More Westerns

Today over at www.ew.com they listed their 15 essential westerns due to the anticipation of "3:10 to Yuma" opening next week. It was hard to debate the list, they pretty much had all the essentials like "Red River", "The Good the Bad and the Ugly", and "The Searchers". For me I love westerns, and I wish more were being made today. They seem close to extinction now with the exception of a few re-vitalized looks like "The Proposition" or "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" and of course the HBO series "Deadwood". It's hard to believe but a western being made in the fifties was about as common as a comic book movie being made today. So to prove to you people who think it's uncool to ride tall in the saddle here are a couple of other westerns that weren't on the ew list that I think deserve mention.

1. The Outlaw Josey Whales: You should see this earlier Clint Eastwood western before his much heralded "Unforgiven". 20 years before his oscar winning meditation on violence, Eastwood was already asking some of same questions in this film about a man who loses his family in the midst of the civil war and he then becomes a vigilante. This was probably the first film to show Eastwood's talent as both actor and director.

2. Winchester 73: In a story that seemed to be taken out of the film noir of 40s and thrown into the old west famed director Anthony Mann (who cut his teeth in both genres) gives us a tough and rugged western as it follows the titled gun passing from owner to owner. Jimmy Stewart was mostly known for his good hearted everyman characters before this film. In this one he's a complex hero obssessed with killing the man who killed his father. Also great is Dan Duryea as the psychotic Waco Johnny Dean (Ain't that a cool name for a bad guy)

3. Duck you Sucker: I just watched this underrated Sergio Leone western a few days ago and was knocked out by it. Rod Steiger is a mexican robber who steals from the wealthy uppercrust types and James Coburn is the former Irish Revolutionary who shows him what's worth fighting for. The film has more emotion I think than Leone's famed Dollar trilogy and Steiger and Coburn make a great team.

4. Ride the High Country: Sam Peckinpah's first fore in the genre is a powerful moving tale of two old cowpokes (Legends Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott) who go for one last ride together. While one sticks to his principles the other has lost his and plans to double cross his old friend. The ending is that of bittersweetness but unforgettable and heroic.

5. The Man who Shot Liberty Valance: John Ford's late in the day western about a famed Senator (James Stewart) who comes back to town to bury a mysterious old friend (John Wayne). There he tells the story behind the shooting of the outlaw Liberty Valance and what really happened. Ford was always concerned with separating fact from fiction when it came to the mythic west and this is probably his best film that shows that.

6. The Shootist: I don't think any other actor had a better swan song than John Wayne had with this. Basically he's playing a variation of all his John Wayne characters, he's an uncompromising gunfighter who doesn't let anyone tell him how to live or how to die. It's more poignant as we learn the man he plays is dying of cancer which Wayne himself had at the time. The film is more of a character study than a shoot-em up actioner (that is until the last 5 minutes), but it's a touching tribute to the man who was pretty much the west's biggest hero.

7. The Ox-Bow Incident: One of my personal favorites stars Henry Fonda as one of the few voices of reason in an angry mob. The film is like a perfect play and probably the best film ever about a mob-mentality (along perhaps with Fritz Lang's "Fury") as it debates about the lynching of three possibly innocent men. Fonda's reading of a letter at the end is just great acting, and the characterizations or unforgettable.

8. 3:10 to Yuma: It might be fun to check out the original before you see the remake. The film goes the "High Noon" route as it builds tension by the waiting and the mind games. This is probably my favorite Glenn Ford performance as he plays the outlaw who tries to convince his captor (Van Heflin) to set him free. Despite the unsatisfying ending which I thought was a cop out it is a great entertainment

9. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: How can you talk about westerns and not at least put one of John Fords calvary films. "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" was the best of the lot with its beautiful color and touching scenes one kinda forgets its got some great action sequences. John Wayne plays an aging commander ready to retire but must prevent a war first.

10. Rio Bravo: I could not leave without mentioning my personal favorite western. Directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne it's just grand entertainment in the fullest. Wayne plays a Marshall who must face a rich land barren who's hell bent on getting his killer brother out of jail. All Wayne has to back him up is a drunk (Dean Martin in his best role ever) a cripple (Walter Brennan being very Walter Brennany) and a young kid trying to prove himself (Teen idol Ricky Nelson). It's fun, it's exciting and it's the kinda movie they don't make anymore.