searchers”, “True Grit” and “Silverado” among others, would all be on someone’s top five list.